Tens of thousands of demonstrators braved the harsh weather and took to the streets of Brussels over the weekend to protest against the government’s lack of action on issues surrounding climate change and global warming.
Over 70,000 protestors marched through Brussels in Belgium’s biggest demonstration against climate change in history, demanding the Belgian government and the European Union increase their efforts. Trains on the way to the march were so clogged that thousands of protestors didn’t make it on time.
Brussels played host to Belgium’s largest rally against climate change over the weekend, with over 70,000 demonstrators taking to the streets to demand immediate action against global warming.
It was the Belgian capital’s fourth climate rally in two months to attract at least 10,000 participants. Around 35,000 Belgian students skipped classes on Thursday to take their demands for urgent action to the streets.
The march ended at the headquarters for the European Union. The 28-nation bloc has been leading global efforts to counter climate change but still came under fire for the protesters’ criticism.
Civilian activism on climate politics over the weekend was not limited to Belgium, either; Parisian protestors were inspired by a recent petition for legal action in the hope of forcing the government to set more ambitious goals for reducing the country’s carbon emissions.
Last year, thousands of Australian school children took to the streets of cities around the country to protest the Australian government’s climate change inaction.
Belgian protestor Henny Claassen said of the demonstration:
“Young people have set a good example. This is for our children, for our grandchildren, and to send a message to politicians.”
