After a 16-year-old Swedish Climate Activist, Greta Thunberg inspired millions of youngster about the consequences of climate change, tons of people joined her in at least 150 countries to take part in a global movement called “Global Climate Strike”. The world saw young people turned up in the streets, public parks, and schools with homemade signs to fight for their future. This meant braving the rain, skipping classes, and dodging strict government rules to demand action on climate change.
INDIA
In India the climate strike was organised in 13 cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Kochi, Allahabad and Kozhikode.
The National Capital witnessed youngsters and adults marched and demonstrated on the stretch between Lodhi Gardens and Indira Paryavaran Bhawan. A protest was organised by the India chapters of Fridays Future and Extinction Rebellion, the march included school children, parents, teachers, and environmental organisations.
On same day, despite rainfalls, the students in Mumbai gather up to fight for the survival of their planet at Shivaji Statue.
The protest saw youths skipping schools and adults taking off fromtheir work to speak up against deforestation, climate change, and plastic pollution.
One of the protester’s said, “Earth doesn’t need us; the earth will survive. It’s us who need the earth.”
Soma, a member of the MahilaKisanAdhikarManch said, while most people associated climate change and environmental themes usually with trees, it was necessary to know about other related categories such as land, water, air and others to get the whole picture.
Indians are increasingly becoming climate refugees because of heatwaves, pollution, water shortage, and unemployment. The protesters had one message: We take action now before it’s too late.
SINGAPORE
In Singapore more than 1700 people turn up at first Singapore climate rally, despite public rallying is illegal in the country except at the parks. At the Singapore event, protesterscame bearing posters with slogans like “Don’t burn my future” and “O-Levels are soon, so is this irreversible climate crisis”.
The protesters in staged a DIE-IN – a move similar to a human chain domino that was a way for organisers and participants to show collective grief over the loss of biodiversity and human lives resulting from climate change.
MALAYSIA
In Kuala Lampur, more than 500 Malaysian protesters gathered to show their support for global climate strike. The protesters displayed banners mainly focusing on forest fires, which has now become a common occurrence every year since four decades and the subsequent decreasing air quality. The protesters asked their government to take legal action to curb environmental degradation and asked for a system-wide paradigm shift.
Along with the global messages “There is no planet B” and “System change not climate change,” banners like “Tree plantations are not real forests” and “Let us breathe freely again” drew attention to the main environmental degradation effects that Malaysians deal with on a daily basis.
AUSTRALIA
Australia saw an estimate of 300,000 people gathered at more than 100 rallies calling for action to guard against climate change.
In Sydney and Melbourne, there were long lines to enter the rallies, which brought parts of both the cities to a halt. A crowd of silent protesters including students, families, mums with strollers, office workers and unionists filled Sydney’s Domain to hear from protest organisers, climate activists, and event organisers.