Student Climate Strike draws counter-protest – FROM INSIDE THE BUILDING!
There have been few protests in Edmonton as large and lively as the Student Climate Strike on Sept. 27. More than 4,000 people, the majority of which were students who skipped school, converged on the Alberta Legislature to demand action on climate change – only to be faced with a sign in a window of the building: “I Love Canadian Oil and Gas!”
While counter-protests are not unusual, this one caused a stir because it appeared to be coming from the Alberta government itself.
One local Grade 12 student (who declined to be named) was at the protest with friends and saw the sign being put up: “Everyone was saying ‘F— Jason Kenney!’
“High school students could run a better government.”
A photo of the UCP’s Executive Director of Issues Management Matt Wolf, in the window with the sign (above), went viral. He tweeted in response, “Uh oh. The internet has discovered that I (a) work in the Alberta Legislature building and (b) support Canadian oil & gas. Next they’ll discover that I’m a Conservative.”
Official Opposition leader Rachel Notley tweeted shortly thereafter, “This is not leadership. This is cynical polarization. Albertans and Canadians deserve better.”
In an emailed statement to GigCity this week, Notley elaborated: “While thousands of Albertans, many of whom were children and youth, marched to the legislature to demand real action on climate change, Jason Kenney and his staff openly mocked them. No Premier has ever used the legislature building in such a show of disrespect or disdain. Albertans are looking for leadership and a concrete plan to tackle climate change. Instead, Jason Kenney and his staff offered the ugliest form of failure on both fronts.”
Christine Myatt, spokesperson for the office of Premier Jason Kenney, disagrees: “There is nothing controversial about supporting the very industry that helped build the prosperity we all enjoy. In fact, we encourage all Albertans to display their support for our responsible energy sector.”
That said, no one with the UCP has specifically taken responsibility for the sign yet. Matt Wolf has not responded to a public tweet asking if he was the one who placed it – although he did make the photo his Twitter profile pic.
This is not the first time the UCP caucus has been accused of mocking constituents (or at the very least being extremely tone-deaf) – young people in particular. In July, a photo was posted to social media of the caucus in their suits frolicking in the Legislature wading pool. This photo came after a 40-hour filibuster resulting in the passing the education reform Bill 8, which did not include legal protections for Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) in schools that were passed by the former NDP government. It was nicknamed “Bill H8” by opponents, who said that the bill would roll back protections for students by allowing schools to contact parents if a child joins a GSA. There were multiple protests to support LGBTQ2S+ youth prior to and following the passing of the bill.
One thing seems certain: Whether tying up traffic on the Walterdale Bridge or marching on the Ledge yet again, protests are going to continue. The government is watching. They’re paying attention. They’re now responding – counter-protesting – in real time. Someone struck a nerve. Keeping issues in the public eye of the media, and the forces in power in check is one of the goals of public demonstrations. With its huge numbers, media attention, and reaction from the UCP, the Student Climate Strike was extremely effective. It won’t be the last.
