Nicolas Maeterlinck

More than 25,000 protesters expected at Brussels climate march

Belgium’s biggest ever demonstration against climate change is taking place in Brussels this Sunday afternoon. More than 25,000 people are expected to take part in the “Claim the Climate” demonstration that gets under way at 1pm. The participants will march from Brussels North Railway Station to the Jubel Park near to Brussels European District. The Claim the Climate march has been organized by Climate Express, Kilmaatcoalitie (climate coalition) and BOS+. 

The police are expecting between 20,000  and 25,000 participants. However, more than 45,000 people have said that they will attend on the organisers’ Facebook event page. Kilmaatcoalitie’s Dave Van Meel told VRT News that they “The ambition is to be the biggest climate march ever. Last time there were 15,000 participants.

 

The march has been organised to coincide with the climate conference that opens today in the Polish city of Katowice. The aim of the protest is to demand that Belgian politician show more ambition when it comes to measures to combat climate change both in the short and long term. The of the Paris climate agreement should be respected and global warming limited to a maximum, of 1.5°C.

 

In a reference to the summit being held in Eastern Europe, a region that still uses a lot of coal, Mr Van Meel said  "We could ask questions regarding the location of the summit”.

“Currently three Belgian activists are in custody in Slovakia after staging a peaceful protest there”.

Charlotte Scheerens of Climate Express told VRT News that “Climate policy is extremely complex. It needs to be linked to social policy. Politicians need to get around the table with employers, local authorities and training centres to work out a plan to ensure that those working in fossil-fuel dependent industries find new jobs”.   

 

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