No less than a thousand students from UQTR and the Cégep de Trois-Rivières, accompanied by teachers, citizens and children marched on Friday for the climate in the streets of Trois-Rivières. A response well above the 200 or 300 participants expected by the organizers.
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The procession set off shortly after 1 p.m. on the grounds of the UQTR to take Des Forges Street and finally end up in Champlain Park, just outside City Hall, a journey of about 3 km.
DANIEL DESLAURIERS / QMI AGENCY
Mobilization
For the person in charge of this event, Louann Poirier Bergeron, 21, it is urgent that the population mobilizes to face the climate crisis and force governments to abandon fossil fuels as soon as possible. “It’s our individual responsibility, but also collective,” said this 1st year student in midwifery at UQTR.
“I am optimistic for the future. There is an awareness, a certain return to normal that is taking place. Our future will focus more on mutual aid and there will be less and less room for overconsumption. We can already feel this change. It will never be too late to act.”
Some longtime protesters, like Christiane Bernier, are much less optimistic. “It is always to start again each time. Just look at the issue of pesticides in Trois-Rivières. Despite everything, at 66, I continue to fight. We have no right to give up.”
Ottawa: young people walk for the climate
JULIETTE BABIN/QMI AGENCY
As in Quebec, hundreds of people held up signs and megaphones on Parliament Hill in Ottawa to denounce the inaction of political parties on the issue of climate change.
The organizations Climat Go and Fridays for Future gathered in front of Parliament on Friday at 2 p.m. to claim their causes.
“It is absolutely necessary that the government put in place concrete actions. We want, among other things, free public transport for all, banish fossil fuels and tax the richest, ”denounced a teacher at the Cégep de l’Outaouais and member of Climat Go, Olivier Rousseau.
Student and activist, Myriam St-Pierre insisted on stressing the importance of a day like this, a few days before the provincial elections.
JULIETTE BABIN/QMI AGENCY
“The environmental crisis is also a health, social and economic crisis. The effects of climate change are numerous and we cannot continue to emit so many greenhouse gases. We need to change our lifestyles and invest in public services.”
To facilitate travel, the Société de transport de l’Outaouais (STO) has decided to offer free public transit from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
JULIETTE BABIN/QMI AGENCY
“In addition to allowing thousands of people to travel in an accessible and economical way, public transit is essential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving government objectives. In Gatineau alone, we are talking about 192,502 tonnes of CO2 avoided each year,” said STO president Jocelyn Blondin.
The STO reminded that disruptions are to be expected on the network, particularly in downtown Gatineau and Ottawa.
–Juliette Babin