2004 events

Global Funeral March for Bush's re-election

Start: 04 Nov 2004,

Where:

London

We marked the re-election of George Bush with a "Global funeral March" to show where his policies are taking us! We lost no time in showing how we felt about his re-election. Just two days after the election on the evening of Thursday November 4th we held our "Rally for the Planet at the US Election", which took the form of a 'Global Funeral March'.

Hundreds of protestors gathered at Lincoln's Inn Fields to march off through the centre of London with our familiar 'Globe in a Greenhouse' out in front, proclaiming the message that Bush's re-election was a disaster for the global environment. There was our giant 'wobbly' globe bearing the message "RIP thanks to George W Bush" and a host of 'mourners' in funerary, or more colourful gear, with sounds coming from the famous 'Rinky-Dink' bicycle sound machine - and the 'Soapbox' bicycle sound machine belting out the message, too. Early on, we marched past the London offices of ExxonMobil (Bush's primary oil-company paymaster) where a large boo went up as usual while a group of spoof 'climate-sceptic' scientists were taking the message to passers-by about how US oil company money is funding a campaign of disinformation on climate change - as well as determining Bush's climate policy (see further www.exxonsecrets.org/ ).

At the US embassy, Phil Thornhill, CCC coordinator, exhorted America to "Wake up to the reality of the destabilisation of global climate" and then the assembled crowd listened to speaches from Jean Lambert, the Green Party MEP for London, Bryony Worthington from Friends of the Earth, Dave Timms from the World Development Movement and Murad Qureshi, Labour GLA member and representative of the Bangladeshi community.

There was nothing we could do to stop Bush's re-election but it was good to at least get on the streets straight away and register our protest against him and all the damage he has already done - and may do in the future - to the global environment. America may have re-elected him but the battle to save our planet - and our future - from Bush, and his fossil-fuel-industry-sponsored cronies, goes on!

More photos (from FoE) are below

A Friends of the Earth posse

The 'globe-in-a-greenhouse' and Phil trying to get his head together to give an interview

The big wobbly globe, which manages not to collapse this time

The famous 'Rinky-Dink' bicycle sound machine

The 'Soapbox' bicycle sound machine

A bunch of crackpot scientists who insist that their claim that climate change
is a myth has nothing to do with the fact that they are funded by a
well known Texas-based oil company.

Speeches in front of the US embassy: Phil Thornhill, CCC co-ordinator speaking

Our 4 eloquent speakers deplore the election result!

Film Premiere of 'The Day After Tomorrow'

Start: 26 May 2004,

Where:

Leicester Square, London

The CCC was in on the act at the Film Premiere of 'The Day After Tomorrow', In Leicester Square, on Wednesday, May 26th. 'The Day After Tomorrow' is the big new 'disaster-movie' blockbuster about climate change (to find out more about what is and isn't good science in the film, etc etc, check out www.thedayaftertomorrow.org). The film's got a lot of people talking about the potentialy disastrous impacts of climate change and we hit the premiere to add a bit of a political angle: to make sure the finger was firmly pointed at those doing the most, right now, to make sure nothing is done about the threat from climate change - namely George Bush and his fossil fuel corporate backers in the US. Appropriately costumed, we got ourselves onto Sky TV and Channel 4 News amongst other things - including the BBC website where this photo comes from:

Kyoto March

Start: 15 May 2004,

Where:

Leatherhead, Surrey to Imperial War Museum Park, London

"BUSH TAKING US THE WAY THE DINOSAURS WENT"

Photo: Hilary Gander

3 YEARS AFTER BUSH DUMPED KYOTO
AND OUR THIRD 'KYOTO MARCH' HITS THE STREETS !

It was another long march from ExxoMobil HQ, near Leatherhead (20 miles !), for the elite band of enthusiasts who went the whole way: our way of showing that its oil-money that determines Bush's policy on climate change - not the vital interests of everybody who lives on this planet. For those of us who spent the night before in 'Tanner's hatch' Youth Hostel, there was nature's alarm clock - a cockerel - to wake us up at 5.30 in the morning: something, however, he'd been doing at half hourly intervals all through the night !

Our theme was "Bush taking us the way the Dinosaurs went" and a colourful band - including a triceratops and a tyrannosaurus rex - set out from the Exxon HQ, early in the morning. More people joined at Epsom, Morden and the halfway stop at Wimbledon. Finally the long-marchers trooped triumphantly into the Imperial War Museum Park, in Lambeth, to the deafening applause of the assembled crowd. They - and the crowd - were then treated to a great speech from the Green MEP - Caroline Lucas - who caught the very special mood of the occasion magnificently.

Then the colourful throng - enlivened by the legendary 'Rinky Dink' bicycle sound system - hit the streets of central London, with assorted prehistoric reptiles and many other animals - chiefly human beings - wearing the sign "Endangered Species". At length the source of the danger was reached (or its symbol in the UK), namely the US embassy, where - after the customary confused hiatus - we were able to appreciate speeches from Michael Meacher MP (Environment Minister, 1997-2003) and Norman Baker, MP (Lib Dem shadow Environment spokesperson), who both lambasted very effectively the moron in the Whitehouse. At the same time a quartet of 'pall-bearers' from 'CodePink', carrying our 'late' planet, provided a great photo-op for the cameras. Finally Liana Stupples spoke for Friends of the Earth and then we wound down to the sound of the 'Eco-Worriers'.

'Codepink' with deceased planet. Photo Alex Eisenstein.

Photo John Robinson

Photo Hilary Gander

Here is the trusty band of all-the-way marchers - dinosaurs, (anti)Esso-Tigers, and all - at the start of the march at Exxon (Esso) HQ, near Leatherhead. Its 20 miles from here to the US embassy.

And the same band with a message for the people in the Esso building.

And this is the trusty band 10 or 12 miles further on (with others joined up along the way !) at the Esso petrol station, Colindale.

The famous 'Rinky Dink' bicycle powered sound machine - on the main march (from the Imperial War Museum to the US embassy) now.

Artistry with a message, on the march.