Fridays For Future St. John’s, a student-led movement, organized a protest demanding climate action. The protesters gathered at the MUN clock tower and marched to the Confederation Building.
Major demands
Protesters had three main demands,
- To end fossil finance, which means to stop the Bay du Nord project.
- An investment in community-owned renewable energy.
- Divest MUN.
Large crowd gathers
While the turnout was much less than the iconic 2019 climate change protest in St. John’s, there was still a large crowd marching in support of the movement. The rally featured multiple speeches and a performance by three students.
Bay du Nord among the biggest offenders
Equinor’s Bay du Nord project was highlighted multiple times during the protest, with one protester claiming it as the “biggest example of hypocrisy by this liberal government.”
Other government-funded projects were also highlighted by speakers as being examples of the government funding oil and gas, $500 million in government funding to Suncor was among a few others mentioned.
The protesters also highlighted the lack of support for the indigenous community, especially with regard to the lacklustre attendance for the “Search the Landfill” protest held in St. John’s in early August.
Name-shaming people in power
Speakers at the protest also shamed MHAs who did not attend, namely MHA John Abbott and MHA Paul Lane, who declined the protesters’ invitation. Notable attendees included MHAs Lela Evans and Jim Dinn from the NDP and Liberal Minister of Environment and Climate Change Bernard Davis.
Protesters were also encouraged to email their MHA about the protest and the Fridays For Future movement.