Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

COP26: Thunberg tells Glasgow protest politicians are pretending

COP26: Thunberg tells Glasgow protest politicians are pretending

Climate activist Greta Thunberg has told young protesters that politicians attending COP26 are "pretending to take our future seriously".

The arrival of world leaders in Glasgow for the COP26 summit triggered a series of demos across the city.

The gathering attended by Ms Thunberg was one of dozens taking place.

She told fellow activists from "Fridays for Future" that change would not come from politicians at the summit but from individuals showing leadership.

The Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior was sailing up the Clyde, with plans to dock near the conference venue.

Demonstrations by French and Tamil groups were being held south of the River Clyde.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomed world leaders to Glasgow on the first full day of the COP26 summit.

The heads of 120 countries arrived for the talks, including US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron.

About 25,000 delegates will be attending the two-week climate conference in the UN-controlled blue zone on the north side of the River Clyde.

'Led us nowhere'


Many different groups from across the globe will be using the opportunity to make their voices heard as the attention of the world is on Glasgow during the pandemic-delayed summit.

Ms Thunberg was one of the environmental activists speaking at the "Fridays for Future" meeting of young activists at Festival Park, near the COP26 campus.

She said: "This COP26 is so far just like the previous COPs and that has led us nowhere. They have led us nowhere."

"Inside COP there are just politicians and people in power pretending to take our future seriously, pretending to take the present seriously of the people who are being affected already today by the climate crisis.

"Change is not going to come from inside there. That is not leadership - this is leadership."

The Swedish teenager led cries of "climate justice" and "no more blah, blah, blah".

"We're sick and tired of it and we're going to make the change whether they like it or not," she added.

'Turn warm words into action'


Lang Banks, director of WWF Scotland told BBC Scotland's Drivetime he agreed with Ms Thunberg that politicians were not fulfilling their pledges, such as the promise of $100bn to help poorer nations cut emissions by 2020.

He said: "The world leaders have not stepped up to the plate. They have an opportunity now to turn their warm words we've heard today into action.

"We cannot allow them to leave Glasgow without making sure that we are somehow closer to making sure the planet does not burn, and does not warm above 1.5C."



Protesters from Extinction Rebellion made this point directly at Glasgow Central Station, where a small group welcomed conference delegates arriving by train.

The group held up large eyes with signs warning the delegates that they represented the "world's eyes on you".

The Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior travelled up the Firth of Clyde, carrying youth climate activists from Mexico, Uganda, Bangladesh and Namibia.

The Erskine Bridge was closed at short notice, stopping traffic for 90 minutes, to allow the vessel to pass.

After uncertainty over whether it would be allowed to enter the city, Greenpeace said the vessel was given permission to dock at Govan.

It eventually moored at the King George V docks at Shieldhall, downriver from the summit venue.

Assistant Chief Constable Gary Ritchie of Police Scotland said it was outside of the exclusion zone, and the ship had not breached any COP26 restrictions.

Activists travelling on the ship, including Edwin Namakanga from Uganda, hope to send a message to world leaders.

He told BBC Radio Scotland: "We have had a lot of UN climate summits but they have all failed.

"We believe if this COP includes more people from the most affected nations of the world, there will be more hope for change, with leaders not just speaking but at least taking some action before it is too late."


In Royal Exchange Square, UK charity Oxfam organised a Scottish pipe band protest, with participants dressing up as 10 leaders from the world's "highest-emitting" countries.

Angela Merkel, Boris Johnson, Emmanuel Macron, Joe Biden were all caricatured in the band which Oxfam said was guaranteed to produce a "lot of hot air".

Jacobo Ocharan, from the group's global climate initiative, said: "I'm here because we are trying to convince world leaders that this is one of the last opportunities to change the track of the climate crisis."


Back in June, the police said they'd identified four groups of people who might protest at COP26.

The first was the general public. People of all ages who want to make their voices heard. We can expect to see them in their tens of thousands when the COP26 Coalition holds its march and rally in Glasgow.

Then there's the seasoned activists of groups like Extinction Rebellion who use what they call "non-violence direct action" to highlight their cause.

The police said it was possible there could be disorder - that a very small minority of protesters would become violent. Thousands of officers have been given public order training just in case.

And the last group was people who would come to COP26 to protest against the presence of some of the world leaders. So far, it's their voices that have been the loudest.

A large demonstration has been taking place on the other side of the Clyde opposite the conference venue, with members of the UK's Tamil community protesting against Sri Lanka's prime minister.

A demonstration organised by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), calling for regime change in Iran, was being held in George Square.

Hossein Abedini, the NCRI's UK deputy director, said he was in Glasgow to protest against Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and other officials who had "committed crimes against humanity".

He added: "The families of victims of executions are here today to ask the world leaders to stand on the side of the Iranian people and prosecute Ebrahim Raisi and other officials in the Iranian regime."

Many groups are in Glasgow to make a political point
Tamil protestors gathered near Govan before lining the south bank of the River Clyde opposite the conference venue
In Finnieston, a group of Ugandan campaigners gathered to hold a protest against the country's president, Yoweri Museveni.

Along the southern edge of the conference campus, protests were also held by French and Tamil groups.

Tamil activists lined the south side of the River Clyde directly across the from COP26, waving flags to protest against Sri Lanka's prime minister.

And French demonstrators gathered on the Clyde Arc to accuse the French president of supporting the fossil fuel industry.


Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg says politicians at COP26 are "pretending to take our future seriously"

Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior sails under Erskine Bridge


AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
×