OTTAWA - More than two dozen young Canadians are facing a month-long ban from Parliament Hill after staging a climate-change protest inside the House of Commons this morning.
The group Our Time wants to deliver 338 mandate letters to MPs elected last week asking them to prioritize a "green new deal" when Parliament resumes.
Niklas Agarwal, a 24-year-old recent geography graduate from Toronto, is one of 27 youth who got into the parliamentary building by joining a free visitors' tour.
Hey @Carolyn_Bennett I’m a constituent from Toronto-St Paul’s who was arrested alongside 26 other young people in Ottawa demanding that the 43rd parliament will work to create bold climate action. Will you sign our mandate letter for? We’re in Ottawa right now and ready to meet. pic.twitter.com/6pbnqylsxe
— Niklas Agarwal 🌅🌹 (@niklas_ag) October 28, 2019
When the tour took them into the House of Commons, they sat down on the floor, unfurled protest signs printed on yellow cloths and refused to move.
Security removed them within 15 minutes, issued each a trespassing ticket along with a 30-day ban.
Agarwal says the punishment was worth it because there is limited time to prevent a climate emergency, and the new Parliament is offering the best chance Canada has ever had to take action.
Young folks in Ottawa demanding that new elected officials push for a #GreenNewDeal for Canada. Mandate letters are being delivered to all MPs! pic.twitter.com/lnXsS5iLRI
— Daniel Cayley-Daoust (@DanCayley) October 28, 2019