Thousands of environmental activists from the Extinction Rebellion (XR) group gathered Monday 23 August in central London to kick off two weeks of large protests calling on governments to act "
urgently
" against climate change.
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Armed with flags or placards with slogans like "
the planet before profit
", activists converged on Trafalgar Square, in the center of the capital, where a marching band and speeches were scheduled.
Monitored by a large police force, some blocked the streets leading to the square, where others deployed a gigantic pink table, on which a banner calls on leaders but also citizens to "
sit at the table
" of negotiations for save the planet.
Two weeks of action
"
As floods, fires and famines erupt around the world, it is clear that climate change is already here and that we must act urgently,
" said the movement in a statement, saying that "
everyone
"Has"
its say
"on"
the greatest crisis of our time
. " Some participants brought their own pink chair or table to "
invite people across town to talk about the climate and the ecological emergency,
" says Extinction Rebellion. This activist network, formed in the UK in 2018, regularly uses civil disobedience to highlight government inaction on climate change.
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This march marks the start of two weeks of actions, demonstrations, conferences and training sessions planned in the English capital.
The protesters are demanding in particular that the British government stop all investment in fossil fuels, while the United Kingdom is due to host the UN climate summit COP26 in Glasgow (Scotland) in November.
Many environmental activists believe that this meeting constitutes the last chance for world leaders to agree on radical policies to avoid too much global warming, after the "
severe warning
" in early August from the IPCC.
According to this report by UN climate experts, the planet should reach the threshold of + 1.5 ° C compared to the pre-industrial era around 2030, ten years earlier than estimated. In 2019, XR carried out a series of shock stocks in the UK and the rest of the world. After raids in London's financial center, police banned protests in the British capital and arrested 1,828 people within ten days.
