John Stewart of HACAN speaks against expansion of air traffic at Climate Emergency Alternative Parliament at Westminster
An emergency session of an alternative Parliament was held by the Campaign against Climate Change (CCC) on Wednesday evening, 15 July, in Old Palace Yard opposite the Houses of Parliament. Around 150 people turned up to stand in the intermittent rain, some taking advantage of the shelter of the plane trees to the side. Four bills were debated at this parliament, calling for immediate 10% cuts in carbon emission by the end of 2010, the creation of million new green jobs, an end to airport expansion and a ban on domestic flights, an end to the road programme and the introduction of an overall 55 mph speed limits as well as an informed government campaign about the effects of climate change. The sitting of the emergency parliament was opened and closed by the 'Green Queen' and presided over by a speaker who lost his wig when Colin Challen MP, one of the speakers, pointed out that there had been a recent change to this effect in proceedings in the House over the road. Other speakers included Darren Johnson, leader of the Green Group in the London Assembly, John Stewart of HACAN, Tim Helweg-Larsen, Director of the Public Interest Research Centre, Chris Baugh, Assistant General Secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), Deepak Rughani from Biofuelwatch and Drew, a former worker from Vestas Blades UK Ltd on the Isle of Wight. In the final session, final session Climate Rush’s Tamsin Omond, wearing her suffragette 'Deeds Not Words' sash, called on everyone to join in and occupy Parliament at the end of the National Climate March on Dec 5 and CCC National Co-ordinator Phil Thornhill stressed the importance of the clearly argued political approach and mass demonstrations which the CCC has been organising for more than ten years.
Size: 5040px × 3354px
Location: Old Palace Yard, Westminster, London, England,UK
Photo credit: © Peter Marshall / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: airport, alternative, campaign, carbon, change, climate, demonstration, emergency, emissions, expansion, green, hacan, jobs, john, limits, parliament, placard, protest, runway, speed, stewart, westminster
