More than 60,000 protesters marched today in Swiss capital of Bern calling for stricter policies to combat it climate changeless than a month before the parliamentary elections.
Such large-scale protests are rare in Switzerland and demonstrate a growing public frustration with the pace of political decision-making to combat global warming.
Swiss glaciers have lost 10% of their volume over the past two years, while September was the warmest month on record in a country where temperatures are rising at more than twice the global rate.
“Many have lost hope because the government is approving new road construction and delaying climate legislation. But today we were powerful,” said Georg Klingler, one of the Greenpeace activists who participated in the march.
After marching through the streets of Bern, the demonstrators gathered in the large square in front of the Federal Palace, the seat of the government and parliament.
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The Green Party, which increased its share in the last parliamentary election but is not part of the current government, estimated that more than 60,000 people took part in the demonstration. A Bern police spokesman declined to give an estimate of the number of protesters.
“The parliament, where the majority is held by the big bourgeoisie, prevents rapid, consistent and effective climate protection,” the Green Party said. “We need a change in the next election,” he stressed, referring to the Oct. 22 election.
Switzerland’s policies to date are described as “inadequate” by the Climate Action Tracker, a website that tracks countries’ actions on global warming.
Source: News Beast
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