Thread by @GreenPartyWomen

Our panel of three environmental activists at #GPC22 is starting now👇

We kick off with @lilyfitzg2 - one of the founders of @bristolYS4C and Bristol's youngest councillor - who lays out the work of the Bristol climate strikers throughout 2019 - from focusing on airport expansion to calling for general strikes

@lilyfitzg2 @bristolYS4C The climate strikers then organised around Bristol-specific demands:
1. #GreenNewDeal for Bristol
2. A 2-term limit for mayors to achieve carbon neutrality
3. Get Bristol's #airpollution to/below legal limit
4. Free bus travel for under 21s
5. Pedestrianising some city roads

Lily finishes off with organising @GretaThunberg's huge march in Bristol which got 30K attendees and highlights how empowering it was being a young woman in an unusually female-dominated movement.

Next up is @alisonclareteal on the #SheffieldTreesProtest. First arrests started in 2016, with protestors arrested and put in maximum security cells just for sitting under trees.

The Labour council used anti trade union legislation that they were 'interfering with a workman and his tools' to arrest protestors

The council put out injunctions to stop protests and protestors like @alisonclareteal were taken to court at huge public expense with evidence later found to be fabricated. They put security guards by trees who physically hurt protestors (no complaints to the police investigated)

MPs also got involved - Paul Bloomfield MP sent around a list of lies about protestors such as smearing faeces on trees and putting nails in trees to harm workers.

"The collusion between local govt, central govt, the police and multinational companies was extraordinary to me"

This situation has now gotten even worse with the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill which will make it even harder to protest

But it wasn't all bad. The camaraderie was incredible & it worked! "They wanted to cut 17.5K trees - we stopped them at 5K" - @alisonclareteal🙌

Next up is @tinalouiseUK from @UK_Nanas

She starts with how fundamental women were to the anti-fracking fight in the UK - and across the world - and how she's been so inspired by other green female politicians being arrested like @CarolineLucas

"The police violence against our bodies was phenomenal" - lifted and thrown across roads, thrown in jail etc. The campaign went on for a thousand days. You needed a real reason to keep going.

.@tinalouiseUK describes how important it was to have a break in the activism to create community and bring some lightness and joy to help protesters keep going: Wednesday morning were a break, for dancing, singing, sharing food...

She describes the delaying tactics - 'knitting inconveniently' and knitted lock ons: 'Yarn ons'

"We did it with a certain cheek and humour - and we were able to shame police officers for their treatment of us."

Yes, we had moments when we thought we'd lose and we felt totally despondent but then a bus load of nanas would turn up. Or the local green party would come down the road

And sometimes finding yourself in that hopeless situation can bring out the best in everyone - @tinalouiseUK

On being underestimated and mistreated as a woman @lilyfitzg2 explains: "I received some really nasty hate online - to do with my age, attractiveness, my looks and I still haven't found a solution to this..."

On the difference between being an activist and a councillor...

@alisonclareteal: it's less fun! @lilyfitzg2: it's different but as @bristolgreen is in opposition our role is similar to activists in terms of holding the administration to account and asking the annoying questions

Once you get involved in direct action you see that the police is not here to protect you or your human rights but often to protect the interests of private capital - @alisonclareteal 👏

What message would you pass on to the next generation of activists?

@tinalouiseUK: Trust that you can - be bold, be strong

@lilyfitzg2: Anxiety is not enough to sustain you - you need to be sustained by hope and passion

@alisonclareteal: You CAN win!

Thanks to our speakers💚