A woman holding a placard takes part in a demonstration against climate change in Brussels, Belgium, March 15, 2019. Thousands of school students across Belgium abandoned classrooms for a day of climate demonstrations on Friday as part of the "Global Strike for Future", local press reported. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng)
BRUSSELS, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of school students across Belgium abandoned classrooms for a day of climate demonstrations on Friday as part of the "Global Strike for Future", local press reported.
Over 30,000 people, according to police in Brussels, rallied through the streets of the capital to protest against climate change, while over 6,000 people joined demonstrations in other parts of the country.
Protesters held placards screaming "There is no time to waste", "Act now together", "I dry like the planet" in the parade.
Anuna De Wever, co-founder of Youth for Climate, which has been responsible for the previous protests that have taken place in the capital every Thursday since Jan. 10, described the day of global mobilization as historic.
"This is a very strong signal. Actions are carried out in more than 100 countries. The movement continues to grow," she said.
High school and university students, accompanied by their elders, gathered under the banners of the movements "Grandparents for the climate", "Teachers for Climate", as well as organizations such as Greenpeace, Oxfam, Natagora and Amnesty International.
According to local organizers, Friday's strike is to challenge the Belgian state to pursue an ambitious new climate policy and to send a message to the European institutions.
The globally-coordinated day of action has been embraced by about 100 countries, inspired by Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg, who protests weekly outside Sweden's parliament.
