Thunberg joins large German climate rally ahead of election
Thunberg joins large German climate rally ahead of election
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg joins a Fridays for Future global climate strike in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)
An environmental activist speaks during a press conference on the effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions as part of the climate strike in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. The banners read: “Greenhouse gas, 50 percent down.” (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Students march as part of the Fridays for Future climate movement’s initiatives, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
Activist gather for a Fridays for Future global climate strike in front of the parliament building in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
An activist holds a banner saying “Save the Climate”, during a Fridays for Future global climate strike in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
An activist holds a banner during a Fridays for Future global climate strike in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg joins a Fridays for Future global climate strike in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)
Activist gather for a Fridays for Future global climate strike in front of the parliament building in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg at a stage during a Fridays for Future global climate strike in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
An activist hold placards during a protest as part of the Fridays for Future climate movement’s initiatives, in Mumbai, India, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. Young people in India are demanding urgent action to halt catastrophic climate change and to slow global warming. Climate protesters in multiple Indian cities on Friday raised domestic environmental issues and called on politicians and big businesses to commit to a raft of climate pledges. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg at a stage during a Fridays for Future global climate strike in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
People gather for a Fridays for Future global climate strike in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg holds a speech during a Fridays for Future global climate strike in front of a parliament building in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)
Activists march through Westminster during a ‘climate strike’ demonstration, part of the global ‘Fridays for Future’ movement led by Swedish teenage environmentalist Greta Thunberg, in London, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. Britain is set to host the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (better known as COP26) this November, with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson meanwhile using his trip to the U.N. General Assembly in New York this week to press governments for tougher emissions-cutting targets and more money to help poor countries clean up their economies. (AP Photo/David Cliff)
People protest for the climate during a climate strike in Cologne, Germany, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Environmental activists, many of them students, rallying in Warsaw, Poland, on Friday, Sept. 24, 2021 as part of a global action to demand that leaders take stronger measures to curb climate change amid dire warnings of an increasingly hotter globe if nothing is done soon. Poland is among the most coal-reliant nations in Europe, and is said to be too slow in reacting to climate change. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)
Students hold a banner reading in Italian “If not now, when?” as they march as part of the Fridays for Future climate movement’s initiatives, in Turin, Italy, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. (Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse Via AP)
Kimiko Toko, center, the leader of the Kodaira Solar, hands out a flyer during a demonstration to promote community-oriented solar energy power plants, outside a train station in Kodaira, west of Tokyo, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. The Kodaira group, a nonprofit organization, was in solidarity with the Fridays for Future climate movement calling for the “global day of climate action.” (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)
Students hold up a banners during a rally in front of the parliament in Athens, on Friday, Sept. 24 2021. Hundreds gathered at Syntagma square to protest against global warming and climate change. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
People hold banners and gather to rally against global warming and climate change in Leipzig, Germany, Friday Sept. 24, 2021. (Hendrik Schmidt/dpa via AP) :
People hold banners and gather to rally against global warming and climate change in Zurich, Switzerland, Friday Sept. 24, 2021. (Ennio Leanza/Keystone via AP)
Thousands of people take part in a protest against global warming and climate change in Frankfurt, Germany, Friday Sept. 24, 2021. (Hannes P. Albert/dpa via AP)
Students hold up banners during a rally in front of the parliament in Athens, on Friday, Sept. 24 2021. Hundreds gathered at Syntagma square to protest against global warming and climate change. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Activists march on the streets of Lagos, Nigeria, Friday Sept. 24, 2021, demanding action on climate change. Protesters around the world joined rallies on Friday as a day of worldwide demonstrations calling for action against climate change. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)
Activists march on the streets of Lagos, Nigeria, Friday Sept. 24, 2021, demanding action on climate change. Protesters around the world joined rallies on Friday as a day of worldwide demonstrations calling for action against climate change. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg joins a Fridays for Future global climate strike in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)
An environmental activist speaks during a press conference on the effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions as part of the climate strike in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. The banners read: “Greenhouse gas, 50 percent down.” (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
An environmental activist speaks during a press conference on the effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions as part of the climate strike in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. The banners read: “Greenhouse gas, 50 percent down.” (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Students march as part of the Fridays for Future climate movement’s initiatives, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
Activist gather for a Fridays for Future global climate strike in front of the parliament building in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
An activist holds a banner saying “Save the Climate”, during a Fridays for Future global climate strike in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
An activist holds a banner during a Fridays for Future global climate strike in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg joins a Fridays for Future global climate strike in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)
Activist gather for a Fridays for Future global climate strike in front of the parliament building in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg at a stage during a Fridays for Future global climate strike in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
