This Action Consensus is the basic agreement for the action “Parar Enquanto Podemos” (Stopping While we Can) that will take place on November 23rd in Lisbon. This document is necessary for us to organize an action that is transparent and accessible to anyone. In an action with many people, consensus is our compass and the main tool for taking care of each other. Everyone who agrees with this Action Consensus is more than welcome to take part in the action.
On November 23rd at 3pm, we will march from Praça Paiva Couceiro to Praça do Chile in a mass civil resistance action. We’ll be marching in an announced protest, calling on hundreds of people during the course of the demonstration so that, together, we stop consenting to the destruction of everything around us and enter into climate resistance. Let’s do it empathetically, kindly and honestly.
Arriving at Praça de Chile, we will courageously and creatively occupy the space for as long as possible with our bodies, in order to stop the normalization of the climate crisis, putting it at the center, and opening a public debate on how we are going to stop the war that governments and companies have declared on society and the planet before it’s too late. We will peacefully cross or bypass any blockades by police or security forces.
Our action is publicly announced and everyone, with or without previous experience, is welcome to take part. Prior to the day, we will prepare ourselves through mass action trainingThere we will have a briefing, at the preparatory assembly on November 16th, about the action itself and the relevant legal information open to all people who want to take part in the action. During these preparatory moments, each person will make a conscious decision between the different ways of being present on November 23, whether by participating in the blockade, playing a supporting role in the action, or simply marching from Praça Paiva Couceiro to Praça do Chile.
Our action is not against the people whose lives may be affected by it, nor is it directed at the police or workers. We will react calmly to any possible provocation from anyone demonstrating against the action. We recognize that our action may cause inconvenience to those who come across it, namely residents and workers in the area where the action will take place. If this happens, we want to express that we are doing so because preventing civilizational collapse requires interrupting normality in order to have an honest debate about how we are going to stop the course of civilizational collapse towards which governments and companies are leading us. It is ordinary people who can act to stop the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced.
The course of the action will be decided jointly by the plenary of delegates and the organization of the action. We take collective responsibility for the success of the action. We will ensure a transparent process, with respect and full support for all those aligned with this Action Consensus.
We will take care of each other before, during and after the action, and we will be vigilant about the needs and capacities of the people around us. We will be there with presence and attention, not under the influence of alcohol or other hard drugs.
We will not tolerate any kind of discrimination between those who agree with this Consensus and those who participate in the action. We aim to create a space that is free from oppression and discrimination, and that challenges us to build a more just, equitable and inclusive society.
We are people from diverse social and political backgrounds. We see ourselves as part of the Climate Justice movement, with all of us facing the enormous challenge of stopping climate collapse. Our struggle is against all interconnected systems of oppression and discrimination. We stand in solidarity with all peoples fighting for a just and liveable planet.