From London to New York City and from Perth to Paris, climate activists will take part in a global general strike on Friday in what is expected to be the biggest day of climate demonstrations in the planet’s history.
A Climate Strike march in central Melbourne, Australia, has already gathered a massive crowd.
“This is HUUUGE, Melbourne! Announcers just said over 100,000 people! #climatestrike #Greens,” Greens MP Adam Bandt, who represents the seat of Melbourne in Federal Parliament, tweeted.
The Global Climate Strike is the third in a worldwide series of climate rallies organized by school students, and led by 16-year-old Greta Thunberg.
Read:General Motors auto workers strike in US
But it is not just young people taking part this month, with labor and humanitarian groups, environmental organizations and employees of some of the world’s biggest brands also set to participate.
According to Swedish schoolgirl Thunberg, who is in New York ahead of the United Nations Climate Action Summit on September 23, around 4,638 events have been organized in 139 countries.
By going on strike on September 20 — and September 27 in a few countries — protestors hope to put pressure on politicians and policy makers to act on climate issues.
Read:British Airways warns of continuing disruption after strikes
In an opinion piece for CNN, teenager Katie Eder, co-founder and executive director for Future Coalition, said climate change was “the five-alarm fire that America’s political leaders pretend not to see.”
The 19-year-old added: “On Friday, we’re striking for a Green New Deal; for the immediate cessation of fossil-fuel projects on sovereign indigenous land; for environmental justice; for the protection and restoration of nature; and for sustainable agriculture.
“We’re striking for ourselves, for our friends and family, for the kid who lives down the street from us. We’re striking because it’s what we have to do.”
Source:Â cnn.com