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At midday on the 6th of November, thousands upon thousands flooded the streets of London to protest against the ongoing COP26 climate conference. The chief criticism levelled at the conference was that its resolutions were inadequate given the severity of the crisis. Outraged by the empty promises of world leaders and the outright absence of some, various organisations planned demonstrations all over the country. In London, waves of flags and banners coloured Cannon Street, each emblazoned with slogans demanding decisive action. The procession of nearly ten thousand marched from the Bank of England to Trafalgar Square, bellowing revolutionary chants along the way as traffic in their path halted. One distinctive cry heard was, “Climate change kills the poor, what we need is class war.”

Many were there as part of larger activist organisations, from political parties like the Green and Socialist Parties, to grassroots movements such as Extinction Rebellion and charitable ones like the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development. Many socialist organisations were present. They believe capitalism to be the driving force behind climate change. The justifications for this are numerous. First, corporations deliberately employ unsustainable and harmful business practices to maximise profit. For example, steel companies, left to themselves, are not incentivised to develop greener production methods as that would eat into their short-term profit. Second, the prevalence of corporate money in politics undermines democracy. The immense wealth of certain companies allows them to lobby politicians to strike down laws regulating businesses. Third, competition between nation-states contradicts the international cooperation needed for climate action. For example, China’s focus on economic growth contradicts its vows to reduce carbon emissions.

One notable socialist organisation interviewed was the Socialist Workers Party, a self-dubbed British revolutionary movement that is sceptical of the current political system. Instead of working within the channels of liberal democracy, such as parliamentary elections and lobbying, they believe that systemic change can only be achieved through mass action. The mechanisms by which they achieve this are through the education of the masses on the failures of capitalism and socialist theory, as well as through organising protests such as this one. Some of their demands, which are mostly shared by other socialists, include the nationalisation of key industries like energy, which removes the profit motive that drives climate change.

The procession terminated at Trafalgar Square with a series of talks arranged by the committee of the Global Day of Action for Climate Justice. Among them were representatives of the University and College Union, the Black Lives Matter movement, the movement for Palestine, as well as the Labour MP of Coventry South herself, Zarah Sultana. The sheer diversity of speakers and movements present reflected the far-reaching consequences of climate change. Many illustrated the effects of the crisis from a feminist perspective. They argue that in many rural communities around the globe, women have to engage in reproductive labour while having poor social mobility and financial independence. This means as soil quality and droughts worsen, many of these women will need to travel further to secure food and water, or be displaced entirely. Next, some spoke of the plight of climate refugees. Rising sea levels and droughts will continue to destroy fishing and agricultural communities, displacing millions. Mass migration from the Global South to the North, as has happened to Europe, fuels xenophobic rhetoric from right-wing parties. This rhetoric diverts popular attention from the root of the issue and erroneously frames it as ethnic conflict instead. On the other hand, those who cannot flee overseas find false refuge in cramped cities that are unable to manage the sudden influx of hungry mouths, setting the stage for further political conflict.

The key takeaway from the London protest is the necessity of forming broad-based movements to enact change. Back home, however, such movements have so far failed to take centre stage. This is due to a whole host of reasons. One is the democratic alienation felt by the vast majority of people who feel their demands fall on deaf ears. The immunity of corrupt politicians from consequence has ceased to be an abnormality in the system for many Malaysians. Another reason is the state’s hostility towards free speech, free press, and protests, as evidenced by the many laws limiting those freedoms.

While the state of democracy in Malaysia seems despairing, it is not unredeemable. There are two broad initiatives we may take, inspired by the movement here. Firstly, on an individual level, we must educate ourselves, not only on the climate but on politics and history. Environmentalism cannot be analysed without studying its relation to capitalism and political dysfunction. Secondly, the youth must be vocal about and act in support of this issue and for others that they are passionate about. They must engage not with those most antagonistic to their convictions, but with the many avowedly ‘apolitical’ or ‘centrist’ types, who may yet be won over. A cause is best spread not by sharing superficial posts on social media, but through deep personal conversations over the dinner table.

As the sun set over the dispersing congregation in Trafalgar Square, many left with the belief that the fight for climate justice is far from over. Let it not be lost on us just how dire the situation is, not only for the planet, but also for those who stand to suffer the most in this crisis. In our struggle, we cannot settle for measures that seek to merely patch a broken system; we must revolutionise it. Are we inching closer to a sustainable society for the future? The answer to that lies not in the benevolence of politicians and the elite, but in a united front of the masses fighting for democracy and equality.