Over one million young people marched in cities across the globe on Friday in what organizers expected to be the largest #schoolstrikeforclimate actions yet.
With chants including "Save our planet, save our future," and placards with messages such as "Act like the house is on fire," the youth-led actions represented a unified call for urgent and sweeping measures to address the climate crisis.
Organizers said over 1.8 million people took part in over 2,000 actions in 125 countries—a participant figure that, if confirmed, would surpass the massive turnout for the previous coordinated global strikes in March.
Claudia Sachs kicked off the student climate strike in front of the White House with her original song, “Future of Humanity.” I am SO inspired by these teenage activists calling for a Green New Deal. Now on to a march to the Capitol. pic.twitter.com/yWOPa2f7Dy
— Noah Sachs (@nsachs1) May 24, 2019
Images of the actions—from London to New Delhi to Cape Town—were widely shared on social media.
My favorite scenes from the Manila #ClimateStrike today
“Stop burning our future”
“Act like the house is on fire”
“Our survival is non-negotiable”#YouthStrike4Climate #SchoolStrike4Climate #FridaysForFurture pic.twitter.com/dwdZlIZ7z4— Jenny Tuazon (@jennytuazn) May 24, 2019
The Auckland #ClimateStrike in action. It’s large and it’s loud, and the call is for Govt to #wakeup and get on with real climate action! #SchoolStrike4Climate #FridaysForFurture pic.twitter.com/m2mSXZcgkv
— Greenpeace NZ (@GreenpeaceNZ) May 24, 2019
Street March- Students Demanding for Climate Action #FridaysForFuture #AfrikaVuka @gifsep4climate @CCL_Africa @350Africa @ConnectedCathy pic.twitter.com/aFTcBCIoRz
— David Mike Terungwa (@miketerungwa) May 24, 2019
พวกเขาเชื่อว่า ไม่มีคำว่าสายเกินไป หากเราเริ่มเปลี่ยนแปลงตั้งแต่วันนี้ แล้วคุณล่ะ พร้อมกันหรือยัง ?#ClimateStrikeThailand #FridaysForFuture #StrikeForClimate #SchoolStrike4Climate pic.twitter.com/qQ5xDKgV6S
— Greenpeace Thailand (@greenpeaceth) May 24, 2019
« On est dehors pour notre avenir ! »
À Paris, des milliers de personnes de toutes les générations manifestent côte à côte pour demander aux décideurs de prendre des mesures fortes pour répondre à l'urgence climatique ! #GreveMondialePourLeClimat #ClimateStrike pic.twitter.com/y1pRHwwRMq
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— Greenpeace France (@greenpeacefr) May 24, 2019
Today, many people gathered for the global #ClimateStrike in New Delhi, India.
It's high time now. We are with you @GretaThunberg. We have to save the Planet!@BhavreenMK @NDNS_HQ @ErikSolheim @CleanEnergyRen1 pic.twitter.com/1wkdq47mmN— ishan (@ClimateIshan) May 24, 2019
It’s great to see another huge #ClimateStrike heading towards the Scottish Parliament. Scotland needs a Green New Deal to transform our economy, cut emissions and create jobs! #YouthStrike4Climate #FridaysForFuture #SchoolStrike4Climate pic.twitter.com/5DIYMzNRrY
— Scottish Greens (@scotgp) May 24, 2019
MASSIVE! Thousands out in #Berlin. 1623 places, 119 countries, & counting!
Young people standing up to demand we act on the climate crisis.
The house is on fire, act like it.#ActOnClimate. #FridaysForFuture #ClimateStrike #greennewdeal @GretaThunberg pic.twitter.com/EViV1NU8sR— Mike Hudema (@MikeHudema) May 24, 2019
Die-in in front of #Cityhall #climateStrike pic.twitter.com/JHIJog9HBt
— Hermelinebrtl (@hermelinebrtl) May 24, 2019
Amanda Rodrigues, a junior who co-organized the day's action at Farmington High School in Connecticut, explained her motivation for the mobilization.
"The world is our home, right?" Rodrigues told the Hartford Courant. "So we have to do the best we can to preserve it. If the adults in our politics aren't making a change, then we have to take a stand."
Doing so, said Swedish teen Greta Thunberg, whose picketing outside the Swedish parliament catalyzed the weekly climate strikes, indeed has an impact.
"Activism works," she tweeted ahead of the marches. "So act. Join us!"
