DisMay

I spent my birthday at the Vancouver Bridge to a Cool Planet rally in support of the international Climate Action Day. A peaceful gathering – children on stage yelling, “Darn it, I ate my broccoli, now you stop global warming!”, reptilian costumes aplenty, vegan pakoras, UBC and SFU competing via punchy and elaborate rhyming chants. A pleasant day but significantly lacking in specificity and impact. Despite filling Cambie bridge and defying all my concerns about its engineering flaws, the event went relatively unnoticed. I was certain that the rallies in Ottawa would be taken more seriously.

Imagine my surprise having caught a bit of today’s noon-hour CBC broadcast. E. May spoke at a press conference after 120 young people were removed from the House of Commons for their flashy mobesque protest.

“What was heartbreaking was that the MPs below laughed in derision as the young people were removed. Following the demonstration, Environment Minister Jim Prentice referred to the youth action as an NDP stunt. I just want to share with all Canadians that those were our children we threw out of the House of Commons today. Those were the best, the brightest, the most dedicated, the most responsible young adults in Canada.”

Ignored in our families, we go to the community. Ignored in our communities, we go to Ottawa. Ignored in Ottawa, we go to the House of Commons. We eat our broccoli, and we expect everyone else to follow the rules. For how long will this simple ethos be crushed by laughing paper tigers?

Here’s Dana laughing/sneezing in retaliation while exiting Cambie bridge. Note angered rally stance.