Yesterday morning, on the second successive hottest day on record in Australia, about 300 people descended on the Prime Minister's official residence, Kirribilli House, to demand, “Where the bloody hell are you Scott Morrison?”
The Prime Minister is currently on holidays while catastrophic fire storms are raging across the country, while Sydney is shrouded in toxic smoke and as Australia is facing its worst climate disaster ever. There are media reports that total number of houses lost to bushfires this season - in NSW alone - is 800. And the worst of the fire season is yet to come.
Speakers included G.P., Dr. Kim Loo, a number of parents and students, including mother and son, Deanna and Ambrose Hayes, Aboriginal Elder, Bruce Shillingsworth, Greens politicians Sarah Hanson Young and Mehreen Faruqi, and others.
Protesters erected a tent city at the end of the cul de sac while they sang Christmas carols and chanted, “We are on the right side of history!”
RFS fire fighter, Barry Traill, arrived fresh from the bushfires in Queensland and became overwhelmed as he spoke to the crowd, saying that while they were exhausted, fire fighters on the front line acknowledged that climate protesters were also fighting on the “other front line” in the cities. He later watched on from the sidelines with disbelief as police numbers began to swell throughout the day.
By the early afternoon, the temperature moved towards 40 degrees and despite the peaceful protest, the riot squad was sent in. Many arrests were made, including several young high school students, some elderly people, Greens State MP, David Shoebridge and Fiona Lee, who lost her family home in a bush fire earlier this year. Thirteen year old school girl, Isolde Seppings, was also threatened with arrest and then escorted off site with her father, Barrie.
Another wave of severe heat is expected tomorrow.
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