More than 50,000 protestors march in Glasgow, London and other British cities to demand action on climate change from COP26 conference
More than 50,000 eco-warriors are demonstrating through UK cities including Glasgow, London and Bristol today, demanding urgent action to tackle the climate crisis.
Thousands of people including students and Left-wing activists are marching through Glasgow, where the Cop26 conference is being held, and carrying red flags and banners reading 'Capitalism is killing the planet' amid a significant police presence.
In Scotland's second city, demonstrators brought the centre to a standstill by chaining themselves to the King George V Bridge, blocking pedestrians and cars as they sang 'power to the people' and unfurled a banner which read: 'Climate revolution… or we will lose everything'. Police Scotland said on Twitter they are 'engaging' with protesters and are 'safely removing' them.
In London, hundreds of protesters gathered at the Bank of England for the start of a two-mile march through the city to Trafalgar Square, banging steel drums, chanting 'one solution' and waving Extinction Rebellion banners reading 'tell the truth'.
Speaking on stage at Trafalgar Square, former Green Party leader Sian Berry said climate change protesters represent 'the majority'. To cheers from the crowd, she said: 'We are here in our thousands, in our millions, we are most people now, and we will be heard.'
Ms Berry added: 'We cry out in huge majorities: let us divest tax injustice and reparations, let us tax frequent flyers, make our public transport cheap and fantastic, insulate our homes, clean our air and our streets, clean our energy.'
Across the Irish Sea, activists congregated in Belfast ahead of a noisy and colourful march through the city centre before a planned rally at City Hall - while in the Republic of Ireland, hundreds of demonstrators gathered at the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin.
In total, some 200 events are taking across the UK and around the world including France, the Netherlands and Australia, according to organisers The Cop26 Coalition. The marches come after Greta Thunberg led schoolchildren and their parents through Glasgow yesterday as they protested against investment in fossil fuels and 'failure' to tackle the climate crisis.
On one stage at the conference, actor Idris Elba warned Cop26 that the climate crisis poses a threat to global food security. Sitting on the same panel, climate justice campaigner Vanessa Nakate of Uganda implored the world to stop burning fossil fuels, the main cause of rising global temperatures.
Miss Thunberg, 18, called the Cop26 conference, where countries are meeting in a bid to increase ambition on cutting greenhouse gas emissions, 'a global north greenwash festival, a two-week long celebration of business as usual and blah blah blah'.
The latest demonstrations come midway through the summit, which has seen world leaders gather to set out the action they are taking and commit to curb deforestation, phase out coal, end funding for fossil fuels abroad and cut methane emissions.
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Climate activists attend a protest organised by the Cop26 Coalition in Glasgow on November 6, 2021
Climate activists attend a protest organised by the Cop26 Coalition in Glasgow on November 6, 2021
A demonstrator is detained during a protest on the King George V Bridge in Glasgow
A climate change protester with a sign that says 'I want a hot boyfriend not a hot planet' painted on in red and black on cardboard
Police officers keep guard as demonstrators attend a protest amid the Cop26 summit in Glasgow
Climate protestors gather for the Global Day of Action for Climate Justice march in Glasgow on November 6, 2021
A climate activist speaks as protestors gather for the Global Day of Action for Climate Justice march in Glasgow on November 6, 2021
A demonstrator speaking on a megaphone during a protest in Glasgow
Climate activists attend a protest organised by the Cop26 Coalition in Glasgow, Scotland
The cops at COP26: Police line up to protect protesters at the UN climate change conference in Glasgow, which continued today
Protesters take part in a rally organised by the Cop26 Coalition in London demanding global climate justice
Climate activists gather near the Bank of England as they take part in a protest through the streets of London
Thousands of protesters are gathering around the world today ahead of mass demonstrations about climate change. Pictured: Protesters in the city of London
Demonstrators participate in a protest outside the Bank of England in London on November 6, 2021
A climate-conscious young boy holds up a homemade poster that says 'Save Planet Earth' in multi-coloured writing at a protest in London today
Demonstrators hold banners while they participate in a protest in London on November 6, 2021
Demonstrators hold banners while they participate in a protest in London on November 6, 2021
Protesters gather in Trafalgar Square having marched into central London from the City of London
Climate activists take part in a protest through the streets of London, Saturday
Hollywood actor Idris Elba, who is a UN Goodwill Ambassador, speaking at COP26 in Glasgow today (left). He was joined by his wife Sabrina Elba, who is also a UN IFAD Goodwill Ambassador (right)
Police officers with protesters taking part in a rally organised by the Cop26 Coalition in Glasgow
Members of the Red Rebel Brigade, an international performance artivist troupe participate in a protest rally during global day of action on climate change in Glasgow
Police tug at a bag as they halt part of a march by protesters taking part in a rally organised by the Cop26 Coalition in Glasgow
Many protesters have signs adorned with 'blah', echoing the description of the COP26 summit by 18-year-old activist Greta Thunberg
A woman holds a poster that says 'seize the wealth of the billionaires' and 'make the polluters pay' as a man helps her carry a climate change banner made by a Trotskyist organisation
Climate change protesters have started to gather in Glasgow to protest politicians' action to battle global warming across the world
Mena and women waving red flags were guarded by police officers in Glasgow during the demonstrations in the city today
A demonstrator in a crimson mask with brightly dyed red hair protests climate change in Glasgow. Eco-demonstrators often wear red to symbolise the blood that binds humanity together
A climate change protester holds up a placard that says 'There is no Planet B' during a climate change demonstration in Glasgow today
A woman in a red wig and matching anorak holds up a sign that alludes to the 1.5C target for warming temperatures by the end of the century. The cap would help prevent against further global warming, which could lead to more natural disastersBut there is still a significant gap between the measures countries have committed to and what is needed to avoid more than 1.5C of warming, beyond which the worst floods, droughts, storms and rising seas of climate change will be felt.
