Environmental protesters flood House

MONTREAL (CUP) — Canada’s normally sedate House of Commons was rocked by protest on October 26 when a group of young activists sitting in the public gallery erupted in chants against government inaction on climate change.

The demonstration broke out during question period and the protesters were promptly dragged from the House by security guards.

“Security was in a state of chaos,” said Cameron Fenton, a Concordia undergraduate psychology student involved in Project Survival Media, an international youth group concerned with environmental matters.
Fenton, who was at the scene, reported that the guards treated several of the protesters violently when removing them from the House.

“I saw two officers manhandling Adam MacIsaac,” said Fenton, referring to a well-known climate change activist.

He also witnessed activist Jeh Custer’s removal from the House. “There was blood on the walls,” Fenton claimed, who said that Custer’s nose had been smashed to the floor after being taken down by security guards. This corresponds to Custer’s account, which has been questioned by the media. Custer appeared to have minimal facial bleeding when being removed from the House, but later did interviews looking much worse.

Despite speculation that Custer may have punched himself to make the injury worse, reports from members of the Parliamentary press gallery show that he was handcuffed in the visitor’s gallery. A trail of blood was also visible from the speaker’s gallery, near where Custer was arrested, to the basement where he was held.

Many of the protesters had gathered in Ottawa over the weekend as part of an environmental summit called Power Shift Canada.

“We had people from every single province,” Fenton said, who stressed that the protest wasn't formally organized by Power Shift Canada or any political party.

“It really wasn’t a single person’s idea,” he said. “We didn’t go in to the summit with an established goal. But at that point, the protest took on a life of its own.”

“Climate justice,” and “Whose House? Our House,” were some of the slogans chanted as the protesters were removed. Chant leader Joe Cressy, who directed the assembled youth, made references to Bill C-311.

“When I say, ‘Bill C-311,’ you say, ‘Sign it,’” protesters in the gallery yelled to the MPs below.
The boisterous protest violated the parliamentary rule that visitors seated in the gallery must observe proceedings in silence.

The New Democratic Party introduced Bill C-311 to set strict targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Canada by 2050. Environmental activists had hoped to see the bill passed before a global environmental summit in Copenhagen this December. The bill was delayed in committee on October 2, making quick passage impossible.

“The Liberals and Conservatives killed the bill,” Fenton said, who described the actions of both parties as “absolutely inactive [and] irresponsible.”

Fenton said that only the NDP and the Green Party are acting responsibly with regards to climate change, noting that Green Party leader Elizabeth May attended the Power Shift summit in late October.

Leading up to the Copenhagen summit, activists promise further action. Cressy has been quoted in the media as saying “Flash-Mob Mondays” will be held every week until the conference gets underway.

“This was not a one time thing,” Fenton promised. “There will be actions by youth across Canada until our government commits to a binding resolution at Copenhagen.”