Thousands take to streets of Glasgow to highlight ‘climate emergency’

Thousands of people took to the streets of Glasgow to protest climate change.

Demonstrators marched through the city center on a day of global action to coincide with the COP30 climate talks in Brazil.

Organizers Friends Of The Earth Scotland said it was the biggest climate march in Glasgow since then. KS26 took place in the city in 2021.

The rally on Glasgow Green was followed by speeches from STUC deputy secretary Dave Moxham and Poverty Alliance chief executive Peter Kelly.

Caroline Rance, campaign director for Friends of the Earth Scotland, said the turnout showed a growing desire for urgent action on climate change.

She added: “Huge numbers of people took to the streets demanding that the best world we know is possible.

“There is energy and passion to bring about transformative change, all it requires is political will.”

Ms Rance said public concern about the climate emergency remained “really high”.

She continued: “People are realizing that the issues facing our communities, from Palestine to the Amazon, are deeply interconnected.”

Ms Rance also highlighted positive measures to combat climate change, such as insulating homes and improving the country's bus services.

Nick Cullen from the Climate and Migrant Justice Organizing Group said the demonstration reflected the common struggle of all movements.

He added: “We joined this march because we must stand together against an increasingly hostile environment, far-right violence and the undermining of the fight against climate change.

“Today showed that in these difficult times, our communities are stronger and more powerful when we come together.”

A banner at the front of the procession read: “A better world is possible” as it headed through the city.

Extinction Rebellion supporters brought a mobile sound system with them, and a choir sang re-imagined Christmas carols.

They adapted the text to protest against the Rosebank oil field, located west of Shetland.

A group of children also chanted “Stop Rosebank, planet for everyone.” UK's largest undeveloped oil field – as they moved through the city center.

One activist wore a Donald Trump mask and held a sign that read: “This is capitalism, assholes.”

The event was attended by the Climate and Migrant Justice Steering Group and the Emergency Committee against Genocide in the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian flags were also visible throughout the march in solidarity with the people of Gaza.

John Hilley of the Emergency Committee Against Genocide in the Gaza Strip in Glasgow said the fight for human rights and environmental protection were inseparable.

He added: “We must act collectively and urgently against the same corporate and political forces behind these existential threats.”

The war in the Gaza Strip was sparked by a Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and another 251 were taken hostage.

Since then, more than 69,000 people have died in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, whose data is considered reliable by the UN.

Martin Canavan attended the protest with his daughter Ailsa.

He told BBC Scotland News they wanted to take part because “urgent action” was needed to tackle the “climate emergency”.

“We need to make sure we're doing everything we can to improve the lives of the people furthest from power,” he said.

“We want to make sure we can be part of the collective voice calling for change.”

Nine-year-old Ailsa said she wanted to come to the protest “because Planet B doesn't exist.”

She added: “I want us to be able to live and have a happy life without gas or anything else.”

Nine-year-old Ailsa said she wanted to come to the protest “because Planet B doesn't exist.”

She added: “I want us to be able to live and have a happy life without gas or anything else.”

Anna Brown was also among the protesters and said she doesn't think politicians are doing enough to address climate change.

She said: “The fact that we are at COP30 says something: if something works, why do we need it for 30 years?

“Why does this process continue to fail us nationally, internationally and locally?

“We are not seeing the changes we need, and people continue to suffer.”

Ms Brown added that her biggest worry was thinking about the future.

“People ask, 'What are you going to do?' But it's so hard to plan for when you look around and realistically by 2050 the Clyde will be flooded and our energy bills will rise every day.

“Even as a university student I worked three jobs and we didn't have to do that, but it's the only way we can afford to live.

“And this applies not only to young people, this applies to everyone.

“Fighting climate change is important here because, again, it is the big corporations and billionaires who continue to make money that are taking it away from the people who need it.”

Delegates from nearly 200 countries are taking part in the COP30 negotiations in Belem, Brazil.

It comes 10 years after the Paris climate agreement, in which countries pledged to try to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C.

However, the head of the United Nations (UN) said temperatures “exceeding” 1.5C were now inevitable, with many world leaders absent from the talks.

COP30 is the 30th annual UN climate meeting and comes four years after COP26 was held in Glasgow.

COP stands for Conference of the Parties. “Parties” refers to the nearly 200 countries that signed the original 1992 UN climate agreement.

It officially started on Monday, November 10th and will run until Friday, November 21st.

However, negotiations often drag on due to last-minute negotiations to secure a deal.