Media release – Extinction Rebellion, 29 September 2023
Extinction Rebellion disrupts the AFL Grand Final Parade to demand action to avert climate catastrophe
Three Extinction Rebellion supporters have disrupted the AFL Grand Final parade in Melbourne by glueing themselves to the road in front of the cars carrying AFL players after four banner-holders halted the vehicles. The disruption was shot-lived as security guards roughly ripped their glued hands from the road resulting in minor injuries.
The activists were wearing shirts reading ‘Climate breakdown has begun’, a reference to a recent press release by the United Nations: “Climate breakdown has begun. … Our climate is imploding faster than we can cope with, with extreme weather events hitting every corner of the planet.”
The other side of their shirts read ‘No footy in 50 degrees C’, a reference to how no activities are safe from disruption by increasing heat and extreme weather events. Last month’s global average temperature was 1.68 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average according to Berkley Earth. The Paris aspiration to limit warming to 1.5C above the pre-industrial average is now likely to be out of reach. We are heading into the danger zone for runaway warming.
Catherine, one of the glued-on activists said:
“Climate collapse is not a distant threat; it’s here and it’s affecting people, communities, and ecosystems around the world. Disrupting business as usual – even events like this that we know give the community a lot of joy – is the only way to cut through with our message that we must act now to prevent escalating and potentially irreversible disaster.
“If our actions are considered extreme, we would argue that ordinary citizens should never have been put in the position to feel so desperate that they must take these steps. Government and media must step up to do the right things.”
Another glued-on activist, Anthony Gleeson, 70-year-old grandfather of five, said:
“I didn’t take the decision to disrupt this parade lightly. I am a lifelong Collingwood supporter, but such is my concern about the climate crisis we face that I am prepared to risk arrest to draw attention to the fact that our government is not doing anywhere near enough to save us from runaway warming. In fact, they are actually approving more toxic fossil fuel projects that will only make the situation worse. All the extreme weather event alarms have been ignored. Will we be too?”
The third glue-on, Freya, said:
“I’m here because I’m trying to protect what I love. I work with children and I’m terrified for their futures. We are leaving them an unstable and progressively unliveable world. We are in a climate and ecological emergency – our government knows this, but they are prioritising the profits of the fossil fuel industry over the safety and well-being of everyone. My hope is that everyone concerned about the climate takes the next step from worrying to action – in the form of non-violent civil disobedience. We need everyone.”
