Congress motions

Motion

Motion title

Climate justice and the right to peaceful protest

Session

2022-2023

Meeting link

Annual Congress

Meeting date

27 May 2023

Status

Remitted

Motion

79

Motion text

Congress reaffirms:
1. Commitment to urgent action to avert climate change.
2. Support for the right to take part in peaceful protest on environmental and other issues, including civil disobedience.
Congress notes
1. Climate and ecological breakdown and extreme weather events are leading to an increased displacement of people, particularly in the Global South.
2. The term climate refugee is being increasingly used to describe people displaced by such climate disasters
Believes
a. Those most affected by climate and ecological breakdown are those least responsible for climate and ecological breakdown, but are the one who are suffering the most as a result of it.
b. Indifference to human suffering characterises this government's attitude to refugees and its lack of action on environmental targets
c. Climate denial and hostility to refugees share a common right wing ideology that regards human life as expendable
d. Struggles against all forms of oppression, including calls for climate justice, are interlinked.
Congress condemns:
a. The ‘Cop City’ project to destroy a forest near Atlanta, USA to set up a police training city mimicking an urban area, with the risk of training for militarised police attacks on Black neighbourhoods.
b. The violent treatment of protestors.
c. The arrest of 23 people, including a legal observer, on charges of ‘domestic terrorism’ with possible 35-year prison sentences.
d. Police shooting and killing non-binary activist Tortuguita – condolences to their friends and family.
Congress resolves to:
i. Send solidarity messages to protestors.
ii. with TUC, put pressure on US government to cancel the Cop City project and release protestors.
iii. campaign against restrictions on the right to protest.
iv. encourage members to participate in local climate actions.
v. support campaigns and groups making the link between climate justice and racial justice
vi. demonstrations and actions in support of the above.

Proposing body

Composite (University of Glasgow, National executive committee)

Amended

No

Allocated to

Recruitment, organising and campaigning committee (ROCC)

Notes