{"id":23874,"date":"2021-11-06T11:32:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-06T15:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=23874"},"modified":"2021-11-08T10:34:53","modified_gmt":"2021-11-08T15:34:53","slug":"thousands-of-climate-change-protestors-take-to-the-streets-of-ireland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=23874","title":{"rendered":"Thousands Of Climate Change Protestors Take To The Streets Of Ireland"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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People take part in a climate change protest in Dublin (PA)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Thousands of activists have taken part in climate protests across the island of Ireland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dublin and Belfast witnessed two of the largest demonstrations, while events were staged in a variety of other towns and cities including Cork and Derry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Katie Harrington was among the crowds who gathered at the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin for a march through the city to Government Buildings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor me it\u2019s extremely important that we use our voices,\u201d said the Dublin woman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m not here for myself, I\u2019m here for future generations. We need our government to actually act on climate change and the climate crisis, not just keep talking and not just keep making plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really important for us to use our voices and march on these streets so we\u2019re heard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among those to address a rally at Belfast City Hall was acclaimed teenage author and naturalist from Co Fermanagh Dara McAnulty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are at a junction as a species and there are two paths in front of us,\u201d he told the crowds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne \u2013 we change our future, we make a difference, we go on the road to restorative justice and climate action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOr we can go down the path of further destruction and inevitably the demise of our species.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The events on the island were part of a global day of action aimed at increasing pressure on world leaders attending the Cop26 conference on climate change in Glasgow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Catherine O\u2019Rourke from Liverpool was in Dublin to visit her daughter. She said she felt compelled to come down and join in the protest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am very concerned about the future for my grandchildren and my great grandchildren and we\u2019ve got to make a difference,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t just hope for it, we\u2019ve got to do it. We\u2019ve got to make our governments wake up before it\u2019s too late. It\u2019s already nearly too late. I had to come \u2013 I\u2019d no choice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Susan Rossney from Dublin credited the Government with making \u201cgood progress\u201d on climate action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But she added: \u201cIt still bears repeating every day and in every possible format that everyone has to take action on the climate crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s for us now, it\u2019s for the entire world and it\u2019s so unjust that so much pollution is being created by the developed world and the developing world is bearing the brunt of this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daithi McKay, the vice chair of the NI Climate Coalition, helped organize the event in Belfast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve heard a lot of promises, we\u2019ve heard a lot of pledges,\u201d he said of Cop26.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut we need much more than that \u2013 we need immediate action.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chloe Ferguson, the chair of Queen\u2019s University Students\u2019 Union Climate Action Group, said street protests could have a \u201cmassive impact\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen we look at what politicians and what our leaders respond to, they listen to what\u2019s going to cause them the most bother publicly,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

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