North East Climate Justice Campaign

A UK-based coalition of groups and individuals to build solidarity and power around Climate Justice and Global Solidarity.

As world leaders met in Egypt for the COP27 global UN climate summit, mass mobilisations in towns and cities across the world took to the streets on Saturday 12 November to say “This crisis demands action” and to demand global climate action now. In Newcastle, the North East Climate Justice Coalition organised a rally, march and green festival. The message is that we must urgently dismantle the fossil fuel economy and begin a just transition now.  

People are being forced to choose between heating and eating while global temperatures are rising as energy companies make record-breaking profits. To stop this crisis we need action that cuts carbon, tackles inequality and ends the injustices baked into our world.

The Newcastle event

The rally in Newcastle began at 12 noon at Grey’s Monument. Speakers included North of Tyne mayor Jamie Driscoll and Anne-Marie from Divest. Two young women from North Tyneside Youth For Climate spoke: Elsa, aged 14 with performance poetry, and Gwen, aged 15 with a speech. Safiah read the letter from the sister of a political prisoner in Egypt that the Egyptian COP organising committee asked to be read at every COP 27 protest.

The fantastic Bangshees all-women samba drummers then led a march along Northumberland Street to the Civic Centre. The march paused outside Barclays on Northumberland Street when XR had an intervention – calling out organisations they are linked to – and washed their windows…