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Greenpeace activists took over downtown Montreal’s Place Ville-Marie Thursday morning.
A large banner of artwork was hoisted at the centre of the famous ring to denounce the decline of biodiversity around the world.
According to demonstrators, the banner that measures some seven metres wide by 14 metres long depicts two potential futures for people and the planet.
Half of the poster portrays a healthy natural world with humans and wildlife flourishing. The other half represents environmental destruction, with only the skeletons of animals and a human.
“This is the vision of the two futures that are in store for us. We are on a path towards extinction,” said Reykia Fick, Greenpeace spokesperson, highlighting the fact that there are currently more than one million species at risk of extinction globally.
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Place Ville Marie taken over by @Greenpeace as they stage a peaceful demonstration hoisting a banner in the infamous Montreal ring. The art work represents the two futures for humanity.
#cop15 #biodiversity pic.twitter.com/ilw0t8T0RU
— BraydenJaggerHaines (@BraydenJagger) December 8, 2022
The peaceful demonstration took place only about a kilometre away from COP15, an international conference on biodiversity taking place at the Palais des congrès de Montréal.
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“A few steps away, negotiations are taking place for a new global deal to protect nature. This a critical moment to change course for the future,” Fick said.
Early Thursday morning about a dozen activists wearing hard hats used slingshots attached to telescopic poles to launch cables over the ring and hoist the banner.
After being up for close to an hour, the banner was taken down.
Multiple Montreal police officers were on hand.
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— with files from The Canadian Press