CambsCOP26 Coalition Global Day of Action

Start: Saturday, November 06, 2021 1:00 PM

Global Day of Action for Climate Justice
  • People will gather in various venues across Cambridge from 12pm
  • The different groups will make their way into the centre of town and assemble at Great St Mary's church at 1pm
  • March from Great St Mary's to Parkers Piece at 1.15pm (route tbc)
  • Climate Fair on Parker's Piece from 2pm, with speeches and music
  • Sound the Alarm at 3pm (bring your phones, old fashioned clocks)
Accessibility details are included below.


Covid precautions

This is a crucial moment for tackling the climate crisis and it’s vital that we keep the pressure on COP26 as they make keys decisions, but we also recognise the need to take measures to keep everyone safe during the Global Day of Action. Cambridgeshire and Peterborough have become Enhanced Response Areas for tackling the Covid pandemic. We are therefore advising everyone who attends our events on 6 November to take a lateral flow test beforehand, wear a face covering at all times, keep a safe distance from others and bring hand sanitzer

Speeches and music

From about 2pm there will be speeches and music on Parker's Piece, as part of the Climate Fair

Speakers will include:

  • Junayd Islam Junayd is a student in Natural Sciences, climate activist, member of Friends of River Cam and former Youth Striker
  • Daisy Thomas Daisy is a member of Cambridge University's Climate Justice Campaign . She's a 3rd year student who was heavily involved in the university divestment campaign
  • Austin Harney Austin is a PCS Union Representative, an Autistic Rights campaigner as well as a campaigner for the rights of other Disabled people. He is also in the Hertfordshire Trade Union Council

Musicians will include:

  • Flaming June Flaming June is a songwriter from Cambridge and FATEA award winner
  • Rachel Caldwell Rachel is a singer-songwriter from Cambridge, drawing musical inspiration from folk and jazz traditions. She has been involved in climate activism since an early age and often performs at climate events.

Join the Global Day of Action for Climate Justice!

Make sure to RSVP for updates and reminder of the Global Day of Action.

On 6 November 2021, as world leaders meet in Glasgow for the COP26 Global Climate Summit, towns and cities across the world will take to the streets demanding global climate justice.

We are living through a period of multiple breaking points - from climate to covid to racism. We know that these crises not only overlap, but share the same cause. 
While no one can escape the impacts of these crises, those who have done least to cause them suffer the most. Across the world, the poorest people and communities of colour are too often those bearing the brunt of the climate crisis. From coastal villages in Norfolk whose sea-defences are eroding faster than ever, to people living by the Niger Delta rivers blackened by oil spillage. 


The Era of Injustice is Over: Our Time is Now

Justice won’t be handed to us by world leaders or delivered by corporations. So far, governments have done too little too late: colluding with corporations and hiding behind green washed ‘solutions’ that actually don’t exist yet, that don’t address the scale of the problem, and in many cases rely on more exploitation of people and the planet.

The transformative solutions that we need to survive and build a more just and fair world can only be brought about through collective action, solidarity and coordination, from our local communities and international levels. We are bringing together movements from across the world to build power for system change - indigenous movements, frontline communities, trade unions, racial justice groups, youth strikers, landworkers, peasants, NGOs, grassroots community campaigns, feminist movements, faith groups.

Wherever you are in the world, now is the time to join the fight for climate justice. We need all hands on deck: in workplaces, communities, schools, hospitals and across national borders.

6 November: Join us one of the actions being organised across the world or organise your own so that we can be loud and clear to the world leaders discussing our future: we want climate justice now!

COP26: Why does it matter?

World leaders and experts will meet in Glasgow in November at the global climate talks, COP26. The decisions made at COP26 will shape how governments respond (or not) to the climate crisis. They will decide who is to be sacrificed, who will escape and who will make a profit. COP26 is happening at a crucial moment in history. Across the world and across movements, we are seeing a new wave of resistance, global solidarity and grassroots organising. We have a unique opportunity to rewire our system as we recover from the pandemic. We can either intensify the crisis to the point of no return, or lay the foundations for a just world where everyone’s needs are met.

