Paul Bibby
Members of Extinction Rebellion Byron Bay will take to the streets of Mullumbimby this Saturday to urge locals to think about the survival of the planet when casting their vote in the federal election.
While the exact location and form of the protest is being kept a secret, Echonetdaily understands locals can expect plenty of colour and movement in the centre of town and at the community markets at the southern end of Stuart Street.
‘When people choose who to vote for, we want to make sure they keep in mind the devastating effects of climate change on humans and other species’, a spokesperson for the group Kien Hannah said.
Ms Hannah went on to say that recent UN reports had revealed that around one million species of plants and animals were on the verge of extinction and there was more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere than at any other time in human history.
The election day protest will be the latest in a series of actions by Byron’s emerging Extinction Rebellion movement, which is keen to recruit new members to the cause.
Those wanting to participate in Saturday’s action are invited to meet at 9:30am on the grassy area near Mullumbimby’s Federation bridge.
Meanwhile, Northern Rivers residents wearing snorkels and scuba gear will gather in Lismore tomorrow (Thursday May 16) to raise awareness about the climate crisis ahead of the election.
The demonstrators will meet at the large boat in Woodlark Street to symbolise their ability to stay afloat and keep on sailing even after the devastating floods that ripped through the region in 2017.
Long term North Lismore resident Vicki Findlay said she wanted to send a message to whoever won the election that it is time the Federal Government took meaningful action on climate change.
‘We know extreme weather like that which caused the 2017 floods will become more common as climate change takes hold, which is why we need genuine action now from our elected leaders,’ Ms Findlay said.
‘Up until now we have seen politicians mostly bury their heads in the sand as droughts have intensified, flooding events have worsened, and unprecedented bushfires have raged in regions they never did before.
‘For the sake of younger generations, we must take action now and limit global warming as much as possible. We also need greater attention on adapting to extreme weather events.’
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