We are the crowd who knows that climate action is urgent

Nannas were outside Parliament yesterday, with others, to speak out against the sentencing of Deanna “Violet” Coco to a non-parole period of eight months. Violet blocked a single lane of traffic on the Sydney Harbour Bridge in April in a protest staged to draw attention to the global climate emergency.

Although Nanna Marie could not attend Nanna Eury read out what she had to say –

Nannas have been on Sydney streets protesting about gas and coal mines for about 8 years. Over that time we’ve had lots of interactions with the Sydney Events police, and not a lot of trouble from them.  You could say we are known to the Police 

We were amused and surprised at the recent climate emergency rally at town hall, when one of the police said to a Nanna that he thought we’d fallen in with the wrong crowd!

Looks like we better clear some things up then …

–      We ARE the crowd who knows that climate action is urgent and it starts with stopping new gas and coal

–      We know the importance of public protests to bringing about social and political change

–      We will stand up against any move to take away the democratic right to protest

And of course

–      We are the crowd who calls for the release of climate activist Violet Coco and an end to intimidation and criminalization of all climate activists

What is happening to CoCo is a direct result of the actions of the NSW government with the support of the ALP opposition. The level of punishment being dealt out to her and to other activists is totally disproportionate, and clearly designed to intimidate all who seek to act to protect our climate.

Now is the time to BE THE CROWD – we can’t afford to fall for attempts to divide the climate movement. We all want to save the climate, and to do that we need to protect democracy.

We are a couple of months out from the NSW state election … now is the time to approach your candidates. They are out and about campaigning in shopping centres and they are meeting with people and NGOS in their electoral offices. Ask them if re/elected would they move to repeal the Roads & Crimes Legislation Amendment Act? Open up dialogue and build relationships with them NOW in anticipation of new faces in parliament.

Finally a big shout out to EDO and their lawyers who are acting for the Knitting Nannas in their challenge to these laws in the Supreme Court.

Simultaneous protests were held in Canberra, Perth, Brisbane and Hobart.

For more information – Why was climate activist Violet Coco given a jail sentence and what are the laws against protesting? SBS News