The demonstration brought together half a million people in a new "global climate strike", which was attended by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
"We are changing the world"Sweden's Greta Thunberg kicked off on Friday 27 September after a giant demonstration in Montreal. According to the organizers, it brought together almost half a million people, unprecedented in Quebec and one of the largest events ever held in Canada. Police did not give any official figures but she welcomed a mobilization 'Historic' which took place without major incidents.
"We are not in school today, you are not at work today, because there is urgency and we will not sit idly by", defended the activist of the fight against political inaction in the face of global warming. "This week, leaders from around the world gathered in New York. They disappointed us once again with their empty words and inadequate plans. ", she lamented, referring to the United Nations (UN) climate summit earlier this week.
While Canada is in the middle of an election campaign, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has mingled with the crowd after announcing new measures for the environment, as he has done almost every day since the beginning of the week. In the morning he had met the young Swedish environmental activist one-on-one. A meeting that did not stop Greta Thunberg from scratching the Canadian government's environmental policy. Like most of the world's leaders, Mr. Trudeau "Do not do enough" for the planet, she said at a press briefing before the event. He said to himself " fully agree " with her. "That's exactly what we will do"he promised. In the process, he pledged to plant two billion trees for ten years if he were re-elected on October 21st.
Today, we have walked for our planet, for our children, and for their future. #ActionClimatique … https://t.co/pEPzzPfaLs
Trudeau criticized for his environmental policy
In mingling with the demonstrators, Mr. Trudeau, surrounded by his wife, Sophie Grégoire, and their children, took the risk of being challenged by the demonstrators on his environmental policy. One of them was arrested unceremoniously and was thrown to the ground by the police while insulting the head of the government and threatening to throw eggs at him, according to CBC. Mr. Trudeau was keen criticized for nationalizing the Trans Mountain pipeline, which brings oil from the Alberta oil sands to the shores of British Columbia, much to the chagrin of environmental groups.
Asked about her criticisms, Greta Thunberg said she sees a " compliment ". "Today we make too much noise and people have trouble managing, so they try to shut us up. We should take this for a compliment »she said.
The procession of protesters symbolically ended its race a stone's throw away from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Coincidentally, the leaders of civil aviation, regularly accused by the environmental movement for their contribution to global carbon emissions, have been meeting since Tuesday and until October 4 for their triennial assembly on the same subject.
