‘The earth is on fire’: Young people lead global climate change protests

Hundreds of thousands of protesters, many of them students who skipped school, have gathered in cities across Asia, kicking off a day of worldwide protests calling for action against climate change ahead of a UN summit.

From the Pacific Islands to Australia and India, protesters took to the streets on Friday, demanding their governments take urgent steps to tackle the climate crisis and prevent an environmental catastrophe.

Organisers estimated 300,000 people turned up for the “global climate strike” in Australia, the world’s largest exporter of coal and liquid natural gas.
Protests were staged in 110 towns and cities across the country, with crowds calling on the government to commit to a target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2030.