Thousands march in Brussels for climate justice | Climate Change News

In the weeks leading up to the UN Climate Summit, thousands of people gathered to demand bolder action to tackle climate change.

Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Brussels, demanding bolder action to tackle climate change at the UN Climate Summit that begins later this month.

On Sunday, demonstrators dressed as endangered fish or tigers, or with toy polar bears on their heads, flooded the streets of the Belgian capital, chanting slogans for climate justice and waving banners in multiple languages.

“Politicians die because of old age, Rosa die because of climate change,” a banner said, referring to a 15-year-old young man who was washed away by the Urte River in Belgium in July, when Europe continued It was hit by heavy rains and floods in a few days.

This summer, Europe was hit by heavy rains, 15-year-old Rosa was one of the victims of climate change [Yves Herman/Reuters]

Thousands of people representing more than 80 organizations participated in the protest, the largest such event in the de facto capital of the European Union since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. The police estimated that there were at least 25,000 marchers, and the organizers set this number at 70,000.

“After you have witnessed all the disasters that happened this summer, it is very important for us to act now. Because everyone knows what the problem is,” Xavier de Wannemeike, a protester of the grassroots environmental movement “Extinction Rebellion” De Wannemaeker) told the Associated Press.

Another demonstrator, Lucien Dewanaga, asked: “When we destroy the earth, what should we do? We have nothing else. Humans must live in this world. And there is only one world. “

Environmentalists worry that the policies to be formulated by the 26th UN Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (commonly known as COP26) will not be sufficient to significantly reduce carbon emissions and slow global warming.

The 12-day summit will begin on October 31 in Glasgow, Scotland, and aims to ensure a more ambitious commitment to limit global warming to well below pre-industrial levels 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit).

The police estimated that there were at least 25,000 marchers, while the organizers set the number at 70,000 [Yves Herman/Reuters]

Youth play a central role in pressing politicians to make commitments before COP26. From September 28th to 30th, young climate activists including 18-year-old Greta Thunberg attended the three-day Youth4Climate conference in Italy and made their recommendations.

Hundreds of young people led by Swedish activists Parade in Milan Earlier this month, I hope to hear their requests, including phasing out the fossil fuel industry by 2030.

Since Thunberg slammed the climate minister on the first day of the Youth Climate Summit, criticizing their inaction and empty talk, “nonsense, nonsense, nonsense” has become a rallying cry for climate justice activists on social media.