October 07, 2019
Extinction Rebellion blockades MBIE with pink boat
Wellington staff of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment were told to work from home today after members of Extinction Rebellion blocked entry to the ministry’s Stout Street headquarters to highlight its role in encouraging continued prospecting for fossil fuels.
The blockade is the first of 60 disruptive events planned by Extinction Rebellion in cities around the world.
One end of the street was blocked by a pink car with its wheels removed and protesters attached by metal bars, and the other end by a pink boat surrounded by linked protesters.
The protest included members of Climate Justice Taranaki, whose spokesperson, Emily Bailey, says by handing out licences to companies like OMV, which is prospecting in Taranaki waters, the ministry is encouraging the burning of fossil fuels that are pushing the world towards mass extinction.
She says radical and systematic change is needed with a just transition that puts the interests of communities, workers and the environment at its centre.
Companies like OMV, Todd, Tamarind, Fonterra, Ravensdown and Fletchers have done enough damage.
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