Thousands protest German coal use ahead of climate meeting
Thousands of demonstrators have marched through Bonn to protest the use of fossil fuels ahead of a global climate conference being held in the western German city next week.
Participants in Saturday’s event carried banners with slogans that included « Revolution Not Pollution, » »Frack Off Our Land » and « Trump: Climate Genocide. »
Protest organizers say some 25,000 people took part in the demonstration. Police had no official estimates, but said the size of the crowd was « clearly more » than the 10,000 expected.
Many protesters criticized the German government’s reliance on coal-fired power plants for much of the country’s energy even as it pursues ambitious targets for renewable sources.
Protester Holger Heinrich said: » Germany finally has to contribute, and not only talk. »
The 2017 United Nations Climate Conference known as COP23 begins on Monday.
