–Demonstrations held in 26 cities, including Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Peshawar
Pakistani on Friday joined thousands of demonstrators around the world to protest the worsening climate and the government’s lack of response to handle the potential catastrophe.
The protesters, who rallied in 26 cities, including Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Peshawar, across the country, demanded that the government take emergency measures to curb climate degradation.
Pakistan has been listed as the seventh most vulnerable country to be affected by climate change. The impact of climate change is at highpoint with growing weather concerns including heatwaves, flash floods, melting glaciers and droughts.
According to a report by the Asia Development Bank, the number of heatwaves in Pakistan has increased five-fold in the last 30 years.
In Karachi, a large number of people took to streets at Frere Hall. Activist Sheema Kermani said that everyone should be involved in the event “because it (climate change) is going to affect us all”.
Great turnout at the #ClimateStrike in Karachi. Congrats to the organisers for a great effort! Hope this is the beginning of a massive #ClimateJustice movement in Pakistan. We need it urgently! #ClimateMarchPakistan pic.twitter.com/nmoymcqe9t
— Nida Kirmani (@nidkirm) September 20, 2019
In Lahore, the protest took place outside the Lahore Press Club.
According to a Twitter user, “[There were] huge crowds at the Islamabad #ClimateMarch. There is suddenly a climate movement in Pakistan.”
Huge crowds at the Islamabad #ClimateMarch. There is suddenly a climate movement in Pakistan. #ClimateActionNow pic.twitter.com/jp9jHusiAL
— Ammar Rashid ☭ (@AmmarRashidT) September 20, 2019
Also, a large number of people took to the streets around the world to demand global leaders gathering for a UN climate summit take urgent action to avert an environmental catastrophe.
The global climate strike kicked off in the Pacific islands – some of the nations most threatened by rising sea levels – and followed the rising sun through Australia, Japan, Southeast Asia and into Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
Social media posts showed scores of demonstrations, ranging from a few dozen primary school children in Abuja, Nigeria, to tens of thousands of people in cities from Hamburg, in Germany, to Melbourne, Australia.
Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old Swedish activist who has inspired the movement, noted in a tweet the “huge crowd” in Sydney, which she said would set the standard for strikes and protests planned in about 150 countries.
“Our future on your shoulders,” read one banner stretched across a street by students in Berlin.
The protesters are calling on governments to take immediate action to limit the harmful effects of manmade climate change.
The strike will culminate in New York when Thunberg, who has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for her climate activism, will spearhead a rally at the United Nations headquarters.
