Climate activists protest mass consumerism of Black Friday in Vancouver
Credit to Author: Tiffany Crawford| Date: Fri, 29 Nov 2019 19:27:22 +0000
Two climate action groups are protesting the excess consumerism encouraged by Black Friday sales, starting at noon today in Vancouver.
Sustainabiliteens, the group that has staged many of Vancouver’s Fridays for Future climate strikes, will host Futurefest, a festival celebrating alternatives to consumerism, set to take place in the plaza outside Vancouver City Centre Station on Friday from noon to 3 p.m.
Another group Extinction Rebellion is hosting a Funeral for Extinction, a march through Vancouver malls and streets to take a stand against rampant consumerism, and to mourn the extinction of species.
“November 29th is Black Friday. On this day, huge corporations exploit consumers by encouraging us to buy more and more. Their ‘special offers”’ trigger a sense of urgency and ‘exceptional opportunity’ to consumers, resulting in an overconsumption of unnecessary goods,” the group, which also goes by XR, states on its Facebook page.
Participants are invited to wear funeral attire to the event, which begins at 1 p.m. at Art Phillips Park on Burrard Street.
“We will mourn for the future of our planet, our ecosystems, and the lives lost due to climate crisis, human and non-human,” XR said.
Similar protests were held in other cities around the world, including London, Melbourne, and New York.
Happening now! #BlackFriday2019
Or #BuyNothingDay?
Endless consumerism cannot be sustainable in a world with limited natural resources. We are using 1.7x Earth's biocapacity and growing each year. pic.twitter.com/RsLBZ6C1TM
While the march route in Vancouver has not been announced, it is expected to conclude at the intersection of Robson and Thurlow around 2:30 p.m., where Extinction Rebellion is hosting a post-funeral wake.
The group intends to shut down the intersection and host a garment repair station, screen printing activities, clothing swap and live performances.
ticrawford@postmedia.com
-With files from Stephanie Ip