The Local weather Revolution is an organisation arrange by the late clothier Vivienne Westwood (1941-2022) on the London Paralympics closing ceremony in 2012 and she or he spent the final years of her life campaigning to halt local weather change, cease warfare and defend human rights and protesting towards capitalism. Her work is now continued by the not-for-profit organisation she arrange, the Vivienne Basis.
I’m not a follower of vogue, as those that know me may have seen. However Westwood’s activism reached a relatively completely different and wider viewers than the extra traditional campaigning teams, gaining publicity throughout the entire world of vogue and at occasions attracting the type of mass media consideration that follows celebrities, relatively than points, now appeal to.
Protests going down within the UK seldom appear to be information – final Wednesday placing employees introduced a lot of London to a standstill and presumably 100,000 folks marched by way of the streets and protested in numerous locations however after I got here residence and searched on the BBC information web site within the early night there was not a point out of it, although there might have been a bit protection later.
Others did relatively higher, nevertheless it wants one thing else for a protest to be information for our media. It may be that it occurs overseas and notably whether it is towards some regime unpopular with our (and the US) authorities. However it will also be whether it is violent or notably quirky or entails a significant celeb equivalent to Dame Vivienne Westwood – and people protests she organised and her designs have been all the time relatively quirky too.
Though Westwood very a lot did her personal factor, she was additionally nice at cooperating with different teams working in the identical space – such because the anti-fracking ‘Nanas from Nanashire’ who got here right down to London for this protest.
The protest was organized to happen exterior the Shale Gasoline Discussion board, the place the CEOs of IGas, Cuadrilla and numerous authorities officers have been plotting new methods to deliver fracking to the UK, and to alter our to permit this to occur. Particularly they need to cease folks with the ability to forestall harmful mining beneath their properties which may trigger harmful and damaging subsidence. Their proposals would allowed corporations to proceed with out correct concern for security and environmental penalties and provides them some indemnity towards damages and authorities would promise to pay a excessive value for the gasoline.
The Discussion board had been scheduled to happen at an costly resort in Belgravia, however after preparations had been made for protest carnival to happen exterior, it was moved to a ‘secret’ location elsewhere in London. Local weather Revolution clearly had mates in excessive locations who leaked the small print to them.
It was Funds Day, however relatively than going to take footage round Westminster I made a decision it was extra necessary to cowl the protest towards fracking. I met Westwood and her supporters, primarily vogue college students, exterior the Royal School of Arts Battersea location simply south of Battersea Bridge and marched with them to the Jumeirah Carlton Tower resort in Cadogan Place which had been the unique venue for the frackers.
We knew the occasion had been relocated and their was some confusion on the finish of the march as as to if it ought to entrain instantly at Knightsbridge station or go to the resort. Finally this was resolved and there was a rally exterior the resort with audio system together with Vivienne Westwood and Vanessa Vine of BIFF (Britain & Eire Frack Free).
The brand new location was nonetheless a secret as we adopted the Rhythms of Resistance samba band to Knightsbridge station, the place extra protesters have been ready and took the underground to Outdated Avenue.
Individuals have been gradual to reach at Outdated Avenue, with some stopping off to purchase espresso or sandwiches and others getting misplaced on the way in which, however finally we have been on the march once more, on our option to the rear gates of the Territorial Military Centre on Bunhill Row, guarded by a couple of police.
Exterior the occasion, folks danced to Rhythms of Resistance, and there have been speeches by Vivienne Westwood, Tina Louise from Residents Motion on Fylde Fracking, Vanessa Vine, Frack Free Bristol, and others, a few of whom had additionally spoken at Knightsbridge.
A few of us then walked by way of Bunhill Fields cemetery to Metropolis Street to protest on the opposite facet of the army centre, and later a lot of the different protesters adopted for an additional rally on the major gates.
The protest was starting to wind down and folks have been leaving and I left too, going to cowl a protest by The African LGBTI Out & Proud Diamond Group and Peter Tatchell Basis held a loud protest at Uganda Home calling for the repeal of Uganda’s draconian anti-gay legal guidelines.
And from there I went on to Downing St, the place the Individuals’s Meeting have been holding their Funds Day Protest earlier than lastly I may go residence.
Extra on all these tales on My London Diary:
Local weather Revolution March to Fracked Future Carnival
Fracked Future Carnival in Knightsbridge
Fracked Future Carnival at Shale Gasoline Discussion board
Protest over Uganda Homosexual Hate Legal guidelines
Individuals’s Meeting Funds Day Protest
Tags: African LGBTI, anti-gay legal guidelines, Barton Moss, Battersea Bridge, profit cuts, Funds, Funds dAY, Bunhill Row, carnival, Metropolis Street, Local weather Revolution, Cuadrilla, cuts, Dame Vivienne Westwood, escalator, Frack Off, fracked future, fracking, Honourable Artillery Firm, IGas, Knightsbridge, London, march, Outdated St, Out & Proud Diamond Group, peter Marshall, Peter Tatchell, protest, Rhythms of Resistance, Shale Gasoline Discussion board, Tina louise, Tina Louise Rothery, Uganda, Vanessa Vine, Vivienne Basis, Vivienne Westwood
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