WARSAW, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of schoolchildren took to the streets of Warsaw and other Polish cities on Friday as part of a global climate strike.
"Enough of being passive, we want to have a future," "You cannot contain us, we will fight while there is still time," chanted hundreds of students in Constitution Square in the center of Warsaw on Friday morning. Meanwhile, hundreds also gathered in other Polish cities.
The youth climate strike was inspired by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and is taking place over the week of 20-27 September in 156 countries on all continents.
"We want to show that we are not passive when our politicians are letting us down," 15-year-old Ania Szambelan told Xinhua while listening to speeches by her peers in Constitution Square.
"Give us back our future" and "You are never too small to make a difference" were some of the banners that the children were carrying as they started their march.
Poland is one of a handful of central and eastern European countries which earlier this year blocked the European Union (EU) from adopting a carbon neutrality target for 2050.
Poland produces 80 percent of its electricity from coal, and has for years been blocking the adoption of ambitious climate targets. Warsaw now argues that it needs more financial aid from the EU to be able to transition away from coal.
Inspired by Thunberg, Polish kids started their strikes last year, and a significant mobilization is expected next week. On Sept. 27, a larger march is scheduled in Warsaw.
A survey published on Sept. 17 by the Polish portal oko.press showed that 38 percent of those polled said that climate change was what worried them the most.
