The Jubilee Scotland team ventured to Glasgow on the 5th of November to join the Fridays for Future march.

The energy was high and we were surrounded by 30,000 people of all ages. It was amazing to see so many young people, especially children, so passionate and engaged in fighting the climate crisis.

The Jubilee Scotland Team: from left to right; our intern, Sanna Honkaniemi; Campaign Coordinator, Marilyn Croser; Campaign Director, Line Christensen; and Campaign Comms and Admin Assistant, Emily Macpherson

Friday’s march was the perfect inspiration ahead of the Global Day of Action march in Glasgow the next day. Half of the team, as well as our Chair of the Board of Directors and some Jubilee Scotland supporters, joined in as part of the Climate Justice bloc. We marched alongside our friends from the Jubilee Debt Campaign calling for debt to be cancelled for climate justice. There can be no climate justice without debt justice!

Some of the Jubilee Scotland Team: from left to right; our Campaign Director, Line Christensen and intern, Sanna Honkaniemi, with the Chair of the Board of Directors, John Lamond

The turnout was incredible, with over 100,000 people marching for stronger climate action and system change. The march was led by the Indigenous Peoples bloc, those from the front lines of the climate crisis accordingly and symbolically took their place at the front lines of the march.

Fuelled by a collective passion for climate justice, thousands of different groups braved their way through the rain and wind from Kelvingrove Park to Glasgow Green for the Global Day of Action rally, despite an episode of police “kettling” that slowed us down.

The stage was surrounded by huge illuminated signs reading “Loss + Damage To Be Heard”. We were lucky enough to catch the speech of Vanessa Nakate, a young climate activist from Uganda, who urged the audience to “demand that our leaders treat the climate crisis like a crisis” and “start taking meaningful action”. She reminded us that “another world is possible” if we just work together.

Vanessa was followed by the Pacific Climate Warriors, a group of young climate justice activists from the Pacific Islands. The Warriors stated that the populations of their countries “did nothing to contribute to this crisis and we should not have to pay the consequences”. They called for finances for the irreversible loss and damage their countries are already facing and finished off inspiringly chanting “we are not drowning, we are fighting”. 

The Global Day of Action did not only see a protest in Glasgow, but millions around the world took to the streets for climate justice. Despite the many disappointments of COP26 and inaction from global leaders, it was amazing to see that the people clearly want stronger climate action and a just transition to a better world for everyone. Echoing the words of Vanessa, another world is possible if we just work together!