Thousands of protesters covered the streets of the Scottish city on Friday with placards warning of the effects of rising temperatures and extreme weather events.
Eighteen-year-old campaigner Greta Thunberg was later drafted to speak to protesters, more than three years after she founded the “Fridays for the Future” school strike movement that inspired youth action on climate change.
The crowd chanted “We are invincible, another world is possible,” and other slogans as they attempted to draw attention near the venue. A large number of police forces controlled the crowd early in the morning.
Inside, young people were also the focus of the summit. The theme of the fifth day of the event was “Youth and Public Empowerment”, with leaders seeking to appeal to young audiences around the world as they proceed with the dialogue.
“I talk to people who are disappointed all the time, and I consider myself one of those disappointed,” John Kerry, the United States climate envoy, said in response to the protests outside.
Thunberg’s speech on Friday came a week after he was surrounded by supporters and members of the media.
On Monday, activists joined other “Friday for the Future” campaigners in a demonstration at Festival Park in Glasgow, near the United Nations climate summit, where they once again mocked politicians for inaction on climate.
He said the politicians and delegates gathered at the COP talks were “pretending to take our future seriously.”
“Change isn’t going to come from there. It’s not leadership, it’s leadership,” Thunberg said, referring to the group of protesters gathered outside.
“This is what leadership looks like. We say no more blah blah blah, no more exploitation of people and nature and the planet… and whatever the f**k they’re doing out there,” he continued kept.
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