Protest organised calling on government and Scott Morrison to do more to fight climate change

The Daily Mail

Protest organised calling on government and Scott Morrison to do more to fight climate change

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A rally has been organised calling on the Australian government to take action on . The protest is organised for January 10 at Sydney's Town Hall with 5,800 people expected to attend demanding action as out-of-control bushfires burn and destroy thousands of hectares, lands and killing people. 'Sydney Protest: Sack ScoMo! Fund The Firies, Climate Action Now!' the post reads. 'These fires, heatwaves, and droughts are not just unprecedented - they're the direct result of decades of climate destruction at the hands of fossil fuel loving politicians. 'The climate crisis has compounded hundreds of years of land mismanagement since invasion and decades of profiteering on water which has left much of the country in drought.' The organisation is looking to 'place the blame on the people that deserve it' singling out Prime Minister Scott Morrison and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian. Protesters will 'demand' the government to fully pay all volunteer firefighters as they continue to battle ferocious blazes around the country. There is also a call to implement full funding to the force after their resources were cut. Relief and aid is also on the cards for bushfire affected communities and residents who lost everything in the disastrous fires. It comes as at least 150 bushfires are burning in NSW on Sunday and an overall deathtoll of 24 people. Mr Morrison first came under fire when he went away to Hawaii with his family mid December as massive bushfires continued to burn. After returning from the getaway, the Prime Minister faced the media on and apologised for taking leave. 'I get it that people would have been upset to know that I was holidaying with my family while their families were under great stress,' he said at the RFS headquarters in Sydney Olympic Park. 'They know that I will not stand there and hold a hose. I am not a trained firefighter nor am I an expert like those in the next room doing an amazing job. 'But I am comforted by the fact that Australians would like me to be here simply so I can be here alongside them as they go through this terrible time... I apologise for that.' Mr Morrison has since travelled to affected towns but has continued facing backlash from residents. Zoey Salucci-McDermott, from the bushfire-ravaged town Cobargo, on the NSW south coast, was filmed on Thursday refusing to shake Mr Morrison's hand. Ms Salucci-McDermott, who was 28-weeks pregnant, begged Mr Morrison during his visit to bushfire affected towns to inject more funding into supporting firefighters. 'I'm only shaking your hand if you give more funding to our RFS. So many people here have lost their homes,' the young woman said. As she spoke, Mr Morrison yanked her hand, briefly patted her on the shoulder, then moved on to speak to someone else. The mother, who has a 22-month old daughter, Uma, said the Prime Minister ignored her pleas for help when she has nothing left. 'I have lost everything I own,' she wrote on Facebook. 'My house is burnt to the ground and the Prime Minister turned his back on me.' The same day, camera crews filmed Mr Morrison walk over to the fireman who was having a break in the emergency centre in Cobargo, on the New South Wales south coast, on Thursday. Mr Morrison offered his hand but the fireman shook his head. 'I don't really want to shake your hand,' he said. Mr Morrison then leaned down to grab the fireman's hand but he again refused. Earlier on Thursday, the Prime Minister was abused by some angry Cobargo residents who told him he 'should be ashamed of himself' while others called him 'Scum-mo' for 'leaving the country to burn'. Mr Morrison responded on Friday by saying he understood the emotional response and did not take it personally. 'Whether they're angry at me or they're angry at their situation, I know that people are hurting I know that they're raw - I don't take these things personally.'' Mr Morrison said in an interview with Melbourne radio station 3AW. On Saturday, Mr Morrison faced fresh backlash over a controversial video posted on Saturday detailing the government's efforts to fight bushfires. The much-criticised video - authorised by Mr Morrison's office - describes how the government is deploying up to 3000 army reservists in response to the ongoing crisis. Mr Morrison found himself in hot water almost immediately, with many saying the money spent should have gone towards the bushfire appeal. British broadcaster Piers Morgan slammed the video as a 'self-promotional commercial with cheesy elevator music'. Former prime minister Kevin Rudd said he was acting like a 'marketing guy'. This bushfire season has seen 23 lives lost and more than 1,500 homes destroyed as fires continue to tear through the country.