Unholy Matri-Money Street Action

Media release – Extinction Rebellion Northern Tasmania, 7 August 2022

Unholy Matri-money

Saturday’s satirical street theatre

Event Location: Civic Square, Launceston

Date/Time: Saturday 11am – 12pm

It’s time to formally recognise the illegitimate union between governments and the fossil fuel industry – hence this unholy matrimonial ceremony.

For too long governments and fossil fuel industries have carried on their illegitimate affair, unchaperoned by an ICAC, aided and abetted by lobbyists, banks, developers and urged on by an immoral monopolistic media corporation. Anything to make a fast, government- sponsored buck – trouble is, this short-termism leads to long term disaster.

Below are statements by Saturday’s street theatre protesters.

One protestor, Sally Staley says, “We let them get away with it, we thought we lived in a democracy and our interests would be protected. Instead, we’ve been deliberately and cruelly dudded by an industry that donates to both major parties and benefits no matter which party gets into government. Governments have been selling us out for years. We need a better system of government with more say from the public. We need more transparency and accountability with an independent, powerful ICAC and publicly funded elections. All political donations should be capped and published in real-time”.

Protestor, Scott Bell, said “It is not the protestors who are committing offences; they are acting in self-defence. The climate criminals are the governments and the fossil fuel industries, who are knowingly destroying the climate. A 1.5 deg increase is locked in and now we are heading for a 2.0 degree increase. The secretary-general of the UN has said that countries are lying about their carbon targets – and that includes Australia.  Whistleblower Prof Andrew Macintosh says the current government’s approach to emissions is “largely a sham.” Scott added, “I’m just one of you (the public), and I’ve been unintentionally complicit.

Extinction Rebellion spokesperson Steve Saunders says “we act on behalf of all humanity, using non-violent civil disobedience to bring attention to the extreme urgency of the climate situation, as shown by the IPCC report labelled CODE RED FOR HUMANITY. We have no time left – be brave, speak up now, or literally, forever hold your peace.”

Pastor Jeff McKinnon says “We have arranged this public ceremony to demonstrate this illegitimate union and demand that governments abandon this hedonistic love-in with the fossil fuel industry, which they heavily subsidise. Governments must perform their duty of care for our children, our climate and our planet, or be thrown in gaol as the climate criminals they are. The IPCC report released this week says ‘it’s now or never’ if the world is to stave off climate disaster.