Portsmouth residents share hopes for greener future as part of Extinction Rebellion demonstration

Members of Portsmouth Extinction Rebellion when they marched to the civic offices to present a letter to Stephen Morgan and Penny Mordaunt asking them to put pressure on the government about climate change action, on 25 June 2020.

Picture: Habibur Rahman — Members of Portsmouth Extinction Rebellion when they marched to the civic offices to present a letter to Stephen Morgan and Penny Mordaunt asking them to put pressure on the government about climate change action, on 25 June 2020. Picture: Habibur Rahman

MESSAGES of hope for a greener future were shared by Portsmouth residents and campaigners alike as part of an Extinction Rebellion demonstration.

Members of the Southsea branch of Extinction Rebellion (XR) set up shop in Palmerston Road on Saturday, encouraging passers-by to share ideas on how to tackle the climate crisis.

Extinction Rebellion will not be barred from consulting on Portsmouth issues

As a result people signed cards to Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan and Portsmouth City Council and included action they wanted local politicians to take.

One of the cards members of the public signed during the Extinction Rebellion demonstration in Palmerston Road on Saturday. Picture: XR Southsea

And Christmas cards containing information about the climate and ecological emergency bill (CEE), which XR is hoping will be passed by government next year, were sold.

Selma Heimedinger, from XR Southsea, said: 'The aim of this was to raise awareness of the CEE bill and provide a space for local people to think about Christmas in a different way, away from consumerism and buying material gifts which don’t give genuine long term happiness.

'A chance to express an alternative Christmas wish, one which would help tackle climate change in the local area. We believe that a safe future for our children would be the best gift of all.

'In the cards about a dozen people wrote messages about wanting more cycle paths in the city, about making Portsmouth carbon free, preserving wildlife and putting the climate emergency at the top of the agenda.'

XR Southsea will deliver the cards to the Portsmouth civic offices and Stephen Morgan's Albert Road office this week.

The group is set to hold another demonstration outside Barclays Bank in Commercial Road this coming weekend.

Portsmouth residents share hopes for greener future as part of Extinction Rebellion demonstration

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