This week: Global Climate Strike, XR Road Show and the Vigil continues

Tomorrow, Friday 25th is a big one at Parliament. It is the Fridays for Future Global Day of Climate Action. Extinction Rebellion will be joining us with their Election Roadshow , and the E Tū Climate Vigil will reach it’s 82nd day.

https://www.facebook.com/events/361385968320709/

We bade a very fond farewell to Rick Williment. Cheerful and engaged to the end, we saw his energy levels decrease while a vicarious interest in the breakfasts of others grew. He produced many moving and beautiful posts on the E Tū blog , and sent us this back to the Vigil the day after he finished:

Rick leaving parliament

Dear David!
I’m thinking of you there today in the wild wet turbulence!
I broke my fast with so much joy and relief yesterday afternoon. An apple. A dried apricot! And in the evening I had a plate of asparagus and beans and carrots and courgette even though they aren’t in season, and avocado with cashew nuts even though they aren’t local. And actually I wept again and strongly. For the relief of it being over, for the privilege of having such foods, for those who don’t. I don’t think I’m a sentimental person. My heart is very open to those on the front lines of these climate/industrial-addiction-fuelled catastrophes 🙏🏻
Deep gratitude to you David, and to Ollie before you, and to all your courageous hearts. Thank you to all of us for standing up. E Tū!!!Dear David!

David and Rick as Parliament

The man who started it all, David Goldsmith, has returned to carry the Vigil this week and plans to return again on the 5th of October to see us up to the election. Local strikers have planned to keep going for the 10 days in between, so the daily vigil continues.

Any day between now and the election you can join us at parliament to offer your support.

Tomorrow is huge: please make it if you can.

There are other demonstrations, information sessions and street actions in the works. Please keep an eye out for them and we’ll let you know when they are happening,

See you at Parliament.

— Kieran

Rick’s last week of Hunger Striking, and Sayonara Hiroshi.

He needs to return to work this week, so it’s the end of the strike for Rick Williment. We’ve been lucky to have him: weekends under the tree, lots of thoughtful blog posts, and endless questions about what everyone had for lunch. His last day is Tuesday 22nd, so come by and say hi to him while he’s around.

Our friend Hiroshi Watanabe returns to Japan next week: this Friday (18th) will be his last day on the lawn. Thanks, Hiro for your calm and constant support, we’re really going to miss you.

Next week: Extinction Rebellion Roadshow comes to town.

We’ll have company at Parliament next week; the 12th and final day of the Extinction Rebellion Roadshow

The Election Roadshow, an initiative of Extinction Rebellion (XR) and supported by Aotearoa Climate Emergency, aims to put climate action on the agenda of the 2020 election.
The Roadshow has the goals of promoting:

a declaration of a climate emergency,

a Citizens Assembly on climate, such as France and the UK have held this year, and

a green, sustainable, economic recovery from the pandemic.

Where to now for E Tū?

We’re not sure yet whether there will be another Hunger Striker before the election, how long the vigil will continue or whether it will remain at Parliament: there are a few conversations to be had yet to figure that out. It takes a group to keep this going, and it will depend on what everyone wants to do. Either way, the last 74 days of E Tū For Future have been an extraordinary and special time: we’ve captured interviews and images and stories, many of which you’ll find on the website.

Fridays will continue as usual and we’ll keep you posted when we know more.

We’ll see you on the lawn.

— Kieran