Extinction Rebellion marched along WR Bennett Bridge

Photo: Wayne Moore

UPDATE: 6:30 p.m.

Twenty-year-old Holly McLeod has a lot to live for.

She just hopes the planet she was born onto is the same one she can enjoy throughout her lifetime.

McLeod joined a dozen Extinction Rebellion protesters in a hastily organized event along the William R. Bennett Bridge.

It was one of many held along bridges throughout the world.

"I'm extremely concerned. I have my whole life ahead of me, and right now we are at a state where we don't really know what's going to happen," said McLeod Monday afternoon.

"That's why it's important right now people speak up, because this is a crucial time. Otherwise, things could go really badly wrong."

McLeod says her biggest concern is government's lack of willingness to do something about climate change.

She says they were elected to protect the people, and not the corporations.

"I don't see that happening at the moment. I think the more people speak up, and the more people let the government know they actually care, the more they will listen."

In an effort to reduce her own personal carbon footprint, McLeod says she has made the decision not to learn how to drive. She takes public transportation and is living a vegan lifestyle.

McLeod says the earth is facing its sixth mass extinction. As a planet, we are losing more and more species all the time.

She says our carbon emissions keep going up, which is already having an adverse affect in some regions of the world.

"While we are very privileged in lots of places in the Western world...we aren't facing as many affects of climate change at the moment.

"But quite often people that have contributed the least to climate change are the people suffering the most at the moment."

ORIGINAL: 4 p.m.

The Extinction Rebellion bridge blocking campaign that hit Vancouver, Victoria and cities around the world on Monday will make its mark in Kelowna just as the evening commute begins.

Local climate change activists will march across the W.R. Bennett Bridge at 5:30 p.m. today.

However, they will stay on the pedestrian walkway and not impede traffic.

Organizer Ana Ciocoiu told Castanet: "We will be on the walkway but not blocking the bridge, due to concern over emergency vehicles."

The bridge may not be the only area that could experience some disruption, Ciocoiu says.

"Traffic around Harvey might be blocked, as we are planning some swarms."

The movement is drawing attention to the climate emergency, and protests took place Monday major Canadian cities including Halifax, Vancouver and Toronto.