This afternoon at 12.17 a group of environmental activists gathered in Victoria square with a couple of Polar bears to give a wake up call to politicians that the Copenhagen Climate talks in December are the most important ever and that they must be there to ensure a proper deal is reached.
I have heard of flash mobs before, but this was the first time I'd actually been on one. Monday lunchtime seems a pretty inauspicious time for a demonstration, but a decent crowd gathered, some of them in pyjamas or other nightwear, but most not, and the "tick-tock" countdown worked really well, even if it was a bit shorter than advertised.
After the countdown and the alarm bells ringing, it was time to try and ring the prime-minister or other senior ministers and give them messages about how important the talks are. Most people were not able to get through, as there were similar events taking place in cities all over the UK, but I spoke to a very grumpy switchboard operator in David Miliband's office who had obviously been talking to other similar people non-stop and Tim spoke to someone quite high up in Ed Miliband's office and left a message.
Overall a fun way to spend a lunchtime and it's good to go out and try different things. There was some good press and media coverage of the event, which means it will reach further than the people who were there on the day. Well done to Oxfam for organising it and thanks to all the people who came along to make it such a good crowd.
Joe Peacock
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