A BUSY bus route out of Reading’s town centre was blocked by teenage activists today in a protest about climate change.
The youngsters were taking part in the #YouthStrike4Climate, part of the global movement that has been inspired by climate activist Great Thunberg and focuses on taking action over climate change.
They argue that 200 species are going extinct every day and that water scarcity affects up to 360 million people.
The strike aims to protest at the lack of government action over climate change and is one of a number across the globe. It is the fourth such strike in the UK this year.
Protestors met at Reading Town Hall at 11am and have marched around the town centre.
Their sitdown protest saw them block the road at Jackson’s Corner – one of the busiest bus interchanges in the town centre.
All buses going to Wokingham borough go through here, including the Lions, Leopards, sevens, Orange routes, 21 through Lower Earley and the Courtney Buses routes that serve Twyford and Norreys.
https://twitter.com/reading_buses/status/1131895479682424833
The protest comes two days after the new leader of Wokingham Borough Council declared a climate emergency.
He said: “The scientific evidence is that if we have not taken dramatic action within the next decade we could face irreversible damage to the natural world and the collapse of our societies.
“Therefore, I would like to propose that Wokingham Borough tonight declare a climate emergency and commits to a programme to reduce carbon emissions with a target of zero by 2030. This is an ambitious target which may not be achievable but unless we are ambitious, we risk falling short.
“It may be voguish and considered as jumping on the bandwagon, but the imperative of the clock ticking means that we have no option but to take on this target.”
