BREAKING: Young people occupy House of Commons
At 9:30 am on October 28th, 27 young people were arrested after occupying the House of Commons calling on our newly elected MPs to come together, put partisan politics aside, and govern for a Green New Deal. It’s the only plan that gives Canada a real chance of tackling the climate emergency.
We brought 338 mandate letters — one for every MP in the house of commons. We want every MP to accept their letter and pledge to make a Green New Deal a top priority when the House resumes. Read the mandate letter.
Notable Moments:
- After young people were aggressively evicted from the House of Commons, they came together to share space, sing together, and share stories. It was a beautiful moment of unity — watch it in full here.
- Member of Parliament for Hamilton Centre, Matthew Green, stepped out of new MP orientation to meet with arrested youth outside the gates of Parliament. He received his mandate letter in person, affirmed his commitment to a Green New Deal, and called on youth organizers to hold him accountable throughout his term in office.
- Our action received validation and support from a number of other political leaders. Most notably, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh tweeted a message of solidarity with youth organizers.
Watch the live stream:
Media:
‘We deserve to be represented’: Young climate activists banned from Parliament Hill after protest
– CBC
Youth removed from House of Commons after staging climate sit-in
– The Globe and Mail
27 youth banned from Parliament Hill for a month after climate sit-in
– CTV News
VIDEO: Youth face ban after staging climate sit-in at House of Commons
– Canadian Press
Youth stage House of Commons sit-in for climate action: ‘We can’t afford to waste four more years’
– Ricochet
The Inside Scoop:
Earlier today, I was one of 27 young people arrested for occupying the House of Commons to call on our newly elected Members of Parliament to govern for a Green New Deal. As the new government gets set to enter the 43rd parliament, the demands of our generation for bold action on climate echoed through the halls of power.
I’ll be frank. This isn’t how I imagined my first visit to Parliament in Ottawa. But with our collective future on the line, we must ensure our leaders are ready to address the climate crisis at the scale necessary. Young people made this election the climate election, and it is Our Time to Lead. That’s why, today, one week after the election, we didn’t back down — we doubled down.
As Parliamentary police rushed in and dragged us across the floor one by one, our collective voices did not waiver. We spread the 338 mandate letters and the demands of our generation across the floor of the House of Commons. We urged our elected officials to take our future seriously.
After we were all removed from the House of Commons, we came together to share space, sing together, and share our stories. Some of our elected officials and Green New Deal champions who heard us loud and clear sent words of solidarity, including NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh. And Green New Deal champion and MP-elect Matthew Green even came out mid-way through his new MP orientation to accept his mandate letter and affirm his commitment to a Green New Deal.
Risking arrest and watching comrades get dragged out by the limbs just for defending our collective future was hard to stomach in the heat of the moment. But bearing witness to young people being brave and putting their bodies on the line filled me with courage. We all owe it to future generations to stand up and fight for our people and planet.
Onwards,
Jennifer
Photo Credit: Spence Mann