What started last year as a small protest outside the Swedish parliament to encourage politicians to uphold their commitments to fight climate change, has turned into a global movement that even the students of the Sustainable Development course are a part of. Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old Swedish climate activist and recent Nobel Prize nominee, has inspired students in more than 100 countries to skip school for their futures.
On the 15th of March 2019 students of the LL.M along with an estimated 1.4 million people took to the streets of 2,233 cities around the world to show their support. This is not the first time that there has been mass action for the climate but it is certainly the most prevalent. The aim is to ensure that world leaders take the obligations in the Paris Agreement more seriously. The agreement requires a global response to keeping temperatures in check while also strengthening the ability of countries to deal with the impacts of climate change.
Parents and even schools have given their backing to the strikers, along with organizations like Greenpeace, but, there have also been some strong criticisms. Some argue that children should be in school instead of compromising their education for a strike. Despite the backlash, the movement is gaining further traction with Fridays for the Future planning a second global strike on the 15th of April and multiple students asserting that they will continue to protest every Friday.
There have been climate strikes in Piazza della Scala outside Milan’s city hall, Palazzo Marino, for some weeks (Italy even has its own Greta Thunberg) but the amount of people present on the 15th was unprecedented. The march began in Largo Cairoli and ended in Piazza Duomo after weaving through the city. We walked through the streets, placards held high, chanting “scendi giù, scendi giù, manifesta pure tu” for the onlookers in the tall buildings above. There was certainly a feeling of unity and determination that I hope will continue and manifest into something more.
It has been proven that the costs of climate change will be exceptionally high and that if more action is not taken, we will face mass devastation. Students of the march have stressed that they are not represented in government since they cannot vote and up until now, were not heard. But not only young people are taking part in the protests. There are many children with parents, teachers and the elderly. Even Sergio Costa, Italy’s Minister of the Environment expressed his support for the demonstrations and requested greater commitment on the subject of climate change.
Moving forward our governments certainly do need to pay more attention to the environment and luckily they will soon have an opportunity to. European leaders are meeting this week in Brussels to discuss the EU’s long-term climate vision. The EU has already done a lot to address climate issues but let’s wait to see if they will have #FridaysforFuture in mind. Let’s see if they will “scendi giù” and join us too.
Special thanks to the LL.M students who shared their photographs for this post.
