Between September 20th and 27th, a total of 7.6 million people worldwide took to the streets to participate in a global climate strike as noted by 350.org. 4 million are said to have participated on September 20th alone.
The climate strikes were organized by youth activists and supported by organizations, like Fridays for Future, 350.org, and School Strike 4 Climate.
School Strike 4 Climate is an international movement that originated in Sweden by school-aged students who decided to take time off class in order to participate in demonstrations to demand that world leaders take tangible action towards the ongoing climate crisis.
“This week was a demonstration of the power of our movement.” Fridays for Future International said. “People power is more powerful than the people in power. It was the biggest ever climate mobilization, and it’s only the beginning. The momentum is on our side and we are not going anywhere.”
Particularly high turnout was reported in Italy, Spain, Canada, and New Zealand. In the case of New Zealand, 170,000 people, nearly 4% of the country’s total population, took to the streets. New Zealand’s climate strike is the largest strike since 1951.
“It is very moving to see everyone, everyone who is so passionate to march and strike,” Greta Thunberg told BBC News. “It is a very good day, I would say.”
In Canada, approximately 800,000 participated in climate strikes according to 350.org. On September 27th in Vancouver, members of the tentree team, wearing our Fresh Lungs, Trees Reforested bandanas, joined with 120,000 other climate strikers to show that big change starts small.
