The Break Free From Fossil Fuels Campaign which launched May 3 and runs until May 15 is sparking actions around the world to keep fossil fuels in the ground. Below is a taste of the international scope of the campaign that continues through the end of the weekend. For a complete list of events please visit the Break Free From Fossil Fuels website.
CMG Focus Fund Grantee Kelly Nyks created his 40:00 minute film, Disobedience, ahead of the campaign on April 29th to engage audiences around in the world in the history civil disobedience and its role in the Break Free movement. You can watch the full video and find out more here: http://www.watchdisobedience.com
Anti-coal activists from all over the Philippines converged in a climate march that mobilized 8,000+ people in Batangas City, where JG Summit Holdings aims to put up a 600-Megawatt coal fired power plant that is set to occupy a 20-hectare site in Barangay Pinamucan Ibaba, Batangas City. The people demand the cancellation of the coal plant in Batangas as well as all 27 other proposed plants in the Philippines.
Peaceful protesters successfully blockaded and shut down the Riccarton, Christchurch branch of ANZ bank, which has $13.5 billion invested in fossil fuels.
The Break Free from Fossil Fuels campaign kicked off at Oloibiri, the site of Nigeria’s 1st oil well. The abandoned oil wells in Oloibiri tell the story of what becomes of communities (or countries) when their wells run dry.
Thousands of people affected by coal power plants in Java and Bali, take action to #BreakFree from coal. The entire community has been invited to call for the end of fossil fuels which are causing dangerous climate change, and for a just transition to renewable energy that is clean and safe for everyone.
Crowds will gather to protest ANZ Bank - one of the region’s largest lenders to the fossil fuel industry and make them live up to their bold claims of sustainability.
May 12: Lynville Community Hall, Kwaguqa, Emalahleni
In South Africa, the focus will be on coal – coal mining, power stations, financing of coal, demand and supply. People are planning to escalate with courage to confront polluters where they are most powerful; three actions are taking place to highlight the impacts of coal on ordinary South Africans as well as to spotlight the corruption that is propping up the coal industry. Hundreds of people will gather in Emalahleni, which is one of the most polluted towns in the world, to speak out on the effects of climate change in their daily lives, from corruption to food sovereignty, water, energy, and health.
May 13: Constitution Hall, Johannesburg
A Speak out to bring together drought-affected communities and farmers from around South Africa to speak about the effect of our current drought. After the speak out event, there will be a bread march to a local supermarket.
May 14: 1 Saxonwold Drive, Johannesburg
Hundreds of people will protest outside the Gupta residence in Saxonwold. The Guptas’ “Oakbay Resources Ltd” symbolises everything that is wrong with the coal industry. The Gupta family, presumably, through their connections to the country’s leadership have recently been awarded with a lucrative Eskom supply deal through the acquisition of Optimum mine from Glencore.
May 12: The campaign will move to Bori in Ogoni, another sad tale of the devastation, internal crises, wanton pollution and poverty which oil extraction brings.
May 14: The campaign will arrive at Ibeno in Akwa Ibom state where Exxon operates an offshore oil field from where its compromises community livelihood through regular pollution. In each of the locations, there will be mass actions by climate activists and communities demanding an end to the extraction of fossil fuels.
We'll encircle the Kinder Morgan facility on the ground and on the water. On the water, a mass flotilla of kayaks and canoes will form. We’ll cross the Burrard Inlet to swarm the tanker terminal for the Kinder Morgan facility, which could see over 400 tankers a year putting the coast at risk if the project is approved. On the land, hundreds will march down to the facility together and stage a sit-in outside the gates. Then, using our voices and some breathtaking art, we’ll show our support for a clean and just future!
Around 10 thousand people will join a rally and march at the Pecém thermal power plant, emphasizing the harm caused by coal: pollution, high level of CO2 emissions and intensive water usage. There will be a blockage of the road leading to the thermal power plant, the Pecém harbor and the coal unloading terminal. The protest will count with the support of rural communities, indigenous peoples, quilombos, surfists, environmentalists and Ceará’s scientific and climate academy. Buses are coming from tens of cities in Ceará, Piauí and Maranhão.