Countries are under pressure to agree a process to increase ambition in the next decade, as well as deliver finance for developing countries to cope with the crisis and finalise the last parts of how the global Paris Agreement on climate change will work.
As the protests take place, negotiations continue at Cop26, while the conference is also focusing on the role of nature, land use and agriculture in tackling climate change on Saturday.
Jason Cook, 54, from Wootton Bassett, said he and two friends were marching through Glasgow because they were tired of hearing 'blah, blah, blah' from leaders on climate action.
The three men had come to the march wearing helmets, each adorned with a sign which said 'blah', echoing the description of the Cop26 summit by Ms Thunberg.
Dave Knight, 51, from Wiltshire, said the best way to stave off the worst effects of climate change is to end the use and extraction of fossil fuels. He also said 'significantly more investment' was needed in renewables.
Demonstrators will also be on the streets of central London, as well as for 200 events across the UK and around the world, organisers said.
Ms Blake, 33, from Kentish Town in north London, said she had joined the protest so the Government would 'make the right decisions for our children' at the Glasgow summit.
Another parent, Valkan Aran, 48, from Stoke Newington, carried his four-year-old daughter Aylin on his shoulders and told local media he wanted to show her how to take action for her future.
Katie Harrington was among the crowds who gathered at the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin for a march through the city to Government Buildings.
'For me it's extremely important that we use our voices,' said the Dublin woman.
'I'm not here for myself, I'm here for future generations. We need our government to actually act on climate change and the climate crisis, not just keep talking and not just keep making plans.
'It's really important for us to use our voices and march on these streets so we're heard.'
Among those to address a rally at Belfast City Hall was acclaimed teenage author and naturalist from Co Fermanagh Dara McAnulty.
'We are at a junction as a species and there are two paths in front of us,' he told the crowds. 'One - we change our future, we make a difference, we go on the road to restorative justice and climate action.
'Or we can go down the path of further destruction and inevitably the demise of our species.'
The events on the island were part of a global day of action aimed at increasing pressure on world leaders attending the Cop26 conference on climate change in Glasgow.
Catherine O'Rourke from Liverpool was in Dublin to visit her daughter. She said she felt compelled to come down and join in the protest.
'I am very concerned about the future for my grandchildren and my great grandchildren and we've got to make a difference,' she said. 'We can't just hope for it, we've got to do it. We've got to make our governments wake up before it's too late. It's already nearly too late. I had to come - I'd no choice.'
Susan Rossney from Dublin credited the Irish government with making 'good progress' on climate action. But she added: 'It still bears repeating every day and in every possible format that everyone has to take action on the climate crisis.
'It's for us now, it's for the entire world and it's so unjust that so much pollution is being created by the developed world and the developing world is bearing the brunt of this.'
Daithi McKay, the vice chair of the NI Climate Coalition, helped organise the event in Belfast.
'We've heard a lot of promises, we've heard a lot of pledges,' he said of Cop26. 'But we need much more than that - we need immediate action.'
