Youth4Climate Leeds: Climate crisis group sets out plans with Black Lives Matter for protest

Youth4Climate Leeds, in solidarity with Black Lives Matter Leeds, is uniting local activist groups today for a protest to reinforce the importance of climate justice.

Here is everything you need to know about the protest.

Where is the protest?

Youth4Climate Leeds is holding the protest outside Leeds Town Hall on Friday 23 September.

When does the protest start?

From 4pm until 5pm, youth activists will gather to highlight issues in the climate justice movement, joining climate justice with the social and racial justice movement.

Who is speaking at the protest?

Speakers from the following organisations will be present:

- Youth4Climate Leeds

- BLM Leeds

- Leeds Uni Amnesty Group

- XR families

- Stop Cambo

- GALBA

What is the protest in response to?

In a recent announcement, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Jacob Rees-Mogg stated that he intends to restart fracking and reject wind farms in favour of fossil fuels.

A press release issued by Youth4Climate insisted that this “little acknowledgement of the crisis in the UK from the government fails to acknowledge the UK as a global contributor to the current climate catastrophe”.

It continued: “We still haven’t seen the political and social changes necessary to stop us from hurtling toward the existential threats posed by our climate crisis – and our current government seems to have little interest in changing this.”

After facing public backlash over his statements, Rees-Mogg told MPs: “It will be a matter that is dealt with in a governmental way.”