Extinction Rebellion protesters demonstrate in Shrewsbury - complete with 'polar bear'
An unusual climate protest has been held ahead of the meeting of the full Shropshire Council.
Thursday's protest was held by Extinction Rebellion's Shrewsbury group as councillors were arriving at Theatre Severn and featured, among other things, a 10-foot tall polar bear called Clarion.
The bear will be making a 306-mile journey to Glasgow next month for the COP26 summit on climate change, carried by people who have volunteered to help.
Clarion - made out of bamboo, willow and tissue paper - will be carried from south Shropshire to Lanarkshire in time for the UN global summit by his creator Bamber Hawes.
Bamber was in attendance with Clarion on Thursday taking part in the climate protest with Extinction Rebellion.
On October 10 he will set off from Bishop's Castle, heading for Longden, with volunteers helping to share the load.
23 days later he will complete the last leg of his journey through Glasgow's south side to the SEC, the venue of the summit.
Bamber said on Thursday as he prepares for the off: "It's a bit nerve-racking. Some days I will have a lot of people helping, and some days I will have very few.
"I hope people will see it on social media, and maybe on the news, and join me along the way."
Bamber is aware that carrying a statue of a polar bear may not change the world, but he hopes it will change the people who walk beside him, even just for a few miles of his journey.
He explains on his website "These days it is not often that we take part in tasks together. During this time of Covid, many of us who haven’t been on the frontline of the NHS or the service industries, have become quite insular.
"It will not be a shouty, banner waving demonstration, but a day of talking, walking, moving through your local landscape, whether it is beautiful countryside or built up.
"We will have a purpose - to get there with the bear, together - however ridiculous a task that is."
