Global Climate Activists Unite: Tens of Thousands Take to the Streets Demanding an End to Fossil Fuels

Tens of thousands of climate activists from around the world took part in protests calling for an end to the burning of fossil fuels due to the damaging effects of climate change. The demonstrations, led by youth-led climate groups including Greta Thunberg's Fridays for Future movement, occurred in numerous countries and hundreds of cities worldwide.

In Vienna, several thousand protesters marched and held up signs demanding higher taxes for carbon emissions and an end to meat consumption. Members of the student climate awareness group Last Generation also sat down in front of parliament, urging the government to quit oil and gas and pass laws to protect the climate.

Similar protests took place in Germany, with thousands of people gathering at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and marching through the city's government district. Signs were carried by protesters, reading slogans such as "March now or swim later" and "There is no planet B".

In the Philippines, activists lay in front of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, demanding the phase-out of fossil fuels from coal to natural gas. In Jakarta, Indonesia, signs were held calling for an end to dirty fuels and greenwashing. In Sweden, climate activists gathered in front of Parliament next to the Royal Palace, where Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf was celebrating his 50th anniversary on the throne.

Chants about "climate justice" could be heard in the palace courtyard during the golden jubilee celebrations. In Congo, protesters marched through the city of Goma, shouting slogans and waving banners calling for an end to corporate control of fossil fuels.

The United Nations recently warned that countries are far off track in curbing global warming to the agreed-upon target of 1.5 degrees Celsius since pre-industrial times. The world has already warmed at least 1.1 degrees since then, resulting in record-breaking heat and extreme weather events.

In response, another major strike is planned to take place in New York to coincide with the city's Climate Week and the U.N. climate summit. Climate activists have been organizing worldwide strikes in recent years, with protesters from different nations joining together on a single day.

The protests aim to raise awareness about the urgent need for climate action and to pressure governments and corporations to take meaningful steps toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating the effects of climate change.