Thunberg joins climate rally in Germany amid worldwide demonstrations

24 September 2021, 15:14

Germany Climate Protests
Germany Climate Protests. Picture: PA

German activists were protesting ahead of a national election on Sunday.

Thousands of environmental activists have staged a rally outside Germany’s parliament 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 amid dire warnings that the planet faces dangerous temperature rises unless greenhouse gas emissions are cut sharply in the coming years.

The idea for a global “climate strike” was inspired by teenage Swedish activist Greta Thunberg’s solo protest in Stockholm three years ago.

Germany Climate Protests
Greta Thunberg addresses the crowd (Markus Schreiber/AP)

The 18-year-old addressed the 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 programmes of the main parties are not far-reaching enough to limit global warming to 1.5C – the more ambitious limit in the 2015 Paris climate accord.

Germany Climate Protests
Activists in front of the parliament building in Berlin (Michael Sohn/AP)

It snowballed into a mass movement until the coronavirus pandemic put a stop to large gatherings. Activists have only recently started staging smaller gatherings.

German activists have referred to Sunday’s election as the “vote of the century”, arguing that the decision taken by the next government will influence the country’s efforts to tackle climate change for decades.

Friday’s rally was a multi-generational event, drawing school-age participants as well as adults.

Italy Climate Protest
Students in Rome (Roberto Monaldo/LaPresse/AP)

Rene Bohrenfeldt, an IT expert taking part in 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,” he said. “I appeal to all grandmothers to make the right decision for the climate and for their grandchildren.”

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.

India Climate Protest
Activists in New Delhi (Manish Swarup/AP)

Global warming has also been a top election issue in Iceland, where voters heads 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.

Other demonstrations were held across Europe, including in Italy and the UK, and around the world in countries such as India and Japan

By Press Association

Latest World News

See more Latest World News

Australia Cyber Safety

Google, Meta and others face questions in Australia over cyber extremism threats

United Nations Nuclear Weapons

US and Japan seek UN resolution banning nuclear weapons in outer space

Election 2024 Trump

‘Impossible’ for Trump to post civil fraud bond of £356m, say lawyers

Georgia Election Indictment Lawmakers

Trump seeks to appeal against decision not to disqualify DA in Georgia case

Mike Lynch court case

Fallen tech star Mike Lynch painted as fraud mastermind in Hewlett-Packard trial

Russia Crimea

Putin extends rule in Russian election after harshest crackdown since Soviet era

Vacationing Mom Toddler Death

Ohio woman given life after child died when she left her alone to go on holiday

Transgender Athletes Ban New York Caitlyn Jenner

Caitlyn Jenner backs New York county’s ban on transgender female athletes

A Mayor Eric Adams standing on a stage in front of an audience engaging them with a speech

New York mayor Eric Adams accused of sexually assaulting woman in 1993

Biden Netanyahu

Netanyahu agrees to send officials to US to discuss prospective Rafah operation

Palestinians rush to collect the humanitarian aid airdropped into Gaza City, Gaza Strip on March 17 (Mohammed Hajjar/AP)

‘Famine imminent’ in northern Gaza as 70% face ‘catastrophic hunger’

Music-Country Hall of Fame

James Burton, John Anderson and Toby Keith join Country Music Hall of Fame

Russia Election

What the Russian election reveals about Putin’s rule

Obit-Stafford

Astronaut Thomas Stafford, commander of Apollo 10, dies aged 93

Montenegro US

US envoy visits Montenegro to support EU bid as war in Ukraine rages on

APTOPIX Haiti Violence

At least 12 killed as gangs unleash fresh attacks in Haiti’s capital