By Paula Jurczyńska-Chu and Federica Nuccetelli
“One thing that stood out to me is how many political movements there were […] I didn’t think I would see this type of stuff at a climate protest,” recalls Xi Chiang, a second-year Social Sciences student and Public Relations Head of the Sustainability Commission. On 12 September, she marched from Dam Square to Museumplein alongside 40,000 others in the Klimaatmars, or Climate March.
The protest, organised by the Klimaatcrisis Coalitie (KCC), explicitly welcomed this diversity. As written on their official website, the KCC wanted “to offer space to participants and organisations that connect the climate crisis to other themes, such as colonialism, war, capitalism, Palestine, or Ukraine”. Taking a “unity in diversity” approach, the KCC allowed all kinds of blocs to formally sign up to march together.
As a result, in addition to larger civil society groups such as Greenpeace or the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Chiang reported seeing a Christian group, later identified as the “Christians for Climate Justice” bloc. The bloc was “open to all believers who wish to care for Creation”, and even held a service before the protest. Other attendees, such as third-year Science major Derin Ureten, made note of the Palestina bloc, which marched for the rights to life and a healthy environment for the Palestinian people in the face of the “Gaza military operations”.
Over 40 different blocs were rallied by the KCC to push for the same list of demands, as Dutch Budget Day, or Prinsjesdag, was being held a few days later. These included reducing domestic energy waste, lessening Dutch reliance on international energy sources, and creating systems to aid the Global South to adapt to climate change and natural disasters.
When asked about her opinion on the observed solidarity and intersectionality, Chiang expressed that it felt “natural” to her. “If a group cares about any issue within social justice, they are likely to care about other issues as well.” She also brought up the vulnerabilities created by “complex systems of oppressions”, which might leave certain groups affected disproportionately by climate change.
In the sea of protesters, some AUC students found themselves between the loud and enthusiastic “keep-it-in-the-ground” chants of the World Wildlife Fund – with “it” referring to fossil fuels – and the rhythmic, drum-accompanied “free-free Palestine” from the Palestina bloc.
Ureten, who is also chairing Pangea in 26-27, felt a sense of “loss of coherence” with surrounding groups protesting primarily for Climate Justice. However, this sentiment was eased by the presence of placards explicitly tying the genocide to environmentalist causes. She also emphasised that the critical timeliness of this cause, which “cannot be unseen”, made it all the more important for the Palestina bloc to hold space in the march.
With COP31 less than a week away, it is unclear whether the marchers’ demands will be prioritised. In preparation for this event, the International Climate Coalition, whose member-organisations overlap greatly with the KCC’s, urged the Dutch government to “further advocate for climate action that puts gender equality and inclusion at its centre”. This would require implementing existing gender-transformative climate justice commitments. In layman’s terms, ensuring that the greater vulnerability to climate impacts of women and girls is not only acknowledged but acted upon.
COP31 will be held in Antalya, Turkey, and last from 9 November to 20 November.
