Photos: Thousands of school kids protest for climate measures in The Hague
Thousands of kids and teenagers in the Netherlands skipped school on Thursday to protest in The Hague for more action to be taken against climate change. They carried banners and signs with slogans like "If the climate were a bank, it would already have been saved". The protest happened peacefully and without incident, NU.nl reports.
The pupils marched from the Malieveld, through the Mauritskade and back to the field. The police estimate that between four and five thousand young people participated. According to organizer Youth For Climate, around 8 thousand pupils took part in the demonstration.
There was also a large police presence at the demonstration, but the police officers did not have much to do.
On Thursday morning 350 Dutch scientists and academics published an open letter in Trouw in which they expressed support for the pupils' action. "On the basis of the facts provided by climate science, the activists are absolutely right." They added that it is "high time" for political leadership, effective measures and behavioral change. "Otherwise the group of young people who are protesting for their own future this week, will be the victims.
