Teen Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, pioneer of the global fight to curb climate change, wished good luck to participants across countries, including the Philippines, on the first day of what is expected to be a massive coorinated protest.
The Global Climate Strike will take place from September 20 to 27 with simultaneous activities and demonstrations to call on authorities to take actions on the worsening environmental crisis.
On the first day of the movement, Thunberg tweeted: “It’s early morning in the Pacific. Soon the sun will rise on September 20th 2019. Good luck Australia, The Philippines, Japan and all the Pacific islands. You go first! Now lead the way!”
She also attached a photo of Earth on her tweet.
Previously, she also tweeted that the global climate strike now included 5,225 events across 156 countries in the world.
“Spread the word and see you in the streets!” she said.
The official locations and events of the Global Climate Strike are listed on its website and Thunberg’s “Fridays for Future” website.
In the Philippines, a total of 17 public demonstrations were registered to take place across cities and provinces.
The registration is still open for individuals or organizations that have planned activities for this advocacy on the succeeding days.
Local organizations that will participate include Greenpeace Philippines, Ilocos Norte Movement against Plastic Pollution and Haribon Foundation, and Zero Waste Pilipinas.
This would be the second time Thunberg organized a large-scale demonstration after her school strike held every Friday called “Fridays for Future” became an inspiration to young environmental activists in the world.
Thunberg, 16, started the advocacy to combat the climate crisis after learning about its consequences in the near future should governments continue to dismiss and downplay it.
She skipped school every Friday starting from August to September 2018 and held a sign “Skolstrejk for Klimatet” (School Strike for Climate).
Following Thunberg’s initiative, activists of mostly young people held a global environmental-related protest last May with 2,300 school strikes in over 130 countries.
The current week-long global mobilizations are expected to be larger than the previous ones.
Thunberg, however, clarified that people are not required to join them.
“If you can’t be in the strike, then, of course, you don’t have to,” she said.