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As millions of young activists across the globe staged walkouts and strikes on Friday, photos from the Global Climate Strike have poured in from all corners of the world. The youth-led strike, meant to raise awareness and demand institutional action to battle climate change, comes the day before the United Nations' first Youth Climate Summit on Saturday.
Activists in more than 150 countries pledged to participate in the week's events, according to the Global Climate Strike website, which is managed by the environmental organization 350. #FridayForFuture, the organization helmed by 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg, says there were over 5,500 events planned in over 2,600 cities worldwide. Thunberg's organization has led weekly Friday school strikes around the world, but this week marks its largest action yet.
Thunberg, who is from Sweden, arrived in the United States on Aug. 28 after a two-week journey by sailboat across the Atlantic. Since docking in New York, Thunberg has met with former President Obama, appeared on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah and called out U.S. lawmakers for not doing enough to protect the environment. Thunberg has been instrumental in raising awareness on climate change, particularly among Gen Z. On Wednesday, she appeared before the U.S. House of Representatives Climate Crisis Committee and a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee for a joint hearing, along with 17-year-old activist Jamie Margolin, 20-year-old Vic Barrett, and other young activists.
"We are already seeing the unacceptable consequences of this today, and it will only get worse the longer we delay action," Thunberg told members of Congress, "unless we start to act now."
With Thunberg leading the pack in New York City ahead of the UN's global Climate Action Summit, which will be will be attended by government officials and international leaders, Friday's strike kicked off a week of fighting climate change around the world.
New York City
Thunberg led protesters in New York City.
Students in New York City walked out of class and marched across Manhattan, alongside adult activists and community leaders.
An onlooker took a photo of massive crowds in Manhattan, holding two globe-printed balloons.
A young activist held a sign inspired by Thunberg in Manhattan.
Young activists in New York opted for signs that criticized the influence of big business on climate change.
Washington D.C.
A'niya Taylor, a 16-year-old from Baltimore, led a crowd of protesters outside Congress.
Student activists in Washington D.C. marched between John Marshall Park and the U.S. Capitol holding a large banner calling for top-down change.
Khadija Khokhar, an 18-year-old activist from Detroit, rallied the Washington D.C. crowd in front of the U.S. Capitol.
Sydney
A young activist walked down College Street in Sydney wearing a gas mask to symbolize the toxic effects of climate change. According to #FridaysForFuture, 108 individual events are planned in Australia this week.
San Francisco
Protesters in San Francisco raised signs that call out the role of technology in the fight against climate change.
Two young boys in San Francisco held signs emphasizing the movement's school strikes and the warming of the planet.
Hong Kong
Climate activists in Hong Kong held signs asking lawmakers to "listen to lawmakers" and break free of fossil fuel dependence.
New Orleans
College students at Tulane University in Louisiana walked through campus, urging lawmakers to rethink energy policy.
A high-spirited protester in New Orleans walked along with crowds of young people near Tulane University's campus.
Jakarta
Indonesian students brandished red banners and signs reading "climate crisis" in bold letters.
Frankfurt
A student in Frankfurt held a sign reading "What I stand for is what I stand on," at one of 565 planned climate action events in the country.
Berlin
An adult protester in Berlin held an infant along with a sign that reads, "Thank you, Greta." According to #FridaysForFuture's Germany chapter, over 1.9 million people participated in Friday's strike.
Santiago
Students in Santiago, Chile, led a climate strike at Plaza Italia, calling out the government for its lack of action.
With participants on several continents, including Antarctica, Friday's Global Climate Strike may end up being one of the largest youth-led protests ever.
