The first School Strike 4 Climate rally of the year brought music, passionate speakers and a crowd of placard-carrying protesters to Dunedin’s Octagon yesterday afternoon, but it did not bring the huge crowds previous rallies have produced in the city.
Extinction Rebellion member and protest co-ordinator Jen Olsen said speaking topics yesterday, which included regenerative farming, restoring passenger rail and a universal basic income, were focused on positive solutions to the climate crisis.
However, the crowd that gathered to listen to the messages was down from years past, she said.
"It’s small compared to what we’ve had before, yes.
"I think there is a bit of fatigue amongst activists, and especially amongst youngsters, because they have made it so clear what they are wanting, but they see no change.
School Strike 4 Climate Christchurch asked Extinction Rebellion to stage Dunedin’s School Strike 4 Climate rally because the Dunedin group was not active and unable to rally a crowd, she said.
Governments needed to be refocused on the urgency of the crisis, Mrs Olsen said, citing the devastation from Cyclone Gabrielle in the North Island last month.
"When we think of the terrible impact of the weather events in the North Island, it’s not as if we need to be reminded, but politicians are already talking about adaptation to climate change and they are totally missing out on discussion of the causes.
"We must play our part in reducing global emissions of greenhouses gases or these climate catastrophes will continue to get worse."
Yesterday's protesters called for no new fossil fuel mining or exploration, lowering the voting age to 16, a 30% increase in New Zealand's marine reserves by 2025, rebates on electric bicycles for low income households and support for farmers to transition to regenerative agriculture.
Forest & Bird South Otago chairwoman Jane Young, who was at yesterday’s Dunedin protest, said it was hard to say whether fatigue was an issue in Dunedin after the prolonged break from rallying brought about by the Covid pandemic.
"The first two marches were amazing, I’ve never experienced anything like it.
"But then that came to a screaming halt, of course.
"I don’t know ... but it’s easy to become disillusioned, and I think people in their teens and 20s must look at life stretching in front of them and think where is this going to lead?
"For older people, it’s easier; you’ve had most of your life and you try to just do what you can."
Protests were planned in Auckland, Nelson, Christchurch, Dunedin, Palmerston North, Wellington, Kaitaia, Wanaka, and Queenstown yesterday.
Numbers were reportedly larger in some other centres.
More than 1000 people of all ages reportedly joined the Wellington march.
In Christchurch, large crowds gathered at Cathedral Square and headed to the Christchurch City Council buildings for a sit-in.
In Auckland, an estimated 1000 people marched from Britomart Station to Victoria Park, where a concert was held. — Additional reporting RNZ