An activist hold placards during a protest as part of the Fridays for Future climate movement’s initiatives, in Mumbai, India, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. Young people in India are demanding urgent action to halt catastrophic climate change and to slow global warming. Climate protesters in multiple Indian cities on Friday raised domestic environmental issues and called on politicians and big businesses to commit to a raft of climate pledges. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
An activist hold placards during a protest as part of the Fridays for Future climate movement’s initiatives, in Mumbai, India, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. Young people in India are demanding urgent action to halt catastrophic climate change and to slow global warming. Climate protesters in multiple Indian cities on Friday raised domestic environmental issues and called on politicians and big businesses to commit to a raft of climate pledges. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg at a stage during a Fridays for Future global climate strike in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
People gather for a Fridays for Future global climate strike in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg holds a speech during a Fridays for Future global climate strike in front of a parliament building in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)
Activists march through Westminster during a ‘climate strike’ demonstration, part of the global ‘Fridays for Future’ movement led by Swedish teenage environmentalist Greta Thunberg, in London, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. Britain is set to host the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (better known as COP26) this November, with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson meanwhile using his trip to the U.N. General Assembly in New York this week to press governments for tougher emissions-cutting targets and more money to help poor countries clean up their economies. (AP Photo/David Cliff)
Activists march through Westminster during a ‘climate strike’ demonstration, part of the global ‘Fridays for Future’ movement led by Swedish teenage environmentalist Greta Thunberg, in London, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. Britain is set to host the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (better known as COP26) this November, with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson meanwhile using his trip to the U.N. General Assembly in New York this week to press governments for tougher emissions-cutting targets and more money to help poor countries clean up their economies. (AP Photo/David Cliff)
People protest for the climate during a climate strike in Cologne, Germany, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Environmental activists, many of them students, rallying in Warsaw, Poland, on Friday, Sept. 24, 2021 as part of a global action to demand that leaders take stronger measures to curb climate change amid dire warnings of an increasingly hotter globe if nothing is done soon. Poland is among the most coal-reliant nations in Europe, and is said to be too slow in reacting to climate change. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)
Environmental activists, many of them students, rallying in Warsaw, Poland, on Friday, Sept. 24, 2021 as part of a global action to demand that leaders take stronger measures to curb climate change amid dire warnings of an increasingly hotter globe if nothing is done soon. Poland is among the most coal-reliant nations in Europe, and is said to be too slow in reacting to climate change. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)
Students hold a banner reading in Italian “If not now, when?” as they march as part of the Fridays for Future climate movement’s initiatives, in Turin, Italy, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. (Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse Via AP)
Students hold a banner reading in Italian “If not now, when?” as they march as part of the Fridays for Future climate movement’s initiatives, in Turin, Italy, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. (Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse Via AP)
Kimiko Toko, center, the leader of the Kodaira Solar, hands out a flyer during a demonstration to promote community-oriented solar energy power plants, outside a train station in Kodaira, west of Tokyo, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. The Kodaira group, a nonprofit organization, was in solidarity with the Fridays for Future climate movement calling for the “global day of climate action.” (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)
Kimiko Toko, center, the leader of the Kodaira Solar, hands out a flyer during a demonstration to promote community-oriented solar energy power plants, outside a train station in Kodaira, west of Tokyo, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. The Kodaira group, a nonprofit organization, was in solidarity with the Fridays for Future climate movement calling for the “global day of climate action.” (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)
Students hold up a banners during a rally in front of the parliament in Athens, on Friday, Sept. 24 2021. Hundreds gathered at Syntagma square to protest against global warming and climate change. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Students hold up a banners during a rally in front of the parliament in Athens, on Friday, Sept. 24 2021. Hundreds gathered at Syntagma square to protest against global warming and climate change. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
People hold banners and gather to rally against global warming and climate change in Leipzig, Germany, Friday Sept. 24, 2021. (Hendrik Schmidt/dpa via AP) :
People hold banners and gather to rally against global warming and climate change in Zurich, Switzerland, Friday Sept. 24, 2021. (Ennio Leanza/Keystone via AP)
Thousands of people take part in a protest against global warming and climate change in Frankfurt, Germany, Friday Sept. 24, 2021. (Hannes P. Albert/dpa via AP)
Students hold up banners during a rally in front of the parliament in Athens, on Friday, Sept. 24 2021. Hundreds gathered at Syntagma square to protest against global warming and climate change. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Students hold up banners during a rally in front of the parliament in Athens, on Friday, Sept. 24 2021. Hundreds gathered at Syntagma square to protest against global warming and climate change. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Activists march on the streets of Lagos, Nigeria, Friday Sept. 24, 2021, demanding action on climate change. Protesters around the world joined rallies on Friday as a day of worldwide demonstrations calling for action against climate change. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)
Activists march on the streets of Lagos, Nigeria, Friday Sept. 24, 2021, demanding action on climate change. Protesters around the world joined rallies on Friday as a day of worldwide demonstrations calling for action against climate change. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)
Activists march on the streets of Lagos, Nigeria, Friday Sept. 24, 2021, demanding action on climate change. Protesters around the world joined rallies on Friday as a day of worldwide demonstrations calling for action against climate change. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)
Activists march on the streets of Lagos, Nigeria, Friday Sept. 24, 2021, demanding action on climate change. Protesters around the world joined rallies on Friday as a day of worldwide demonstrations calling for action against climate change. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)
BERLIN (AP) — Tens of thousands of environmental activists staged a rally outside Germany’s parliament Friday, two days before the country holds a national election, to demand that politicians take stronger action to curb climate change.
