This archive report was first published on 20 September 2019.
On a hot and sunny day, September 20, 2019, thousands of young people from around the world took to the streets to demand climate action from their leaders. The protests, which were part of a global movement, were a response to the growing concern about the impact of climate change on their future.
Organizers reported that over 100,000 people protested in Melbourne, Australia, making it the largest climate action in the country's history. The rally shut down key public transport corridors for hours.
Young people from different walks of life participated in the protests, holding homemade signs and banners with messages such as 'You shall not pollute the land in which you live' and 'Dead Planet Soon. Act Now!'. They were joined by grandparents, parents, and other adults who were equally concerned about the future of the planet.
Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack dismissed the protests as 'just a disruption' and suggested that students would learn more at school than at protests.
However, the protests were not limited to Australia. Thousands of young people from different countries, including the Philippines, Kenya, Poland, Germany, and Britain, took to the streets to demand climate action. In Berlin, Germany, roughly 100,000 demonstrators showed around the Brandenburg Gate, holding signs with messages such as 'Stop the Global Pyromania' and 'Make the World Greta Again'.
As the world witnessed a youth movement so large and wide, spanning across societies rich and poor, tied together by a common sense of rage, it became clear that the future of the planet was in the hands of the young people.
