European march for climate and democracy to take place in Brussels

A European march "for climate and democracy, against the far right and austerity" will be held in Brussels on Sunday 23 June. The organiser, the collective Rise for Climate Belgium, announced the initiative on Wednesday.

Rise for Climate Belgium describes itself as a grassroots nonpartisan citizen movement based in Belgium. It is organising the march in response to the elections on Sunday 9 June, in which far-right parties gained ground in many European countries.

Under the slogan 'Touche pas à mon futur' ('Don't touch my future'), the campaigners are calling on "Belgian and European NGOs, trade unions and mutual societies, associations, progressive parties and democratic forces, as well as all citizens concerned about their future and that of their children" to join them at Brussels-Central station on 23 June. The march will start at 2pm and end at Place Jean Rey.

Existential threat

"Today we acknowledge that our priorities have shifted: we are more afraid of inflation, insecurity and immigration than of global warming," explains Rise for Climate Belgium.

"We are more worried about the end of the month than the end of the world. This is understandable given the current economic climate, but by turning a blind eye to an existential threat, Belgium and Europe are facing another, more immediate and insidious threat: that of the far right."

"We are more worried about the end of the month than the end of the world"

The collective deplores the rise of parties that are "hostile to the climate and the environment" but are also "reactionary, authoritarian, xenophobic, homophobic, sexist, anti-science, nationalist and Eurosceptic". It also denounced the EU's intention to re-impose severe fiscal austerity measures on member states

^{© BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK}