Dame Emma Thompson backed Just Stop Oil as she led thousands of people on a march in London aimed at persuading politicians to prioritise nature and climate.
This was the largest ever gathering for nature and climate in the UK as more than 350 charities, businesses and direct action groups took part in the Restore Nature Now march on Saturday. Asked whether Dame Emma backs the controversial group, which this week attacked Stonehenge with orange paint, the actress said: "I think I support anyone who fights this extraordinary battle.
"We cannot take any more oil out of the ground. I mean, there's much argument about it. And I know there's a lot of very complicated economic arguments about it. We have to leave all the resources in the ground, we cannot bring them out of the ground." The march began at Hyde Park at 12.30 pm and tens of thousands of protesters walked calmly in a line, with leaders holding a banner reading Restore Nature Now.
Other banners reading There's No Life Without Wildlife, There Isn't A Reset Button and Make MPs A Rare Species were visible in a sea of green foliage and wildlife cut-outs as people marched past Hyde Park and towards Whitehall. Social activist with XR Unify Bhavini Patel was among the thousands of protesters, who also led a chant, she said: “For me, on a personal level it’s integrated with the fact that my family are from India and a lot of them are still there and it’s been 50 degrees.
“The bodies are piling high and the morgues are overrun and I know the future that’s happening here in the global south. The reality is that it is heading here in the UK but if we all stand and rise we can stop. We can stop the biggest result of damage,” she continued.
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“In terms of the people, there’s more of us that are aware and vocalising against the lack of help from the government. I think there are conversations in the government but we need them to act and without a push, there won’t be a change and we can’t continue in this way,” she added.
The Red Rebel Brigade during a Restore Nature Now protest in central London (PA)Neil Hancocks, 63, was streaming the march as he took part and said: “For me, the climate emergency is past its time and everything should be centred from this and the climate crisis. What appals me is the retail election that’s happening right now and ignoring this hit issue confronting us all.
"People do care and I think we’re being conned that the government are doing a good job by the laws and the targets. I worry that people only wake up when it’s too late,” he added. Climate change is here and for all the politicians we have nothing seems to be changing. I want to be on the right side of history, and if you look at what’s happening at our political class at the moment it’s what got us here in the first place,” he said.
Yoshi Alvarado, 57, from South America also took the time to be a part of history, she said: “Words can’t describe how important it is to me, this is for our survival and we need to do this as much as possible. “I’ve come from South America where the Amazon has been destroyed, the land has been taken away so we’ve here to make sure that we’re heard. Over here you do so much more than in South America which is heartbreaking for us.
“I don’t think the government cares as much as they should. They think we have a lot of time but we don’t, we have very little time and that is the reality. They need to move quicker and change before it's too late," she added.
Chemist teacher and Coordinator of Extinction Rebellion Educators Ian McDermott said: “The curriculum in our schools are inadequate, there is not a single mention of climate change in our classes and it's not good for young people as they are not learning the truth.
“I’m asking that we support the Labours climate education bill if it comes to power as it will give a reasonable level of climate education for young people. He continued: “Our schools have no money and the money that is in our schools are going out of the windows. We need serious commitment in rebuilding our schools, not MPs standing in front of our buildings but so our students can be confident in their future.
“I think today people are showing that climate change is important to us. We’re in the middle of an election cycle and what feels like a race to what we can get away with. It hasn’t but should be a climate election and today just reinforces that we do care, but there’s a tiny amount of people in power with invested interest.
"We need to address the JP Morgans of the world, the Labour Party party donors of the world, the Nick Cleggs of the world as those are people controlling this climate and until we take power for ourselves I don’t think it will change fast enough," he added.
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