Fridays for Future week of climate action culminates in protests

The Fridays for Future environmental movement led Friday’s climate marches across Catalonia marking the end of the global “Week for Future” of performances, workshops and protests held as the UN climate change summit was taking place in New York.

The largest demonstration was held in Barcelona on Friday evening, gathering 20,000 people according to the Catalan capital's local police. 

Students also participated in a day-long school strike, with 33% of Catalan youths deciding to not go to class. While only 17% of students in Barcelona decided to strike, other areas saw a much greater following, such as the Terres d'Ebre region in southern Catalonia that had 80% of students strike. 

In Barcelona and other parts of Catalonia, as in many cities worldwide, some students took part in a midday protest against climate change that was endorsed by F4F as well as groups including the Sindicat d’Estudiants student union, Greenpeace, Ecologistes en Acció or Climacció.

Many students – 5,000 according to the police and 15,000 according to the organizers – took to the Catalan capital’s Plaça Universitat square behind a sizable “Capitalism kills the planet” sign and marched all the way to Plaça Sant Jaume where activists Yayo Herrero and Daniela Ortiz gave a talk on climate justice.

Larger protests began throughout the country at 6 pm on Friday, with Barcelona’s kicking off from the Jardinets de Gràcia area. Barcelona's march saw an estimated 20,000 people participate in it, while Girona brought together some 5,000 people and 2,000 in Tarragona.