Fridays For Future: Tens of thousands go on “climate strike”

In some cities in Germany, several tens of thousands of people demonstrated for more climate protection on Friday. The mostly young demonstrators followed a call by the Fridays For Future movement for a worldwide “climate strike”.

According to the police, more than 20,000 people gathered in Berlin for a rally in Invalidenpark near the government district. According to the organizers, it should have been 36,000. Thousands of people also took part in rallies in Hamburg and other large cities.

Protests were planned in more than 250 cities across Germany. The call was supported by many nature and environmental protection associations. People also took to the streets in many other countries. It was the organization’s eleventh call for a global protest since its inception in 2018.

“Whoever thinks that there is no way out, only despair remains”

The Fridays for Future activist Luisa Neubauer called out at the rally in Berlin: “Anyone who thinks that there is no way out, only despair remains. Anyone who knows that there is another way can get started and act. We have the knowledge , so let’s get started.” On an earlier occasion, Neubauer had criticized, among other things, the expansion of the LNG infrastructure in Germany. It is important to work towards “social tipping points” where the improbable suddenly becomes possible.

The climate protectors are calling for an end to fossil fuels and the rapid expansion of renewable energies, as well as a “consistent turnaround in traffic”. 100 billion euros are needed for “social climate protection” and the nine-euro ticket “forever”. Fridays for Future also sees a global imbalance. Northern companies exploited nature for their profits at the expense of people, especially those of the South.

Climate researchers such as those at the World Weather Organization (WMO) fear that climate change could exacerbate existing crises such as those in Africa. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) drew a gloomy balance sheet in April this year. At the current rate of greenhouse gas reductions, the world is heading towards a warming of 3.2 degrees Celsius by 2100 compared to pre-industrial times.

(app)