London Socialist Historians Group
Media Release 20th September
Contact: Dr Keith Flett 07803 167266
Historians say climate protests biggest global movement since anti-Iraq War marches in 2003
The London Socialist Historians Group, which organises the socialist history seminar at the Institute of Historical Research in central London, has said that climate change protests that took place in many countries on 20th September are likely to have been the largest globally since marches against the Iraq War on 15th February 2003.
The historians say that while it would very difficult to compare numbers participating in terms of the numbers of countries involved the breadth of protest is on the same kind of scale.
While the impacts of economic globalisation are controversial, a worldwide protest movement can suggest a rather different agenda.
LSHG Convenor Dr Keith Flett said, 15th February 2003 was not the start of an anti-war movement but it marked its break-out into to a worldwide phenomenon which has had a significant impact on politics for some years. Today’s protests on climate change may also mark a change in scale and as with 2003 bring thousands of new people into activity many of whom will be around for a while and will expect and push for change
The UK, Poland, Germany, Japan, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Kiribati, North Macedonia, Romania, Ireland, France, Pakistan, India, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Ukraine, Belgium, Sweden, Turkey, the Netherlands, Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Bangladesh, Austria, Thailand, Senegal, Denmark, Burundi, Greece, Cyprus…
BBC News summary of some of the countries in which protests on climate change have taken place on 20th September
Wiki link to the global scale of protests against the Iraq War in 2003
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/15_February_2003_anti-war_protests
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