Swedish teen climate activist Greta Thunberg lead a climate march Friday in Alberta, Canada, that was opposed by oil and gas workers in a convoy of trucks.
“So, today is Friday and as always we are on climate strike. Young people all around the globe are today sacrificing their education to bring their attention to the climate and ecological emergency,” Thunberg told her cheering fans. “We are not doing this because we want to. We aren’t doing it because it’s fun … or because we want to become a politicians when we grow up. We are doing this because our future is at stake.”
Edmonton AB, right now!! #FridaysForFuture #ClimateStrike pic.twitter.com/LAyCIYlqQG
— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) October 18, 2019
But while Thunberg led a climate march in Edmonton, oil patch workers drove their convoy of trucks past the Alberta legislature to show their disapproval of Thunberg’s presence in the province.
The workers, who call themselves “United We Roll for Canada,” organized a huge demonstration in Ottawa last February with rigs parked in front of the national capital’s Parliament Buildings. They were there to protest Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s carbon tax. (RELATED: Alberta Government Won’t Be Welcoming Greta Thunberg When She Visits Alberta)
“We’re proud of our oil and gas industry, we’re proud of our clean resources, we’re proud of the hardworking Canadians and it’s a point of pride actually. We’re taking the opportunity to show that we champion Canada’s resources,” Haley Wile, a United We Roll organizer, told the Edmonton Journal.
She announced her plans for Edmonton on Twitter.
On Friday I’ll join the #ClimateStrike in Edmonton!#FridaysForFuture #schoolstrike4climate https://t.co/ntARhqEmn9
— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) October 16, 2019
Swedish teen environmental activist Greta Thunberg speaks as people take part in a climate change rally in Denver, Colorado, U.S. October 11, 2019. REUTERS/Rick Wilking
Alberta Environment Minister Jason Nixon told reporters Tuesday that Thunberg — who has already visited with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and attended a climate march in Montreal — “doesn’t understand” Alberta, or its world-famous oil sands petroleum deposits, CBC News reported.(RELATED: Local Pastor Of Swedish Church Claims Jesus Christ Appointed Great Thunberg As His ‘Successor’)
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau greets Swedish climate change teen activist Greta Thunberg before a climate strike march in Montreal, Quebec, Canada Sept. 27, 2019. REUTERS/Andrej Ivanov
It was not the activist’s first visit to Canada. Thunberg had already traveled to Ottawa and Montreal to meet with Trudeau in the capital and then to lead a climate march in the Quebec city. During her meeting with Trudeau, Thunberg told the progressive Liberal leader that he is not doing enough to fight climate change.