global climate strike 2021

Toronto joins thousands in global strike for climate protest

Toronto joins thousands of protesters around the world for 2021's global climate strike on Friday.

The global event has already drawn huge crowds in Germany.

The protest marks a return to in-person events after pandemic lockdowns.

"It has been a very strange year and a half with this pandemic. But of course, the climate crisis has not disappeared," said Swedish activist Greta Thunberg ahead of the event. "It's the opposite — it's even more urgent now than it was before."

The climate strike comes after the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report in August stated humans are "unequivocally" to blame for climate change and the world is already certain to face further climate disruptions for decades.

In Toronto, the protest, organized by Fridays for Future, starts at Queen's Park at 12:30 p.m. for a rally followed by a march and music.

The group is striking with the message "Uproot the System" in an effort to address the root causes of the climate crisis.

"By striking on September 24th under the banner #UprootTheSystem, we recognize and raise awareness about the intersections of climate and socio-economic crises including racism, sexism, ableism, class inequality and more.

By striking together, united by common struggles, we demand a rapid and fair decarbonization of our economy, for a safer, greener, more just future," Fridays for Future states.

In 2019 the climate strike drew thousands in Toronto, crowding into the TTC and packing the streets. Worldwide an estimated six million people attended events.

Lead photo by

Hector Vasquez


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