Amsterdam witnesses largest climate protest ever as Dutch election nears
As the Netherlands braces for the upcoming election, Amsterdam witnesses a massive climate protest, drawing 70,000 demonstrators.
The Netherlands heads to the polls on November 22 with climate action ranking low on candidates' priority list. / Photo: AFP
Tens of thousands of protesters have marched through Amsterdam demanding immediate action against the climate crisis, 10 days before the country holds a general election.
Local police said around 70,000 people joined the march on Sunday, including climate activist Greta Thunberg and former EU climate chief Frans Timmermans, who will lead the combined Labour and Green parties at the upcoming election.
Organisers said the turnout was the largest ever at a climate protest in the Netherlands.
Sunday's climate protest have been the largest climate protest in the Netherland's history. / Photo: Reuters
"I'm here because I don't want the planet to become hotter than it already is, and I want the North Pole to remain as cool as it is, and we want to raise awareness for that," protester Anouk Mul said.
Protesters, some wearing scuba diving gear as a reference to rising sea levels and many carrying signs reading "Cut the crap, scale emissions back!" and "Don't like our Climate March? Try living on Mars", marched 3.5 kilometres through Amsterdam singing, chanting and blowing whistles.
The Netherlands heads to the polls on November 22, after an election campaign that has so far been dominated by discussions on migration and the rising cost of living.
Climate issues in general rank lower on most people's priority lists, recent opinion polls have shown.
Timmermans' coalition has made tackling climate crisis one of its main issues and is currently polling in third place, behind two conservative parties who put more emphasis on the need to limit migration.
Climate activist Greta Thunberg joined thousands of people who marched through Amsterdam, Netherlands. / Photo: Reuters
Thunberg's speech in Amsterdam's Museum Square was briefly interrupted by a protester who grabbed the microphone from her accusing her of turning the march into a political event.
Thunberg had handed the microphone to a Palestinian peace activist whose speech earlier was cut short by organisers when she used the contested phrase "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free."
After Thunberg got the microphone back, she chanted "No climate justice on occupied land" repeatedly, videos posted on social media showed.
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