Say Yes demonstrations
Encyclopedia
The "Say Yes" demonstrations were a series of simultaneous political demonstrations
held in major cities across Australia
on 5 June 2011 to coincide with World Environment Day. The gatherings were organised as demonstrations of some public support for political action on climate change
in Australia, including support for mitigation, investment in renewable energy
and decommissioning of fossil fuel
power stations and polluting industry. The largest individual gatherings attracting 10,000 in Melbourne
and 8,000 in Sydney
.
The "Say Yes" campaign was started with actors Cate Blanchett
and Michael Caton
appearing in a national television advertisement.
The demonstrations were organised by Say Yes Australia, a coalition of community groups, environmental organisations, unions, associations and other groups and was apolitical. All demonstrations were peaceful with no injuries or arrests.
The Federal Treasurer, Wayne Swan
, attended the Brisbane rally. In Canberra, the ACT Chief Minister, Katy Gallagher
, was in attendance.
Demonstration (people)
A demonstration or street protest is action by a mass group or collection of groups of people in favor of a political or other cause; it normally consists of walking in a mass march formation and either beginning with or meeting at a designated endpoint, or rally, to hear speakers.Actions such as...
held in major cities across Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
on 5 June 2011 to coincide with World Environment Day. The gatherings were organised as demonstrations of some public support for political action on climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
in Australia, including support for mitigation, investment in renewable energy
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
and decommissioning of fossil fuel
Fossil fuel
Fossil fuels are fuels formed by natural processes such as anaerobic decomposition of buried dead organisms. The age of the organisms and their resulting fossil fuels is typically millions of years, and sometimes exceeds 650 million years...
power stations and polluting industry. The largest individual gatherings attracting 10,000 in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
and 8,000 in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
.
The "Say Yes" campaign was started with actors Cate Blanchett
Cate Blanchett
Catherine Élise "Cate" Blanchett is an Australian actress. She came to international attention for her role as Elizabeth I of England in the 1998 biopic film Elizabeth, for which she won British Academy of Film and Television Arts and Golden Globe Awards, and earned her first Academy Award...
and Michael Caton
Michael Caton
Michael Caton is an Australian television, film and stage actor, and television host, best known for playing Uncle Harry in the Australian television series, The Sullivans, playing Darryl Kerrigan from 1997's low budget hit film The Castle and playing in the popular Packed to the Rafters. He is...
appearing in a national television advertisement.
The demonstrations were organised by Say Yes Australia, a coalition of community groups, environmental organisations, unions, associations and other groups and was apolitical. All demonstrations were peaceful with no injuries or arrests.
Locations & attendance
- Melbourne - 10,000
- CanberraCanberraCanberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
- Sydney - 8,000
- BrisbaneBrisbaneBrisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
- 5,000 or 2,000 - AdelaideAdelaideAdelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
- 5,000 or 3,000 - PerthPerth, Western AustraliaPerth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
- 3,000 - HobartHobartHobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
The Federal Treasurer, Wayne Swan
Wayne Swan
Wayne Maxwell Swan is the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia and an Australian politician. He has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1993 to 1996, and then re elected in 1998 till today , representing the Division of Lilley, QLD...
, attended the Brisbane rally. In Canberra, the ACT Chief Minister, Katy Gallagher
Katy Gallagher
Katy Gallagher , an Australian politician, is the sixth and current Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory and a member of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly since 2001, representing the electorate of Molonglo for the Australian Labor Party...
, was in attendance.