May 15: Umuarama
A big march is planned for the 15th of May, with meeting point at Praça da Bíblia. At the same day, a bill will be signed, banning the use of fracking for gas extraction in the city. Around 5 thousand people are expected to join. The action is supported by catholic and evangelic communities, Cáritas, REPAS, parishes, indigenous communities, schools, universities, politicians, professors and students.
The environment movements in Turkey are gathering in Aliaga, a location that is symbolic of fossil fuel-based pollution in the country since the 1960s . They will draw a red line saying “enough!” to fossil fuels!
The Bureau of Land Management intends to auction off our public lands to oil and gas companies, and the movement intends to be there to tell them to keep it in the ground.
People from across the Northwest are gathering in a mass mobilization to demand immediate action on climate, and a just transition to clean, sustainable energy.
Californians from across the state will convene in Downtown Los Angeles, the city that is home to the nation’s largest urban oil field in the country. They will demand that our elected leaders put an end to the oil and gas production that threatens people’s health, environment, and future.
The Midwest is mobilizing to stop tar sands pipeline and infrastructure expansion and keep fossil fuels in the ground. Protestors will assemble for a rally in the Whiting Lakefront Park near the BP Whiting Refinery and near the 2014 oil spill into the waters of Lake Michigan.
The Break Free From Fossil Fuels Campaign which launched May 3 and runs until May 15 is sparking actions around the world to keep fossil fuels in the ground. Below is a taste of the international scope of the campaign that continues through the end of the weekend. For a complete list of events please visit the Break Free From Fossil Fuels website.
CMG Focus Fund Grantee Kelly Nyks created his 40:00 minute film, Disobedience, ahead of the campaign on April 29th to engage audiences around in the world in the history civil disobedience and its role in the Break Free movement. You can watch the full video and find out more here: http://www.watchdisobedience.com
COMPLETED EVENTS
MAY 4: PHILIPPINES
Anti-coal activists from all over the Philippines converged in a climate march that mobilized 8,000+ people in Batangas City, where JG Summit Holdings aims to put up a 600-Megawatt coal fired power plant that is set to occupy a 20-hectare site in Barangay Pinamucan Ibaba, Batangas City. The people demand the cancellation of the coal plant in Batangas as well as all 27 other proposed plants in the Philippines.
MAY 4: UK
Over 300 people took action to shut down Ffos-y-fran coal mine, and no-one was arrested. It was the biggest ever mass trespass in a UK mine.
MAY 7: NEW ZEALAND - Christchurch
Peaceful protesters successfully blockaded and shut down the Riccarton, Christchurch branch of ANZ bank, which has $13.5 billion invested in fossil fuels.
MAY 8: AUSTRALIA - NEWCASTLE
2,000 people shut down the world’s largest coal port for a day. Kayakers blocked the harbour entrance while others blocked a critical rail crossing.
MAY 10: NIGERIA
The Break Free from Fossil Fuels campaign kicked off at Oloibiri, the site of Nigeria’s 1st oil well. The abandoned oil wells in Oloibiri tell the story of what becomes of communities (or countries) when their wells run dry.
TODAY
MAY 11: INDONESIA
Thousands of people affected by coal power plants in Java and Bali, take action to #BreakFree from coal. The entire community has been invited to call for the end of fossil fuels which are causing dangerous climate change, and for a just transition to renewable energy that is clean and safe for everyone.
MAY 11: NEW ZEALAND - Wellington
Crowds will gather to protest ANZ Bank - one of the region’s largest lenders to the fossil fuel industry and make them live up to their bold claims of sustainability.
FUTURE EVENTS
MAY 12-13: NEW ZEALAND
May 12: Dunedin - Protestors will collaborate to close one of our region's biggest financiers of the fossil fuel industry, ANZ Bank.
May 13: Auckland - Crowds will gather in Aotea Square to close ANZ Bank.
MAY 12-14: SOUTH AFRICA
May 12: Lynville Community Hall, Kwaguqa, Emalahleni
In South Africa, the focus will be on coal – coal mining, power stations, financing of coal, demand and supply. People are planning to escalate with courage to confront polluters where they are most powerful; three actions are taking place to highlight the impacts of coal on ordinary South Africans as well as to spotlight the corruption that is propping up the coal industry. Hundreds of people will gather in Emalahleni, which is one of the most polluted towns in the world, to speak out on the effects of climate change in their daily lives, from corruption to food sovereignty, water, energy, and health.
