TAfter a call from the Fridays for Future climate movement, thousands of people took to the streets around the world again for more climate protection. According to the organizers, more than 280,000 participants were out and about in Germany on Friday – the largest demonstrations took place in Berlin and Hamburg. There were actions in more than 270 cities across Germany. The call was supported by many nature and environmental protection associations. It was the organization’s eleventh global strike since it was founded in 2018. According to an action map from Fridays for Future, pro-climate protesters were on every continent.
More than 36,000 people joined the protests in Berlin, according to Fridays for Future, citing the police. At a rally in Invalidenpark near the government district, the activist Luisa Neubauer called out to the participants: “Who thinks that there is no way out, only despair remains. If you know that there is another way, you can get started and act. We have the knowledge, so let’s get started.” 100 billion euros are needed for “social climate protection” and the nine-euro ticket “forever”.
20,000 participants were registered in Hamburg. Fridays for Future spoke of 19,000 participants in the afternoon, the police of 15,000. On banners and posters, the demonstrators called for “1.5 degrees for the climate” and “toll on air miles”. “Now at the latest is the moment to become independent of fossil energies and expand renewables at an unprecedented rate,” said Fridays for Future spokeswoman Annika Rittmann at the opening rally. The activists are calling on the Hamburg Senate to make the city climate-neutral by 2035, to free the city center from private transport and to review climate protection measures on a quarterly basis.
10,000 participants in Frankfurt
For Frankfurt am Main, the organizers called 10,000 participants. According to the police, around 4,400 people took part in Cologne, the organizers spoke of 7,000. In Bremen, the police counted up to 4,000 demonstrators at the top, the organizers spoke of 5,000. Slogans such as “Tackle the climate crisis at the root” and ” This is our world”. According to the police, 1,300 people took to the streets in Hanover, according to Fridays for Future there were 4,000.
One of the largest actions in Baden-Württemberg took place with around 8,000 people in Freiburg, according to the police. The activists started the protest day with a “school storm” at about a dozen schools. In small groups, they disrupted the lessons with megaphone announcements and loud music to motivate the students to take part in the demos. Press spokeswoman Elisabeth Gehrmann complained that it was noticed that fewer and fewer schoolchildren were taking part in the campaigns. Teachers had a mixed reaction to the action.
Already early Friday morning, the top climate activist Greta Thunberg had gathered in front of the Swedish Parliament in Stockholm with a few fellow campaigners. Among them this time was leading Filipino activist Mitzi Jonelle Tan. With more fellow riders, Thunberg and the Swedish offshoot of Fridays for Future had already protested two weeks ago for more climate protection, at that time with a view to the Swedish parliamentary elections two days later. Thunberg shared impressions of various climate protests around the world on Twitter, including protests in Rome, Venice, Tokyo and deadly flood-hit Pakistan. Her Kenyan comrade-in-arms Kevin Mtai released a video of a climate protest on a boat on Lake Victoria.
In Copenhagen, a few hundred mostly young people called for more fight for the climate in front of the Christiansborg Palace, the seat of parliament. However, the crowd was smaller than in previous major climate protests.
From Germany, the Federal Association for Sustainable Economy eV (BNW) supported the global climate strike again this year. “Independence from fossil fuels – we know that today, is not a dream of eco-crackpots, but tough security and economic policy. That’s why we’re taking to the streets!” Said BNW Managing Director Katharina Reuter.
