More than 200 climate change activists came together in front of Parliament on Tuesday, to demand a shift in energy sources. The group was comprised of various civil organizations focused on climate change, including Green Connection, Project 90, and African Alliance climate, along with students from schools across Cape Town.
The goal of the gathering was to advocate for renewable energy as a replacement for coal to help protect the planet.
Gabriel Klassen, the convener of African Alliance Climate and organizer of the march, called on the government to halt Sasol and Shell’s exploration for oil along the country’s coasts. Klassen noted that the demonstration held particular significance on 21 March, also known as Human Rights Day, as it relates to the right to live in a healthy and safe environment.
“We are mobilizing today, specifically on the 21st of March, as an intergenerational movement of young and old people across civil society,” Klassen said. “Under this banner, we have to remember that those before us didn’t fight in vain.”