Greta Thunberg leads 500,000 people at Montreal climate rally

September 28, 2019

A Montreal rally led by Greta Thunberg on Friday attracted 500,000 people, according to organizers.

Schoolchildren were joined by adults as they marched together with the teen activist at the demonstration as part of a global wave of “climate strikes.”

Fridays For Future, Montreal, Canada

Thousands of protesters march on the streets as part of the climate rally in Montreal, Canada, joining teen activist Greta Thunberg and Canadian political figures, among them Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

More needs to be done

The 16-year-old Swede met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who also joined the rally, but afterwards she told a news conference with indigenous leaders that he was “not doing enough” to combat global warming.

Thunberg said: “My message to all the politicians around the world is the same. Just listen and act on the current best available science.”

Trudeau’s green reputation has taken a hit recently with his plan to nationalize an oil pipeline in order to save the construction project after years of postponement. The crude oil channel has drawn criticism from environmental groups who fear spills and the effect on marine life.

Greta Thunberg and Justin Trudeau

Greta Thunberg met Canadian PM Justin Trudeau in Montreal prior to the rally later that day

Canada is the fourth-biggest producer of crude oil in the world and the country’s energy industry amounts to about 11% of annual nominal gross domestic product.

The prime minister’s image also took a battering earlier this month when brownface makeup images surfaced of Trudeau. The premier subsequently apologized admitting it was a racist act although he did not realize it at the time.

The Canadian leader said after meeting Thunberg and promising to plant two billion trees: “I agree with her entirely. We need to do more.”

Read more: Canada’s environment minister gets security detail

Earlier this week, ahead of next month’s general election, the Canadian premier said that Canada would attain net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050, joining more than 60 other nations that have also signed up for the pledge.

Worldwide wave

Friday’s event in Montreal was one of many around the world. In Italy hundreds of thousands of protesters were reported while an estimated 40,000 were in attendance outside New Zealand’s parliament in Wellington.

A year after Thunberg began her Fridays for Future movement outside the Swedish parliament in Stockholm, approximately 60,000 people gathered, organizers said. The Austrian capital of Vienna also reported the same number of protesters.

Greta Thunberg, Stockholm, Sweden

The solitary figure of Thunberg outside the Swedish parliament in 2018. One year later, half a million protesters joined her in Montreal as part of her school strike for climate change

Germany was also a vibrant place for demonstrators. Thousands of people took to the streets, although figures were lower than last week.

Nevertheless, 65 cities announced organized rallies across the country, of which Hamburg was one, where more than 3,000 fought off the rain to make their voice heard, according to police.

In Munich, authorities estimated around 2,000 people marched through the city center, while 1,200 protesters were reported to have taken part in Nuremberg.

But Montreal stole the show. “Not only was it the biggest event in Quebec’s history, but it is the biggest event in the world this week,” one of the organizers, Francois Geoffroy, told the crowd.

Global climate strike in pictures

Over 1 million protesters in Italy

Estimates are already showing that over 1 million people took to the street on Friday in Italy to protest for the climate. There were 250,000 in Rome, 80,000 in Naples, 20,000 in Bologna and 20,000 in Turin, pictured here. In Palermo, the riot police had to intervene after 30 black-clad youngsters attempted to break up the demonstration.

Global climate strike in pictures

‘Flash mob’ in Moscow, Russia

Despite the Russian government’s opposition to organized climate strikes, some protesters gathered in defiance. This girl holds a poster as part of a Greenpeace flash mob in front of the Russian government building. Arshak Makichyan, 25, became the face of the Russian Friday for Future movement with his lone protest.

Global climate strike in pictures

Protesters in The Hague, Netherlands

An estimated 6,000 protesters took to the streets in The Hague last week, and it is estimated that similar numbers can be expected this Friday. The Fridays for Future movement has been extremely popular in the Netherlands.

Global climate strike in pictures

20,000 protesters in Turin, Italy

Over a million people have been reported as protesting in Italy, with 20,000 in the city of Turin. Education Minister Lorenzo Fioramonti urged teachers not to punish students who skipped class.

Global climate strike in pictures

Blocking the street in Lausanne, Switzerland

A protester blocks the street in Lausanne, Switzerland to stop police vehicles from getting through. The Fridays for Future movement in Switzerland has been relatively small compared to other European countries.

Global climate strike in pictures

Germans disappointed with national climate plan

In Berlin, where an estimated 100,000 people came to the streets last week, the protests have taken on a major political dimension. Huge puppets of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Finance Minister Olaf Scholz exemplified general dissatisfaction with how politicians have dealt with climate change issues and a national climate plan the government released last week.

Global climate strike in pictures

Strikers follow in Greta Thunberg’s footsteps in Stockholm

Where Greta Thunberg first began the climate protest by herself over a year ago, thousands of protesters took to the street on Friday. Thunberg, who addressed the UN this week, will soon make her way to South America for a UN climate conference.

Global climate strike in pictures

Costumed protesters in Tel Aviv, Israel

Protesters in Israel donned red as they took to the streets. Following Israel’s indecisive elections last week, many young Israelis remain concerned about the future of climate change policy in their country.