A group of climate change campaigners has ended their 12 day hunger strike this morning, saying that Finland’s politicians should “stop procrastinating” over taking more concrete steps to address the climate crisis.
The protest came to an end as activists also joined a regular Fridays for Future rally on the steps of parliament to show their support for the student-lead campaign which was started by Sweden’s Greta Thunberg.
Three members of the Extinction Rebellion group stopped taking calories last Monday as a way to highlight what they say is the government’s lack of action on environmental issues.
One of the original strikers, a 66-year old grandmother, ended her fast after six days but two others continued until this morning at the protest site in Kansalaistori, between parliament and Oodi Central Library.
“Today we decide to end the hunger strike of our own free will. Unlike those who see real hunger or malnutrition, we knew even when we were uncomfortable that we could stop at any time” says Till Sawala, a physicist at the University of Helsinki and one of the Extinction Rebellion hunger strikers.
“Climate action requires radical change on a realistic schedule. Some of them will be uncomfortable. We will not pretend otherwise and we will encourage decision makers to speak directly and stop procrastination. Climate action is a choice we can still make. The alternative is not to maintain the status quo. The consequence of procrastination and inaction is catastrophic climate change” he says in a statement.
The activists had been taking water and tea, and salt tablets, and were having their health monitored during the hunger strike. Over the last 12 days the protest site has become a hub for pop-up concerts and educational events about the dangers of climate change, with a regular stream of people stopping by to find out more about the direct action the hunger strikers were taking.
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