Australia’s prime minister, Scott Morrison, is famous for his asinine smirk and the lump of coal he brandished in parliament. His insincere and fumbling response to the bushfires crisis has given him cause to regret both — and it may have sealed his political fate.

By contrast, a wave of demonstrations on January 10, 2020, responded powerfully. In Melbourne, an estimated 30,000 people marched in heavy rain, disregarding the deterrence issued by the Victorian Police and Australian Labor Party (ALP) premier Daniel Andrews, who suggested that while “Climate change is real . . . now is not the time.”

In Sydney, the numbers were closer to 50,000. Thousands more gathered in Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, and in regional centers. These protests pointed the finger not only at the establishment parties but also at the capitalist imperatives they defend. They called for Scott Morrison to step down, for volunteer firefighters to be paid, and for real relief and aid for affected communities. Moreover, there were calls for an immediate and just transition away from fossil fuels, as well as for the recognition of indigenous sovereignty, and with it the contribution that Aboriginal land and water management practices can make to protecting the environment.