Rome: “More than 1 million people” have taken part in Fridays for Future climate protests across Italy this week, according to a spokesman for the movement. Gianfranco Mascia said there were 250,000 people in Rome on Friday, an Italian record for climate demonstrations, and 150,000 people in Milan.
He said there were 80,000 people rallying in Naples, 50,000 in Florence, 20,000 each in Turin and Bologna, and 10,000 each in Palermo and Bari.
“Incredible pictures from all over Italy! This is Torino#ClimateStrike #FridaysForFuture,” tweeted Greta Thunberg, the Swedish teenager who started the Fridays for Future movement.
Overall, there were protests in more than 150 Italian locations. Earlier this week, Education Minister Lorenzo Fioramonti urged teachers not to penalise students who skipped their Friday classes.
In Palermo, tensions arose as about 30 black-clad youngsters, presumed to be far-right militants, tried to break up the local march. Some people ran away in panic and riot police intervened.
In Rome, large crowds of students walked towards the Fori Imperiali avenue near the Colosseum.
“It’s really important (to be here) because this planet is being destroyed and since we are the young generation, we have to contribute to change,” Matteo, one of the students in Rome, said.
He urged everybody to do their bit to save the planet, starting from “small things like not throwing stuff on the street.” He also said he travels by public transport. “I don’t have a scooter or a four-wheeler and I am not going to get one,” he said.
Another protester, Lisa, referenced recent news about the risk of a large glacier falling off the Italian side of Mont Blanc: “We hope the glaciers won’t melt.”
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of New Zealand students crowded public spaces in more than 40 locations on Friday as they demanded action to tackle climate change, rounding up a series of global climate strikes that began a week ago.
They were joined by many parents, grandparents and workers during the country’s first “intergenerational” climate strike.
“Stop listening to what they say, and watch what they do,” Auckland strike organiser Luke Wijohn told the crowd.
Pania Newton, a leader of a group occupying disputed Maori land near Auckland”s airport said, “I am here today to remind government that they need to take into account indigenous values when making decisions about our future and our climate.”
March organisers addressing the crowd in Wellington said that they estimated more than 40,000 people had joined the protest in the capital.
Wellington strike organiser Raven Maeder said the turnout had exceeded expectations.
“These people are standing with us and together we can change, we can create change,” he said.
The students also delivered an open letter with more than 11,000 signatures to parliament, calling for the government to declare a climate emergency and to start building a renewable and regenerative economy.
In other locations students came together to clean beaches and plant trees.
National School Strike coordinator Sophie Handford said the students were supported by more than 90 businesses that have pledged their support as part of the “Not Business as Usual” alliance.
Equity fund New Ground Capital founder Roy Thompson told local newsportal Newshub the striking children deserve support. — dpa
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