95bFM Tāmaki Makaurau climate activists set to take part in global climate strike
22 February, 2023
Interview by Jessica Hopkins, adapted by Georgi Stirling
Fridays for Future Tāmaki Makaurau are taking part in the Global Climate Strike happening in cities around the world. Photo: Unsplash.
Fridays for Future Tāmaki Makaurau are teaming up with School Strike for Climate and other Fridays for Future groups across the moto to demand climate action on Friday, 3 March, as part of a global climate strike.
The global climate strike involves hundreds of cities across the globe, and here in Aotearoa, eleven of our cities will be participating,
The global movement was founded by Greta Thunberg in 2018, when she sat outside of Swedish Parliament every school day in the lead up to the election, demanding action on the climate crisis.
Speaking to Jessica Hopkins on The Wire, Sophora from Fridays for Future Tāmaki Makaurau Sophora said the people involved in the movement are coming together because they love the earth and we know there is a better world possible.
Sophora says groups in Aotearoa will be striking for five core demands.
“No more fossil fuels, lowering the voting age to sixteen, more ocean protection, supporting farmers to move to regenerative farming and e-bike rebates."
The group says these measures should be brought into action within the first hundred days of the new government, if they are taking the climate emergency seriously.
Sophora says it is essential younger people feel invited into the political space and are educated on democracy in Aotearoa, so they can engage in climate issues.
"Young people aren't engaged in politics because they do not see themselves represented. Politics is how we get the law and policy that manages the industry polluters, so when we only have people of that boomer generation voting, then that's not really representing our nation.”
She argues that demanding for climate action now, here in Aotearoa, is highly important.
She says we are viewed as a global leader when it comes to handling the climate crisis, and that if we can’t achieve any change, other countries may feel as though they won’t be able to either.
“Aotearoa really does have the chops to pull off some substantial climate action” and is looking forward to seeing what the next government has to offer.
At 3pm on Friday 3 March, strikers in Tāmaki Makaurau will be gathering outside of Britomart station at Te Komititanga place, where they will begin their march down to Victoria Park via Fanshawe Street.
Sophora says they will be “stopping at a few of our top industry polluters along the way, BP, Fonterra and Air New Zealand, just to have a little rally outside and let them know, we are here watching them and that they need to be taking action on climate.”
There will also be live music at Victoria Park after the strike.
More information can be found on Fridays for Future Tāmaki Makaurau's Instagram.
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