The protest outside the Reichstag in Berlin was part of a string of rallies around the world, from Japan, Indian and Nigeria to Greece, Italy and Britain — amid dire warnings that the planet faces dangerous temperature rises unless greenhouse gas emissions are cut sharply in coming years. Across Germany alone, hundreds of thousands of marchers joined similar protests in several cities and towns.
The idea for a global “climate strike” was inspired by teenage Swedish activist Greta Thunberg’s solo protest in Stockholm three years ago. It snowballed into a mass movement until the coronavirus pandemic put a stop to large gatherings. Activists have only recently started staging smaller protests again.
Thunberg, 18, addressed the Berlin rally from a stage, telling the crowd that voting is important but must be coupled with protests that put politicians under constant pressure.
“We can still turn this around,” she said, to cheers. “We demand change, and we are the change.”
Thunberg and prominent German climate activist Luisa Neubauer accused politicians of falling short, saying the programs of the main parties weren’t far-reaching enough to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) — the more ambitious limit in the 2015 Paris climate accord.
Neubauer has referred to Sunday’s election as the “vote of the century,” arguing that the decisions taken by the next government will influence the country’s efforts to tackle climate change for decades to come. The issue has been a major topic during the election campaign.
Friday’s rally was a multi-generational event, drawing school-age participants as well as adults. Rene Bohrenfeldt, an IT expert at the Berlin rally, said he hoped older Germans would consider the issue when casting their votes on Sunday.
“The majority of voters are older than 50 and determine the outcome of the election,” Bohrenfeldt, 36, said. “I appeal to all grandmothers to make the right decision for the climate and for their grandchildren.”
Civics teacher Anne Kokott, cradling her infant son, Enzo, said she hoped Friday’s large turnout would signal the urgency of dealing with the climate crisis and perhaps have an impact on undecided or older voters.
“Today is important because of the election,” Kokott, 36, said.
Christiane Koetter-Lietz, who attended with her children and grandchildren, said she would be voting for Germany’s Green party, which has campaigned for tougher measures to cut the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.
“We have water catastrophes, fire catastrophes, the world is burning. This is the very last warning,” said the 69-year-old from the western town of Unna.
Across the street from the protest, two young climate activists pressed on with a hunger strike meant to draw politicians into making public commitments on climate policy.
Henning Jeschke, 21, started his fast on Aug. 30, initially as part of a group of seven, with the others having since dropped out, most this week. In their place, another hunger striker joined Jeschke. Both have said they would escalate and begin refusing liquids.
Organizers initially said Jeschke and Lea Bonasera would stop taking liquids Thursday evening, but Jeschke’s father, Eckart, said the more severe protest is to begin Saturday morning. The hunger strikers are demanding that Olaf Scholz of the Social Democrats, seen as a front-runner for becoming Germany’s next chancellor, acknowledges publicly that the country faces a climate emergency.
A German government official said pressure from young climate activists already had resulted in concrete policies in recent years, from higher carbon prices to billions of euros (dollars) being invested in greener technologies.
“We also have a new mood across society, where politicians don’t have to explain why they’re doing something to protect the climate anymore. They have to explain why they’re not protecting the climate,” German Environment Ministry spokesman Nikolai Fichtner said.
In Prague, the Czech Republic’s capital, hundreds of students and environment activists shouted “Now or never,” and displayed banners with slogans and statements such as “Climate justice,” and “We want a healthy planet for our children.”
Small groups of young climate protesters held demonstrations in multiple Indian cities on Friday, calling on politicians and big businesses to ramp up their ambitions for reducing global greenhouse gas emissions and to commit to a raft of climate pledges.
“Just because there is a pandemic doesn’t mean you stop working around the climate crisis,” said Srijani Datta, a youth climate activist in New Delhi.
Global warming also has been a top election issue in Iceland, where voters head to the polls for a general election on Saturday. All parties running for seats in the North Atlantic island nation’s parliament acknowledge global warming as a force of change in a sub-Arctic landscape but disagree on how to respond to it.
While many of the protests worldwide were restrained family affairs, activists in Britain blocked the country’s busiest ferry port Friday to highlight the climate crisis, as well as fuel poverty in the U.K.
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Karel Janicek in Prague and Rishabh R. Jain in New Delhi, India, contributed to this report.
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Follow AP’s climate coverage at http://www.apnews.com/Climate