Climate change activists in Sydney joined together in calling for the rich to be abolished, which the eco-warriors allege will save the planet. Tens of thousands of protesters are marching for action on global warming around the UK and the rest of the world today
People take part in demonstration '26 years of COP: only words in the air! for a popular ecology!' to demand actions from world leaders against climate change, in Lausanne, Switzerland
People take part in demonstration '26 years of COP: only words in the air! for a popular ecology!' to demand actions from world leaders against climate change, in Lausanne, Switzerland
Protesters take part in a demonstration, in Amsterdam, on November 6, 2021
Environmental activists display portraits of world leaders Joe Biden, Narendra Modi, Vladimir Putin, Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron in front of the Paris city hall on November 6, 2021
Climate protestors gather for the Global Day of Action for Climate Justice march on November 6, 2021 in Glasgow
Police halt part of a march by protesters taking part in a rally organised by the Cop26 Coalition in Glasgow
People hold up signs and banners during a protest amid the Cop26 climate conference in Glasgow on Saturday
People hold up signs and banners during a protest amid the Cop26 climate conference in Glasgow on Saturday
People hold up signs and banners during a protest amid the Cop26 climate conference in Glasgow on Saturday
A climate activist shouts out during a protest organised by the Cop26 Coalition in Glasgow
Mounted police officers si on their horses as they stand on duty during a protest rally during a global day of action on climate change in Glasgow
Climate protestors gather for the Global Day of Action for Climate Justice march on November 6, 2021 in Glasgow
Protesters at College Green on November 06, 2021 in Bristol
Protesters march on November 6, 2021 in Bristol, in solidarity with protesters in Glasgow
Protesters march on November 6, 2021 in Bristol, in solidarity with protesters in Glasgow
Protesters march on November 6, 2021 in Bristol, in solidarity with protesters in Glasgow
Protesters march on November 6, 2021 in Bristol, in solidarity with protesters in Glasgow
Climate activists attend a protest organised by the Cop26 Coalition in Glasgow
Protesters gather at College Green prior to the march on November 06, 2021 in Bristol
With faces painted white, protesters wore clothing designed to remind everyone present of the blood that binds humanity together in costumes inspired by Bristol street performers the Invisible Circus
Dancers from the Matavai Pacific Cultural Arts Centre are seen during a rally to mark the Global Day of Action on Climate in Sydney
Marches for climate change are happening around the world today. More than 50,000 people are expected to decscend on the UK's streets. Pictured: People participate in a rally in Sydney today
Protesters in Australia gathered in Sydney to voice their displeasure at the way politicians are handling the threat of climate change
Extinction Rebellion protesters were protesting about climate change during a rally to mark the Global Day of Action on Climate in Sydney today
Protesters gather on Gyllyngvase Beach as protesters across the UK march on Climate 'Day Of Action'
Protesters gather on Gyllyngvase Beach as protesters across the UK march on Climate 'Day Of Action'
Demonstrators have started to make their way to the protest in Glasgow today as the the UN Climate Change Conference COP26 continues in the city
A man and a woman stand and sit on and near to bikes that will be used during the protest. Each bike has a banner reading 'people around the world are marching for climate justice'Chloe Ferguson, the chair of Queen's University Students' Union Climate Action Group, said street protests could have a 'massive impact'. 'When we look at what politicians and what our leaders respond to, they listen to what's going to cause them the most bother publicly,' she said.
The marches come after thousands of youth activists, including Miss Thunberg, marched through Glasgow on Friday to decry investment in fossil fuels and failure to tackle the climate crisis.
Miss Thunberg called the Cop26 conference, where countries are meeting in a bid to increase ambition on cutting greenhouse gas emissions, 'a global greenwash festival, a two-week long celebration of business as usual and blah blah blah'.
The young Swedish activist has digressed from her usual calmly mannered rhetoric and opted for a few more choice words about politicians and how they have reacted to climate change.
The teenage activist spoke about people being 'p****d off' by protests and was also filmed singing 'You can shove your climate crisis up your a***' while outside Cop26.
Miss Thunberg gave a passionate and foul-mouthed speech last week, telling demonstrators: 'Inside Cop, there are just politicians and people in power pretending to take our future seriously... No more blah blah blah, no more whatever the f*** they are doing inside there!'
As heads of Government from around the world discussed what could be done to save the planet from ruin, the Swedish eco activist appeared to lay the blame for looming natural disasters squarely on them as she riled up her fellow activists with a chant of: 'You can shove your climate crisis up your a***'.
However, US special presidential envoy for climate John Kerry said there was a greater sense of urgency and focus at the Cop26 talks than ever.
However, he added he was 'frustrated' over the pace of climate action and warned it was 'not job done' at the conference.
The latest demonstrations come midway through the Cop26 summit, which has seen about 120 leaders gather in Glasgow to set out the action they are taking and commit to curb deforestation, phase out coal, end funding for fossil fuels abroad and cut methane emissions.
Yet there is still a significant gap between the measures countries have committed to and what is needed to avoid more than 1.5C of warming, beyond which the worst floods, droughts, storms and rising seas of climate change will be felt.
Countries are under pressure to agree a to increased ambition in tackling global warming in the next decade, as well as to deliver money for developing countries to cope with the crisis and finalise the last parts of how the global Paris Agreement on climate change will work.
As the protests take place, negotiations continue at Cop26, while the conference is also focusing on the role of nature, land use and agriculture in tackling climate change on Saturday.
One of the protesters taking part in Saturday's demonstrations, Mikaela Loach, is a young Scottish climate activist who is challenging the UK's North Sea oil and gas expansion in court.
She said: 'Many thousands of us are marching right across the world today to demand immediate and serious action. We're clear that warm words are not good enough and that the next week of talks must see a serious ramping up of concrete plans.'
The demonstrations come after months of eco-warriors from Insulate Britain, an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion, have divided public opinion about their extreme protesting methods.
The climate enthusiasts blocked roads by sitting down or gluing themselves to the tarmac, causing havoc for commuters.
Just last week the group were ridiculed for blocking an insulation lorry carrying the exact materials they want installed in homes across the country as activists took their sit-down protests to the heart of Westminster.
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