Greta org to hold march in city next week

Kolkata: The Bengal chapter of climate campaigner Greta Thunberg’s NGO Fridays for Future is set to organize a rally from Sealdah to Esplanade next Tuesday demanding immediate release of Disha Ravi and withdrawal of charges against other environmental activists.

21-year-old Ravi was arrested allegedly for editing and sharing a document — coined ‘toolkit’ — intended to make people aware of the farmers’ protest against the new agricultural laws. Non-bailable warrants were also issued against Ravi’s co-campaigners Nikita Jacob and Shantanu Muluk. While Jacob and Muluk managed pre-arrest bails, Ravi was sent to three days of judicial custody on Friday after her five days’ police custody.

“This is a first-of-its-kind protest organized by us to show solidarity with the ongoing farmers’ movement as the path shown by Greta, Disha and many more. We will hold a peaceful demonstration and submit a memorandum before the Governor demanding immediate release of Disha and all other social, political and environmental activists all over the country,” said Brishti Chanda, one of the founding members of the organization.

The group will gather at Sealdah at noon and march towards Raj Bhawan at 1pm. The programme is likely to end at 4pm. The rally will follow a meeting between human rights and climate activist groups on Saturday to discuss the future course of action.

“We are trying to form an umbrella body of environmental organizations to address the issue together,” said Biswajit Chanda of Teachers for Future who will be hosting the meeting at a Sealdah address with representatives of multiple activist groups.


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