A 12-year-old protester stormed the stage at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai on Monday, holding a sign saying ‘End fossil fuels. Save our planet and our future.’
Licypriya Kangujam, a climate activist from Manipur, rushed the stage at the United Nations Climate Conference 2023 (COP28) in Dubai and delivered a short speech in protest against the use of fossil fuels, for which she received a round of applause.
‘Governments must work together to phase out coal, oil and gas – the top cause of the climate crisis today. Your action today will decide our future tomorrow. We are already the victim of climate change. I don’t want my future generations to face the same consequences again. Sacrificing the lives of the millions of innocent children for the failures of our leaders is unacceptable at any cost,’ she said.
She was escorted away thereafter.
COP28 Director-General Ambassador Majid Al Suwaidi said he ‘admired the young girl’s enthusiasm.’
The activist posted on X saying ‘They detained me for over 30 minutes after this protest. My only crime- Asking to Phase Out Fossil Fuels, the top cause of climate crisis today. Now they kicked me out of COP28.’
In another postm she wrote, ‘What is the reason to cease my badge for protesting against the fossil fuels? If you’re really standing against the fossil fuels, then you must support me and you must immediately release my badges. This is gross violation and abuse of Child Rights in the UN premises which is against the UN principle. I have the rights to raise my voice at UN.’
She also wrote, ‘Millions of children like me are losing their lives, losing their parents and losing their homes due to climate disasters. This is real climate emergency. Instead of spending billions of dollars in wars, Spend it on ending hunger, giving education and fighting climate change.’
‘I’m am child who is completely frustrated by today’s climate crisis. We are the first line of victims. I feel the core issues of phasing out fossil fuels are keeping in side in the negotiations process going on in the COP28 with over 2500 fossil fuel lobbyists,’ she added.
Fossil fuel dependence has been the central issue at COP28, with nearly 200 countries and about 60,000 delegates in attendance at the climate conference.
Several countries have clashed over the fossil fuel phasing out at the COP28 summit in Dubai and their commitment to eventually end the use of fossil fuels as global warming talks take centrestage in worldwide political discourse.
Activists designated Saturday a day of protest but the activities were strictly supervised by the United Nations, given that it was being held in the United Arab Emirates, which has strict laws regarding public assembly, including political parties and labor unions.
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