Green ribbon in hand, they were more than 300 demonstrators to form a human chain at the foot of Mount Royal on Saturday, to call on governments to do more in the fight against climate change.
The participants in the rally, most of whom sported a scarf or green accessory, lined up on the edge of Avenue du Parc in Montreal before marching through the streets of the metropolis.
The event organized by members of the Inter-Union Climate Network (RIC) wished to remind Canada that it will “miss the target” of greenhouse gas reductions that was set in the Paris Climate Agreement. The demonstration took place simultaneously with the 26e climate conference, held in Glasgow, Scotland.
“We are halfway to COP 26 […] where there are 190 world leaders pointing their finger at each other, making fine speeches. But what we are asking for are actions, ”insisted Anne Dionne, vice-president of the Centrale des unions du Québec (CSQ) and spokesperson for the RIC.
Stéphanie Cloutier participated in the rally with her two daughters. The teacher and union representative says she is concerned for the future of her children and students. “It’s important that we mobilize, it’s the only thing we can do against eco-anxiety, I think,” she said.