From my well-appointed balcony I could see driblets of people in fancy dress, with big signs in their hands, heading across the road for the Clyde Amphitheatre to join Blue Wave 2020 climate protest.
Following the success of the previous year event, some 500 community climate change activists gathered on the banks of the river Clyde to voice their concerns about the rising sea levels, increase of areas susceptible to flooding, loss of biodiversity, ocean pollution and threat to marine wildlife.
Members of various Scottish chapters of Extinction Rebellion campaigned alongside Animal Rebellion protesters, Greenpeace, Dumfries and Galloway Climate Group, Next Bike and some other climate change aware groups. Kids, dogs and picnic food were welcome.
There was signing, hugging, dancing and face painting in the best peaceful protest tradition, followed by the human Blue Wave spilling from the banks of the river Clyde up to the top of Buchanan Street. The marchers were led by the Blue Rebel Brigade performers and chanted “The seas are rising and so are we!” and “What do we want? Climate justice!” on the way to Buchanan Galleries.
Blue Wave 2020 climate protest event was photographer-friendly, where the images were encouraged to be shared online and on the social media with specific hashtags.
To capture a visually rich story I tried to document the collective action and emotions of the participants, along with the details of the campaigners’ fancy dress, face paint and personal items. I also placed some focus on the political diversity and unity contained in posters and banners, and took some vivid individual portraits brimming with positive energy.
