The September 2019 climate strikes, also known as the Global Week for Future, were a series of international strikes and protests to demand action be taken to address climate change, which took place from 20 to 27 September 2019. The strikes' key dates were 20 September, which was three days before the United Nations Climate Summit, and 27 September.[3][4] The protests took place across 4,500 locations in 150 countries.[5][6] The event stemmed from the Fridays for Future school strike for climate movement, inspired by Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.[7][8]The Guardian reported that roughly 6 million people participated in the events,[1] whilst 350.org – a group that organised many of the protests – claim that 7.6 million people participated.[2]
The 20 September protests were likely the largest climate strikes in world history.[9][10] Organisers reported that over 4 million people participated in strikes worldwide,[9] including 1.4 million participants in Germany.[11][12] An estimated 300,000 protesters took part in Australian strikes,[13] a further 300,000 people joined UK protests[14] and protesters in New York – where Greta Thunberg delivered a speech – numbered roughly 250,000.[4][10] More than 2,000 scientists in 40 countries pledged to support the strikes.[15]
A second wave of protests took place on 27 September,[16] in which an estimated 2 million people took part in over 2,400 protests.[1][17] There were reported figures of one million protesters in Italy,[18] and 170,000 people in New Zealand.[19] In Montreal, where Greta Thunberg spoke, the Montreal school board cancelled classes for 114,000 of its students.[20][21] An estimated 500,000 protesters, including several federal party leaders, joined the march in Montreal.[22][23]