Climate activist plan Saturday protest

Climate activists will be staging a noisy protest in Horncastle on Saturday, and those wishing to make their voices – and saucepans–- heard are urged to come along.

Through a campaign called ‘Deep Water Rising’, demanding action to protect communities from the consequences of global heating, environmentalists are asking people across the UK to ‘call the alarm’ to alert the attention of the world’s leaders, who will be attending COP26, the UN’s Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, taking place next week.

The plan is to organise peaceful, inclusive gatherings at iconic locations that are vulnerable to flooding on Saturday evening (October 30) before the start of COP26 the following day, and the protest in Horncastle is scheduled to take place at the Market Place in the town centre at 5.30pm.

Pete Richards, spokesman for the Horncastle protest, said: “Despite the many pledges made and targets set by governments at intergovernmental meetings over 30 years, emissions and atmospheric temperatures have continued to rise, and are now at critical levels.

“The average global temperature is now 1.2oC above pre-industrial levels, and this has already disrupted weather patterns with devastating consequences for human communities and wildlife.

“In 2021 many parts of the world experienced the harmful effects of high temperatures, wildfires and droughts; and awful flooding arising from extreme rainfall events and rising sea levels. Climate scientists warn that this lethal weather is the new normal.

“Horncastle has flooded many times in the past, but, sadly, what was a once in a lifetime event will happen more and more regularly. Lincolnshire coastal towns are particularly threatened by the potential of rising sea levels that will decimate these conurbations and will result in massive internal migration problems.

“Lincolnshire also provides much of the food we consume in the UK and the valuable farmland that will inevitably be lost will lead to major food shortages.”

Those attending the Horncastle protest are urged to gather at the Market Place at 5.30pm with candles and torches to shine a light, and bring something that can be use to make a noise, such as drums, whistles, or even saucepans and wooden spoons.

Following the noise, there will be a two minutes’ silence, and at 6pm, St Mary’s Church has been asked to ring the church bells.

People who are unable to attend in person at the Market Place are asked to stand on their doorsteps with candles and pots and pans to make their voices heard.