Caroline Lucas joins Climate Rush on suffragette anniversary
13 October 2008
Green Party Leader Caroline Lucas MEP joined female campaigners on 13th October to commemorate the centenary of the Suffragist movement’s ‘Rush’ on parliament.
The Climate Rush event drew hundreds of activists to Parliament Square to hear speakers including Caroline, Sam Roddick and Tamsin Omond urge the government to take action on climate change.
The crowd then moved to the St Stephen’s entrance to Parliament where a group ‘rushed’ the entrance, calling out the Suffragette slogan ‘Deeds not Words’. Six people were arresting during the peaceful protest.
At the rally Caroline said:
“By gathering outside Parliament this evening, we remember the courage of the Suffragettes who came here exactly 100 years ago today. They rushed on Parliament then to demand the right to vote. We have come to Parliament today to demand urgent action to protect our environment for future generations.
“Why is it that politicians can find the political will and £500bn to bail out the banks in the financial crisis, but can’t find either the will or resources to tackle the climate crisis?
“It’s almost unbelievable that in spite of all their green rhetoric we have a Government under whom greenhouse gas emissions have actually risen. It prides itself on taking global leadership on climate change, and yet it is diluting and delaying key legislation on reducing climate emissions in the European Parliament.
“By promoting measures to address climate change, we can address the financial crisis at the same time. A massive programme of energy efficiency and renewable energies, for example, would help those in fuel poverty, provide thousands of good quality, green collar jobs, kickstart the economy, and protect the environment.
“The House of Commons belongs to us, the people. It is accountable to the people and we have a right to demand to be heard. A hundred years ago, Emmeline Pankhurst said, to be able to be militant is a privilege. She was right, and now is the time to speak out to prevent our government from sleepwalking into climate catastrophe."
The Climate Rush was organised by an independent group of activists and was held to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Suffragette Rush on 13 October 1908.
For more info see: www.climaterush.co.uk
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