Students around the world are striking today in a major global day of action against climate change. The protests are expected to be the biggest international action yet, eclipsing the first large-scale student protest on 15 February.
Young people have already taken to the streets in places including New Zealand, Australia, Japan, the Philippines, Nepal, India and European cities as part of an expected 2000 events in more than 120 countries.
In the UK, walkouts are taking place in more than 100 towns and cities, driven by what students say is 鈥渁n alarming lack of government leadership on climate action鈥�.
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The global day of action has been inspired by teenager Greta Thunberg, who protests every Friday outside Sweden鈥檚 parliament to urge leaders to tackle climate change. In an interview with 快猫短视频, Thunberg emphasised how 鈥� despite the media attention that the protests have received 鈥� there is still a lack of action on the part of politicians worldwide: 鈥淭hey talk about our age, our looks and so on. The emissions are still rising and that is all that matters. Nothing has happened, that is crucial to remember.鈥�
Students in the UK are calling for the government to act urgently on climate change by declaring a climate emergency and tacking active steps to tackle the problem. Their calls come in the wake of a UN report last year warning that unprecedented action will be required to limit global temperature rises to 1.5掳C.
Protestors began to gather in London鈥檚 Parliament Square this morning, including Greta Breveglieri, a political science student at the University of Milan, who travelled from Italy for the demonstration. 鈥淭o put it bluntly, we鈥檙e here because our world is going to be destroyed. We have to change the pace of our culture, our society, our politics, our economics,鈥� she said.
In Berlin, 10,000 protesters, most of them young students, gathered in a central square waving signs with slogans such as 鈥淭here is no planet B鈥� and 鈥淐limate Protection Report Card: F鈥�, before a march through the capital鈥檚 government quarter.
More protests are being held throughout the day.
- Are you taking part in today鈥檚 climate protests?聽Tweet us your photos and let us know why you鈥檙e protesting using #ClimateStrike
