‘Extinction Rebellion’ Screams from Turkey: ‘This is Our Darkest Moment’

*Photos: bianet

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The Extinction Rebellion Turkey staged its first demonstration yesterday (April 15) in Beşiktaş, İstanbul at 2 p.m., at the same time with climate activists in more than 30 countries around the world.

In the name of the group, Elif Ünal read a declaration begining  with British philosopher John Locke's words, "To love truth for truth's sake is the principal part of human perfection in this world, and the seed-plot of all other virtues."

Reminding that the sixth mass extinction on the planet is underway, the declaration said the following:

"It is our duty to act on behalf of our children"

"We hold the following to be true:

"This is our darkest hour.

"Humanity finds itself embroiled in an event unprecedented in its history. One which, unless immediately addressed, will catapult us further into the destruction of all we hold dear: this nation, its peoples, our ecosystems and the future of generations to come.

"The science is clear: We are in the sixth mass extinction event and we will face catastrophe if we do not act swiftly and robustly.

"Biodiversity is being annihilated around the world. Our seas are poisoned, acidic and rising. Flooding and desertification will render vast tracts of land uninhabitable and lead to mass migration.

"Our air is so toxic that the United Kingdom is breaking the law. It harms the unborn whilst causing tens of thousands to die. The breakdown of our climate has begun. There will be more wildfires, unpredictable super storms, increasing famine and untold drought as food supplies and fresh water disappear.

"The ecological crises that are impacting upon this nation, and indeed this planet and its wildlife can no longer be ignored, denied nor go unanswered by any beings of sound rational thought, ethical conscience, moral concern, or spiritual belief.

"In accordance with these values, the virtues of truth and the weight of scientific evidence, we declare it our duty to act on behalf of the security and well-being of our children, our communities and the future of the planet itself.

"We, in alignment with our consciences and our reasoning, declare ourselves in rebellion against our Government and the corrupted, inept institutions that threaten our future.

"We call upon every principled citizen to rise with us"

"The wilful complicity displayed by our government has shattered meaningful democracy and cast aside the common interest in favor of short-term gain and private profits.

"When Government and the law fail to provide any assurance of adequate protection, as well as security for its people's well-being and the nation's future, it becomes the right of its citizens to seek redress in order to restore dutiful democracy and to secure the solutions needed to avert catastrophe and protect the future. It becomes not only our right, it becomes our sacred duty to rebel.

"We hereby declare the bonds of the social contract to be null and void, which the government has rendered invalid by its continuing failure to act appropriately. We call upon every principled and peaceful citizen to rise with us.

"We demand to be heard, to apply informed solutions to these ecological crises and to create a national assembly by which to initiate those solutions needed to change our present cataclysmic course.

"We refuse to bequeath a dying planet to future generations by failing to act now.

We act in peace, with ferocious love of these lands in our hearts. We act on behalf of life."

"When if not now?"

"For the salvation of the planet and the children of our country, we declare our first request here:

"The government of Turkey should comply with the scientific truth. It shouldn't shut its ears to the truth, its parliament should approve the Climate Agreement that it signed in 2015 in Paris and this shame should end.

"Who if not us?

"When if not now?"

Three demands by the Extinction Rebellion Turkey

The Extinction Rebellion Turkey listed its three demands, saying, "We are the last generation to stop the destructive climate change":

• #GerçeğiSöyle (Tell the truth): We request from the government to tell the truth about the climate crisis, and more broadly, the ecological crisis, to reverse inconsistent policies, and to work with the media to communicate with the citizens.
• #ParisiOnayla (Approve Paris Agreement): We request the government to immediately approve the Paris Agreement in the parliament and carry it into practice efficiently, to urgently take action for rapid decarbonization, to prevent irreversible social, economic, cultural and biological losses.
• #YurttaşDenetlesin (Citizen to Audit): As a part of the creation of a democratic system complying with our aim, we request a national citizen's board of auditors to be established to audit the changes.

(PT/VK)