- Title: Coronavirus prompts Friday climate rallies go online
- Date: 13th March 2020
- Summary: STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN (MARCH 13, 2020) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) FRIDAYS FOR FUTURE CLIMATE ACTIVIST, SOPHIA AXELSSON, 19, SAYING: "We are, we can show that we can act in a crisis - that's what we are doing now - and something we have not been doing for the climate crisis. And we think that we shouldn't be really acting like these crises are so much different from each other. I mean, the climate crisis is going to end up with lots more consequences than the coronavirus will. And even looking at thawing permafrost, we can get more diseases and bacteria within the next year so I feel like this is more of a test to see how we can handle it." VARIOUS OF AXELSSON AND OTHER ACTIVISTS POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPH (SOUNDBITE) (English) FRIDAYS FOR FUTURE CLIMATE ACTIVIST, SOPHIA AXELSSON, 19, SAYING: "We always should listen to the scientists and those with the best knowledge and that's what we've been doing with the climate crisis, that's why we are demonstrating for action and this is why we also have started the climate strike online because we need to listen to the scientists when it's important." BANNER ON GROUND READING (English): "Stop Climate Breakdown Now!" VARIOUS OF AXELSSON AND OTHER ACTIVISTS RAISING BANNER/ SWEDISH PARLIAMENT IN THE BACKGROUND
- Embargoed: 27th March 2020 15:26
- Keywords: #ClimateStrikeOnline #DigitalStrike Friday's for Future Greta Thunberg climate strike coronavirus social media
- Location: STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN AND SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES
- City: STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN AND SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES
- Country: Sweden
- Topics: Climate Change,Climate Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA007C4W075Z
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The Fridays for Future youth movement took its climate protest online on Friday (March 13) due to the spreading coronavirus outbreak, with activists from all over the world posting photos of them striking.
Swedish teen Greta Thunberg, the founder of the Fridays for Future youth movement, had called on fellow climate activists to move the weekly rallies online as a growing number of countries are banning large public gatherings in an effort to curb the spread of the virus.
She posted a picture with her dog and signature "School strike for the climate" sign with the hashtags #DigitalStrike, #ClimateStrikeOnline and #schoolstrike4climate.
Thunberg attracts large crowds to protest against climate change. Thousands turned out to hear her in the English city of Bristol last month and thousands more joined her at a rally in Brussels earlier this month.
Sophia Axelsson, 19, and her twin sister Isabelle, who are now both students at Stockholm University, have been striking on Fridays since December 2018. On Friday, Isabelle posted a picture from home while Sophia chose to protest near parliament.
"If you are healthy and your authorities have said that it's okay to be outside then we encourage you to continue to strike, but if you can become sick or if someone close to you can become sick then we encourage you to stay home and strike from home using the digital strike," Sophia Axelsson, who studies biology and earth science, said.
The Fridays for Future movement calls on politicians to listen to climate scientists and take urgent action to against global warming.
(Production: Philip O'Connor, Eleanor Whalley, Ilze Filks) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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