No More Cooking The Books: No To Fossil Fuels, Net-zero And False Solutions!
  • Fight For 1.5
  • We Need Real Zero, Not Net Zero
  • Keep It In The Ground: No New Fossil Fuel Investments Or Infrastructure
  • Reject False Solutions: No To Carbon Markets And Risky And Unproven Technologies
Rewire The System: Start The Justice Transition Now!
  • Start The Justice Transition
Global Climate Justice: Reparations And Redistribution To The Global South!
  • Fair share of effort from all rich countries
  • Cancel the debts of Global South by all creditors
  • Grant-based climate finance for the Global South
  • Reparations for the loss and damage already happening in the Global South

Accessibility

Updated 19.10.21

We hope as many people as possible will be able to join our Cambridge action on 6 November, including families with children and disabled people - the climate crisis will affect everyone and we all have a role to play in tackling it. We hope this information helps you to join safely and in in a way that suits you.

Trained march stewards will be present along the march route to help things run smoothly and keep everyone safe. They will be wearing hi-viz tabards so you can identify them.

MARCH ROUTE AND ACCESS

Start point: Great St Mary’s Church - the big church between Market Square and the University Senate House. Postcode: CB2 3PQ.  0.3 miles/550metres from Drummer Street, main bus hub for the city.  1.3 miles/2km from Cambridge train station.

End point: Parker’s Piece - a large, open, grassy space, with surfaced paths (pedestrians and cycles) across the middle. Postcode: CB1 1NA. 0.2 miles/350metres from Drummer Street bus hub. 0.6miles/1km from Cambridge train station.

The planned march route, via Kings Parade, Downing Street and Regents Street, is 1 mile/1.6km. It is mostly flat, though there may be some kerbs or uneven sections.  Stewards will be available along the route to provide assistance if needed.  A security barrier on Kings Parade is a “pinch point” as there is only a narrow space to pass. There will be stewards around this point to ensure everybody can pass safely.  

People using wheelchairs or mobility scooters may prefer to be at the front of the march; please approach a steward who can help facilitate this.  

We strongly advise against driving if you can use other transport. If you do need to come by car, Queen Anne’s multi-storey is on Gonville Place, next to Parker’s Piece, and offers 3 hours free parking for Blue Badge holders.  For more info on parking, visit www.cambridge.gov.uk/parking.

SEATING

At the start of the march route, there are a benches outside Great St Mary’s and a low wall along Kings Parade that many people sit on. There are several benches around the edge of Parker’s Piece, where the march ends.

CROWDS AND NOISE

The city centre, including most of the march route but particularly around Great St Mary’s and Kings Parade, is usually very noisy and crowded on a Saturday. There is likely to be chanting during the march, and some participants will bring megaphones or portable public address systems.   We are not expecting the march to be large enough to have a designated “quiet area”.

If you prefer to avoid crowded or noisy spaces, you may wish to join at the end of the route, on Parker’s Piece, where the speeches and “alarm call” will take place. This is a large, flat, grassed area so there will be more room and some quieter areas.  

COVID SAFETY

The event will all take place in the open air. To help keep everyone safe, we will be urging all participants to wear a mask in crowded areas, unless they are exempt.

TOILETS

The nearest toilets to the route, including accessible toilets and baby change, are:

Lion Yard shopping Centre

Drummer street bus station (20p charge, accessible toilet requires radar key)

Gonville Place (on Parker’s Piece - 20p charge)

See map and more information here: https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/public-toilets

OTHER WAYS TO PARTICIPATE

If you aren’t able to join us in person, there are several ways you can get involved online.  We hope to livestream some parts of the day’s activity via Facebook - look our for more information in Facebook event updates.

Join in online actions organised by the national COP26 Coalition:




Find out more about our movement and message: cop26coalition.org/about/what-do-we-want/

Join us for the People’s Summit: 7-10th Sep: cop26coalition.org/peoples-summit/