'Sydney is angry': Protesters march to demand urgent action on climate change: SMH

By Laura Chung and Matt Bungard

Updated December 11, 2019 — 7.35pm

 

An estimated 20,000 protesters marched from Town Hall to Hyde Park on Wednesday evening, taking over George Street to demand stronger climate action as bushfires continue to rage across the state.

The event, titled "NSW is Burning, Sydney is Choking - Climate Emergency Rally!", was swiftly set up on Facebook last week by Extinction Rebellion, Uni Students for Climate Justice, and Greens MP David Shoebridge, in response to horrendous air conditions and ongoing bushfires across the state.

Thousands of protesters gathered at Town Hall on Wednesday.Credit:Wolter Peeters

Buses were diverted away from Elizabeth Street and Park Street because of the march, with some buses delayed by up to 30 minutes and more than 60 routes affected.

After a series of speeches, the crowd began marching down York Street at 6.40pm, before turning onto Park Street and heading east towards Elizabeth Street and Hyde Park.

NSW Police Inspector Gary Coffey said "it’s a very big crowd", and later told the Herald there were an estimated 20,000 people in attendance.

Chloe Rafferty, one of the organisers, said she was angry about the lack of climate action from all levels of government.

"The state is angry, Sydney is angry," she said. "I have hope that people will see the need to take action into their own hands and disrupt business as usual, we can't let the biggest city in Australia having hazardous air quality become the new normal."

High school student Amy Lamont addressed the thousands of protesters wearing P2 face masks and said: "The reality is these fires will be around all summer."

"The rage we all rightly feel right now needs to grow if we have any chance of actually challenging that destruction of the status quo that is burning around us," she said.

"Only we, the majority, have the ability to hold the rich and political elites in this country accountable.

"Students shouldn't have to worry when going to school that they might come back to a burnt home."

David Whitson has been attending protests dressed as a koala since October.

"When you talk about silent Australians, I don’t think of anything more silent than our beloved flora and fauna," he said.

The loss of wildlife, especially Koala Bears, were the focal point for this protest sign.Credit:Wolter Peeters

He said he thought bushfires would occur early next year, but "it’s caught everyone by surprise how early and severe the fires are".

Fire Brigade Employees Union state secretary Leighton Drury has been a firefighter for 20 years and said the fires ravaging NSW are the "worst we’ve had in decades".

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