Millions of students take to the world’s streets in massive climate protests

Climate activist Greta Thunberg
Climate activist Greta Thunberg. Screenshot courtesy of The Guardian via YouTube

Millions of young people from more than 150 countries skipped school Friday to take part in a global climate strike that’s meant to focus attention on how the climate crisis is affecting the world. The students are calling on world leaders to act more aggressively to combat climate change, The Washington Post reports.

The protests unfurled in Australia, where some 300,000 students in Melbourne, Sydney, and other cities hit the streets. Soon after, students took to the streets in towns and cities spanning the planet, ranging from tiny island nations like Kiribati to enormous cities like Mumbai. The protests also ranged across parts of Africa and swelled into huge masses in Europe’s capital cities.

Thousands of students protested in London, marching in front of 10 Downing Street and the Houses of Parliament. Some students held signs that read “Winter is NOT coming,” and “I’m taking time out of my lessons to teach you.”

Londoner Martha Lickman, 13, held a sign that read “Oceans are rising and so are we.”

“We’re doing our bit, eating less meat, using less plastic,” she said, “but it’s still on the government to do something.”

And this has grabbed the media’s attention. Even Fox News has picked this up — one media organization that most of us wouldn’t expect to take an interest, Mediaite reports.

Fox News’ Ed Henry opened his show, The Daily Briefing, with a story on the strikes. Correspondent Bryan Llenas noted the immense crowds and backed his report up with a video provided by Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer.

“Thousands of strikes have been planned across the world,” Llenas reported. “Over 150 countries, over 300,000 people showing up in Australia, organizers estimate there. … There have been protests throughout Europe, including the U.K., Germany, and Poland, as thousands of young people there demanding that more be done.”

Several commentators and journalists showed videos and photos of the protests around the world, including climate activist Greta Thunberg, the young woman who sparked the climate strike movement.

And some other notable people joined in.

Millions of young people are making their feelings known. And kudos to them for doing that. Climate scientists are making it abundantly clear that the world’s government agencies have mere months to act on this if we want the Earth to continue to be a habitable place for life.

Featured image courtesy of the video above