Greta Thunberg to speak at Amsterdam climate protest on Sunday

World-renowned young climate activist Greta Thunberg will attend a protest for climate and justice in Amsterdam on Sunday, the organizer, the Climate Crisis Coalition, announced. She will participate in the protest march in the youth block and will give a speech on Museumplein.

The protest begins with a march starting at Dam Square in the city center, where people will be allowed to gather from noon. Demonstrators will depart the square at 1 p.m. on a route headed on Rokin, then Vijzelstraat, and turning to pass Weteringcircuit and Leidseplein before reaching a stage set up at Museumplein.

The Climate Crisis Coalition, a collaboration of nine civil and environmental organizations, wants to draw attention to the climate crisis and several other crises that face the Netherlands - a housing shortage, poverty, and racism, among other things.

The world is on fire, the organizers said. And instead of helping extinguish it, the Dutch government “is adding fuel to the fire with €37.5 billion in fossil fuel subsidies,” said Peer de Rijk, campaigner for Milieudefensie.

“Almost everyone knows someone who has experienced extreme weather during the summer. Recent climate reports don’t lie: the climate is changing much faster than expected. The crisis is now, and it will get much worse if we don’t take action,” said Hilde Stroot, climate expert at Oxfam Novib.

“Failing government policies and major polluting companies are the main culprits behind these alarming developments. To give you an idea, only 100 companies are responsible for about 71% of all global CO2 emissions. And the richest 1% is responsible for 50% of emissions,” Stroot said. “Urgent, drastic, and large-scale measures are needed. Despite the fact that the climate crisis also affects the Netherlands, Dutch climate measures still fall far short of meeting their own promises.”