Calgary climate protesters skip major traffic disruption, hand out Timbits instead

Climate demonstrators blocked bridges in major cities across Canada Monday,bringing rush hour traffic to a standstill for hoursto draw attention to their cause, but Calgary members of Extinction Rebellionfavoured a lighter approach.

Dozens of protesters waited for traffic lights to turn redat the Louise Bridge before walking into the crosswalk,handingout Timbits to appease stopped drivers along with pamphlets advocating their message. The protestors largely retreated as soon as the light turned green.

On a few occasions, protesters were slow to clear the roadway or blocked the intersection for the length of a single traffic light prompting a flurry of honks from drivers who resented the minutes-long delay.

That contrasts sharply with demonstrations inHalifax and Toronto, where some protesters were arrested, or Edmonton where fist fights reportedly broke out. In those cities, traffic was stalled for hours.

"What we hope to get out of this is we want to make Calgarians, Albertans and Canadians aware of the urgency of the need for action. And we want them to join us pressing the case to government that we need to take action in this crisis," said Andy Kubrin, spokesperson for the Calgary chapter.

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"We are blocking the road so that climate action can take the fast lane," read the cards handed out by Calgary protesters.

The Extinction Rebellion movement, also known as XR, was founded in Britain last year.

Canadian protesters are calling on the federal government to acknowledge the threat of climate change, commit to halting biodiversity loss and reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025, and create a citizens' body to hold politicians to account on climate action.

"Scientists tell us that we are on track for three-and-a-half to four degrees of warming by the end of this century," said Kubrin.

"This is a state of affairs that can't continue. We're part of nature and depend on nature."