Extinction Rebellion activists are hungry to meet the Premier

The BC NDP government has had over 200 land defenders arrested so far at the Fairy Creek blockade. In Vancouver members of Extinction Rebellion are staging a hunger strike in solidarity with the Fairy Creek Blockade and in solidarity with our planet.

They have invited the Premier of BC, Premier John Horgan, BC Forestry Minister Katrine Conroy and Federal Environment Minster Jonathan Wilkinson, to join them for a meal and to discuss the need to preserve old growth forests and other measures needed to avert climate catastrophe. They sent out their invitations to dine on Sunday afternoon; they will eat when these government representatives join them. They are waiting in front of the Government of Canada offices at 401 Burrard st in Vancouver. This is day four of their hunger strike.

Socalist.ca interviewed two of the hunger strikers on day two of their hunger strike.

Brent Eichler is president of Unifor local 950 and one of the hunger strikers. He pointed out that there are more jobs with a Green New Deal or a just transition than there are in the fossil fuel industries. And the current push for more pipelines is like the practice in BC of shipping raw logs overseas without any processing here. Calling for change challenges immense profits. “Old growth trees are worth six times what second growth trees are worth.”

Brent points out that we need to end the multi-billion dollar subsidies for fossil fuel industries that can’t survive without them. “The NDP has been in power for four years now, they can’t keep blaming the previous government. Better jobs and a just transition will require leadership and subsidies.”

I asked Brent why he is doing this. He explained that, “Nothing else is working. We’ve been in the streets, we’ve disrupted meetings, we’ve disrupted railways, we disrupted roads.” The climate movement hasn’t made any progress, so this “is an act of desperation.” Governments “have no incentive to do the right thing and we’re on the verge of financial, social, and ecological collapse.” Brent pointed out that “our world is totally interconnected. We can’t pollute and destroy forests and still live.” A fact that federal and provincial politicians refuse to acknowledge.

Another hunger striker, Zian Haq told us that, “Old growth forests are being destroyed with the complicity of BC government officials. They are committing treason against the people of BC by facilitating activities that will create social collapse due to climate change”

As of day four of the hunger strike neither the provincial or federal government has responded to the hunger strikers’ request to meet. Supporters who have called the Premier and the federal Minister of the Environment have been told that the Premier and Environment minister are aware of the hunger strike.

If you are in BC, call your MLA and ask them to push the Premier to visit the hunger strikers. It’s only a few blocks from the cabinet offices in Vancouver.

If you are in the lower mainland drop by to show your support, 401 Burrard St in Vancouver.

Wherever you are, you can call the office of Federal Environment minister Wilkinson 604-775-6333 and ask him to visit.