GWS at XR’s The Big One, 4 days of action in Central London

Four days of action from 21 to 24 April brought together 60,000 people around Parliament to force the UK government to act on the climate emergency. On Friday – “Unite to Survive” day – diverse networks of mothers, grandmothers, other carers and people with disabilities spoke out on refusing poverty, the devaluing of caring and cuts in benefits. The government wants to cut mothers’ and disabled people’s benefits to force us “back to work” regardless of needs, wishes or poverty wages – stealing our survival entitlements to enrich fossil fuel polluters and other destructive industries. Raising children and coping with disability and ill-health is essential work which should be supported not punished. Young people and women have been at the forefront of the movement to stop fossil fuels and for climate justice.

Global women strike attended many events in order to highlight the impact of the obscene profits billionaires polluters are making, massively subsidised by governments, which undermine our health even before birth, impoverish us and threaten our very survival, starting with mothers and children of colour/working class in the Global South as well as in the poorest areas of the Global North.

Click here to watch a selection of speeches and photographs from all four days.