Call vs climate crisis

MADRID, Spain (AFP) ­­— Thousands of activists from around the globe will simultaneously hit the streets of Madrid and Santiago on Friday to demand urgent action on the climate crisis from world leaders attending the COP25 summit.

The main march will take place in Madrid on the sidelines of the UN climate conference, with a simultaneous rally in the Chilean capital, which had been due to host the 12-day gathering but was forced to pull out due to massive protests.

The COP25 opened on Monday with a stark warning from the UN about the “utterly inadequate” efforts of the world’s major economies to curb carbon pollution, with protesters due to deliver their own message when the march begins at 1700 GMT.

Under the slogan “The world has woken up to the climate emergency,” tens of thousands of activists are expected to join the five-kilometer (three-mile) march from Atocha train station which will feature a significant number of Chilean groups.

Teen eco-warrior Greta Thunberg was also expected to join the rally after making a nearly three-week journey across the Atlantic by catamaran.

Famous for galvanizing a generation of youngsters to fight for the environment, the 16-year-old Swede, who refuses to fly by plane, had been en route to Chile when the venue was changed, forcing her to hitch a ride across the US and back to Europe.

Oscar-winning Spanish actor Javier Bardem, a vocal environmental activist, will also be at the protest, which will feature speeches, music and cultural performances.