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WORLD NEWS Saturday 21 September 2019

Tens of thousands join climate protests before UN summit

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) "I have basically been told
— Tens of thousands of pro- that because it is not a
testers joined rallies on Fri- valid reason to be missing
day as a day of worldwide school — it is not a medical
demonstrations calling reason or anything — I am
for action against climate going to get a zero on the
change began ahead of a test if I don't actually sit it,"
U.N. summit in New York. she said.
Some of the first rallies in "Even though we ourselves
what is being billed as a aren't sick, the planet
"global climate strike" were which we live on is, and we
held in Australia's largest are protesting and fighting
city, Sydney, and the na- for it," she added.
tional capital, Canberra. Siobhan said her math
Australian demonstra- teacher had given her the
tors called for their nation, option to sit the exam be-
which is the world's largest fore Friday, but she was un-
exporter of coal and liquid able to do so because of
natural gas, to take more her commitments as one of
drastic action to reduce the protest organizers.
greenhouse gas emissions. Acting Prime Minister Mi-
Organizers estimate more A girl holds a sign during a protest at the Old Town Square in Prague, Czech Republic, Friday, Sept. chael McCormack said stu-
than 300,000 protesters 20, 2019. dents should be in school.
took to Australian streets Associated Press "These sorts of rallies should
in what would be the larg- be held on a weekend
est demonstrations in the democracy, about 50 day's rallies, while Austra- Siobhan Sutton, a 15-year- where it doesn't actually
country since the Iraq War people found a different lian schools varied on what old student at Perth Mod- disrupt business, it doesn't
began in 2003. reason to demonstrate: cli- action, if any, they would ern School, said she would disrupt schools, it doesn't
Similar rallies were planned mate change. take against children who fail a math exam by at- disrupt universities," Mc-
Friday in cities around the Carrying banners and post- skipped classes to attend tending a protest in the Cormack told reporters in
globe. In the United States ers, they chanted "Stop the demonstrations. west coast city of Perth. Melbourne.q
more than 800 events were pollution" as they marched
planned, while in Germany along the harbor front un-
more than 400 rallies were der a blazing sun. French president says committed to
expected. The protests are partly in-
In New Delhi, one of the spired by the activism of helping Lebanon's economy
world's most polluted cities, Swedish teenager Greta
dozens of students and en- Thunberg, who has staged
vironmental activists chant- weekly demonstrations un- Associated Press
ed "We want climate ac- der the heading "Fridays for PARIS (AP) — France's presi-
tion" and "I want to breathe Future" over the past year, dent says Paris "is fully com-
clean" at a rally outside the calling on world leaders to mitted" to implementing
Ministry of Housing and Ur- step up their efforts against the decisions taken during
ban Affairs. climate change. Many who a conference last year to
They carried banners with have followed her lead are help Lebanon improve its
some displaying messages students, but the move- economy.
like "There is no Earth B." ment has since spread to Emmanuel Macron made
Hundreds of people civil society groups. his comments Friday while
marched in Thailand's cap- Similar coordinated pro- receiving Lebanese Prime
ital and staged a "die-in" tests in March drew crowds Minister Saad Hariri, who is
outside the Ministry of Nat- around the world. on an official visit to Paris
ural Resources to demand Protests were staged in 110 seeking support as dept-
the government declare a towns and cities across Aus- ridden Lebanon deals with French President Emmanuel Macron, right, and Lebanese Prime
climate emergency, ban tralia on Friday, with orga- an ongoing economic cri- Minister Saad Hariri answer reporters in the garden of the Elysee
coal energy by 2025 and nizers demanding govern- sis. Palace, Friday, Sept. 20, 2019 in Paris.
completely replace fossil ment and business commit Lebanon has been slowly Associated Press
fuel energy with renewable to a target of net zero car- enacting certain reforms
energy by 2040. bon emissions by 2030. in order to meet conditions Paris in April 2018. an agreement with the
In Hong Kong, where near- Australian universities said for the release of $11 billion Macron said the money Lebanese government for
daily protests all summer they would not penalize in loans and grants made has been mobilized and them to be implemented
have demanded greater students for attending Fri- by international donors in that "we have reached quickly."q