Last month on the 18th January, councils up and down the country received a letter setting out 12 demands for radical action in the face of the climate and ecological emergency. Many councils have declared climate emergencies, but little of concrete value has ensued, and the letter warned of a nationwide campaign of nonviolent civil disobedience.
As well as various obvious steps councils could take to mitigate the crisis such as divesting from fossil fuels and setting up a variety of local sustainable projects and putting in place policies to rapidly achieve carbon positive status, the group behind the letter – Burning Pink – want local citizen’s assemblies to guide policy, and want local authorities to stand up to government and demand a swift transition to zero emissions.
Yesterday in Brighton, Stefan Lindon and Mike Lynch-White threw pink paint at the doors of Brighton Town Hall and then waited for police to arrest them. Today, activists around the country threw paint at the doors of more than a dozen council offices across the country according to the group.
In each case those responsible stuck further copies of the demands on the painted walls and then waited peacefully for police to arrive.
One of those involved, Dean, 56 from Bristol said: “I’m sick and tired of the white washing, green washing, so now it’s time for pink washing. We are blinded by the greed of our own needs and deaf to the cries of help from those in the global south. They are having their lands stolen from them and their resources are being plunder with the profits hidden by our offshore banking system. This is legal but immoral and is culpable in the rush of profit before people. The money oligarchs are bent on this homicidal quest that will be the death of us all. When will they realise that even they cannot eat money!”
Thanks to @FULouGraphy for footage and additional material
