15,000 protesters at Brussels climate march
Like in other major cities the world over a demonstration was held in Brussels on Friday afternoon to draw attention to and protest against the issue raised and threats posed by climate change. The protests marked the start of a week of action by climate change campaigners in more than 150 countries. Around 15,000 people took part in the Brussels march.
The global climate strike that is being held today follows on from the “Friday for Future” action by the young Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. This is the third time that hundreds of protests have been held in cities all over the world to call for improved measures to tackle climate change.
In Belgium today marks the start of a second wave of protests by “Youth for Climate”. On Friday morning there were local protests in Leuven, Mechelen, Geel and Antwerp. In Antwerp between 600 and 800 people took to the streets, making Friday’s protest the biggest climate protest in Antwerp to date.
The protesters then headed to Brussels where the Climate strike protest got under way at 1:30pm. The organisations Rise for Climate, the Climate Coalition, and Youth for Climate, Teachers for Climate, and Workers for Climate and a number of scientists took part. The march also enjoyed the support of the Christian, liberal and socialist trade unions.