A group of local people, under the name of Extinction Rebellion, staged a mock death event in Sale [on Saturday 23 November]. The ‘die in’ [protesters] demonstrated their support for immediate action on the climate crisis we, as a world, are facing. The act of playing dead illustrates the extinction humans and animals inevitably face if we continue to ignore the warnings of expert climate scientists. Members of the public could also join in drawing and painting animals that are facing extinction, such as the Black-throated Finch (that is under threat from the Adani Carmichael Mine) and the critically endangered Leadbeater’s Possum.
A spokesperson from the event said, “It is ridiculous that against the backdrop of the recent catastrophic fire events in NSW, the federal Lib/Nat government continue to deny the science. We are here to send a message that if the government do not take these issues seriously, then the citizens will rise up like the oceans and cause mass disruption.”
The protesters held placards that read phrases such as “Extinction is Forever”, “There is no Planet B” and “This is a Climate Emergency” among others. Extinction Rebellion is a worldwide movement that started in London, UK. There are groups around Australia and recently one has formed in Sale. Using acts of civil disobedience, they promote three demands to the Government: Tell the Truth about climate change, Act on the Truth to achieve net zero emissions by 2025 and form a Citizens’ Assembly to oversee the transition.
*Dawn’s media release was published in an article in the Gippsland Times on 25.11.19 under the headline “A ‘die in’ and ‘paint in’ were held in the Sale Mall to protest a lack of action on climate change”. As well as Concerned Artists Resisting Extinction and Extinction Rebellion Dawn is also an active member of East Gippsland Climate Action Network.