Climate justice activists occupy Stephen Harper's constituency office

Dec 16, 2009

Climate justice activists occupy Stephen Harper's constituency office

Twenty people began an occupation of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper's constituency office in Calgary, Alberta.

A press release on the Canada Climate Justice website says the occupation began at about 10am Mountain time (Noon EST). The occupiers have launched an ultimatum: the Harper government must take "aggressive action on climate change before the end of the Copenhagen conference or resign as the Prime Minister of Canada."

“Demanding a Prime Minister’s resignation may seem extreme. Frankly, we don’t know what alternatives remain. We have written letters to our representatives, we have requested meetings with our representatives and we have worked on climate change solutions in our communities for years,” says sit-in participant Susan Stratton. “Canada’s government is still obstructing climate talks and refusing to make any real change. This shows despicable disregard for future generations and for the millions already dying and losing their homes because of climate change.“

The Canadian government has been at the centre of criticism both domestically and internationally since the end of November, and particularly since the start of the UN Climate Negotiations in Copenhagen, Denmark. This is the eighth climate-change related sit-in in Canada since Nov. 23rd. Canada has been awarded 'Fossil Awards' nearly daily in Denmark for their lack of initiative on combatting green house gas emissions, and was the subject of a major hoax by the Yes Men drawing light to  the government's inacton and rising emissions.