According to a news report, tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Amsterdam over the weekend, seeking immediate action on climate change. The protests took place just 10 days prior to the country’s general election.
Local authorities specified that approximately 70,000 individuals participated in the rally. Notable attendees included climate activist Greta Thunberg and former EU climate chief Frans Timmermans, who will be leading the Labour and Green parties in the upcoming election.
The event organizers declared that the turnout marked the largest ever at a climate protest in the history of the Netherlands.
One protester, Anouk Mul, mentioned that the primary reason for their participation was to prevent the planet from getting any hotter than it already is, drawing attention to the importance of maintaining the current state of the North Pole.
The demonstrators, with some sporting scuba diving equipment as a representation of the rising sea levels, carried placards with messages like “Cut the crap, scale emissions back!” and “Don’t like our Climate March? Try living on Mars”. They marched a distance of 3.5 kilometers (2.2 miles) through Amsterdam while singing, chanting, and blowing whistles.
The police reported that there were no major incidents during the protest.
The Netherlands will conduct its general election on Nov. 22, following a campaign that mainly revolved around discussions on migration and the increasing cost of living. Reports from recent opinion polls have indicated that climate issues have been occupying lower ranks on most people’s priority lists.
Timmermans’ coalition has prioritized addressing climate change as one of its key agendas, currently holding the third position in the polls, trailing behind two conservative parties that emphasize the importance of limiting migration.
(Reporting by Bart Meijer; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
