11-Year-Old Licypriya Kangujam Confronts UK Minister over Criminalization of Climate Protests
HAVANA TIMES – As high-level climate talks continue at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, young activists are demanding decisive action from governments. Eleven-year-old Indian climate activist Licypriya Kangujam has been demanding the U.S. and other wealthy nations compensate poorer countries that bear the brunt of the climate crisis. On Monday, Kangujam confronted British environment minister Zac Goldsmith over the U.K. government arresting climate activists from Just Stop Oil and other groups as they carry out daily acts of civil disobedience. Listen carefully.
Licypriya Kangujam: “When are you going to release the climate activists? The government is, like, putting them into jail for, like, protesting against oil and, like, nuclear. When are you going to release them?”
“When are you going to release the climate activists?” 11-year-old climate activist Licypriya Kangujam asks the U.K. environment minister, who then walks away to evade her questions. Kangujam later explained why she confronted Goldsmith.
Licypriya Kangujam: “Climate activists should not be, like, arrested, should not get arrested for peaceful protest. And also, he can’t do anything. But I want to ask him that: Why is he a minister if he can’t do anything, why he is in COP27?”
Police in the U.K. also arrested and detained journalists who were reporting the protests.