May 13: Constitution Hall, Johannesburg
A Speak out to bring together drought-affected communities and farmers from around South Africa to speak about the effect of our current drought. After the speak out event, there will be a bread march to a local supermarket.
May 14: 1 Saxonwold Drive, Johannesburg
Hundreds of people will protest outside the Gupta residence in Saxonwold. The Guptas’ “Oakbay Resources Ltd” symbolises everything that is wrong with the coal industry. The Gupta family, presumably, through their connections to the country’s leadership have recently been awarded with a lucrative Eskom supply deal through the acquisition of Optimum mine from Glencore.
MAY 12-14: NIGERIA
May 12: The campaign will move to Bori in Ogoni, another sad tale of the devastation, internal crises, wanton pollution and poverty which oil extraction brings.
May 14: The campaign will arrive at Ibeno in Akwa Ibom state where Exxon operates an offshore oil field from where its compromises community livelihood through regular pollution. In each of the locations, there will be mass actions by climate activists and communities demanding an end to the extraction of fossil fuels.
MAY 13-16: GERMANY
Thousands will gather at In the Lusatia Lignite mining region (near Berlin) to protest the coal plant.
MAY 14: CANADA - Vancouver-Metro Area
We'll encircle the Kinder Morgan facility on the ground and on the water. On the water, a mass flotilla of kayaks and canoes will form. We’ll cross the Burrard Inlet to swarm the tanker terminal for the Kinder Morgan facility, which could see over 400 tankers a year putting the coast at risk if the project is approved. On the land, hundreds will march down to the facility together and stage a sit-in outside the gates. Then, using our voices and some breathtaking art, we’ll show our support for a clean and just future!
MAY 14-15: BRAZIL
May 14: Fortaleza
Around 10 thousand people will join a rally and march at the Pecém thermal power plant, emphasizing the harm caused by coal: pollution, high level of CO2 emissions and intensive water usage. There will be a blockage of the road leading to the thermal power plant, the Pecém harbor and the coal unloading terminal. The protest will count with the support of rural communities, indigenous peoples, quilombos, surfists, environmentalists and Ceará’s scientific and climate academy. Buses are coming from tens of cities in Ceará, Piauí and Maranhão.
May 15: Umuarama
A big march is planned for the 15th of May, with meeting point at Praça da Bíblia. At the same day, a bill will be signed, banning the use of fracking for gas extraction in the city. Around 5 thousand people are expected to join. The action is supported by catholic and evangelic communities, Cáritas, REPAS, parishes, indigenous communities, schools, universities, politicians, professors and students.
MAY 15: TURKEY - Aliaga - Izmir
The environment movements in Turkey are gathering in Aliaga, a location that is symbolic of fossil fuel-based pollution in the country since the 1960s . They will draw a red line saying “enough!” to fossil fuels!
MAY 12-15: UNITED STATES
May 12: Colorado - Denver
The Bureau of Land Management intends to auction off our public lands to oil and gas companies, and the movement intends to be there to tell them to keep it in the ground.
May 13-15: Pacific Northwest
People from across the Northwest are gathering in a mass mobilization to demand immediate action on climate, and a just transition to clean, sustainable energy.
May 14: Albany
People from across the Northeast will stop the fracked oil trains in the port of Albany with their bodies.
May 14: Colorado - Westminster
Protestors will mobilize to protect a community working to defend itself from fracking.
May 14: Los Angeles
Californians from across the state will convene in Downtown Los Angeles, the city that is home to the nation’s largest urban oil field in the country. They will demand that our elected leaders put an end to the oil and gas production that threatens people’s health, environment, and future.
May 15: Chicago
The Midwest is mobilizing to stop tar sands pipeline and infrastructure expansion and keep fossil fuels in the ground. Protestors will assemble for a rally in the Whiting Lakefront Park near the BP Whiting Refinery and near the 2014 oil spill into the waters of Lake Michigan.
May 15: Washington DC
Protestors will be calling on President Obama to stop all new offshore drilling in the Arctic, Atlantic, and the Gulf of Mexico.
Can't make it to one of these events? You can join online and be a Digital Witness.