It’s set to be the "biggest online protest ever": the climate movement fridays for future wants to demonstrate for more climate protection in many countries in the middle of the corona crisis.
Because of the worldwide pandemic, the actions take place mainly on the internet. "Fight every crisis," many young people have written on signs in recent days – fight every crisis.
German activist luisa neubauer announced on twitter the "grossest online protest ever". It will be "shown how great the social backing is for fair climate protection."
Among other things, there should be a 24-hour livestream on youtube starting in the early morning hours, in which climate activists and researchers from all over the world should have their say. As in the previous weeks, swedish greta thunberg and her fellow campaigners want to post photos of themselves and their protest signs on social networks in order to persuade governments around the world to do more to protect the climate.
Actually fridays for future wanted to hold a worldwide coordinated climate protest on friday like already several times in 2019. Last year, several hundred thousand people took part in such protests in germany alone. However, due to the ongoing corona crisis and related assembly bans and restrictions, large-scale demos on the streets are not possible, so the movement is now turning to the internet.
However, the web will not be the only venue for the protests: the climate movement plans to demonstrate in front of the bundestag in berlin (starting at 10 a.M.).30 o’clock) put together the posters and signs of dozens of local groups for an art campaign. Only 20 people were allowed to actively accompany the action on site. Similar actions are planned in other cities. "It feels like the beginning of fridays for future. We now have to come up with new forms of protest," the movement’s co-founder in germany, carla reemtsma, told the german press agency.
The fight against the corona crisis has recently overshadowed the issue of climate protection. Environmental groups, as well as many companies, are calling for economic stimulus programs to be used to make the economy more climate-friendly and less dependent on coal, oil and gas. German environment minister svenja schulze (SPD) even believes the debate is now getting "new impetus," as she told the editorial network deutschland (friday). The corona crisis called for "an understanding of the interconnectedness of all of us," and she is confident that this understanding will also prevail in climate protection.
Grunen leader robert habeck told the dpa that it was good that fridays for future and the environmental movement were "putting climate protection back on the agenda". Chancellor angela merkel (CDU) followed the recommendations of scientists in the corona crisis. "When it comes to climate protection, we also expect it to follow the compass of science."