Thousands of people took over the area in and around Queen’s Park in the city’s downtown core on Friday to take part in a climate strike rally for climate justice.
“We can no longer continue with business as usual. This is a crisis. Our governments need to treat the climate crisis like the emergency it is,” said the event’s main Facebook page.
The rally began at 11 a.m. where demonstrators protested, hoisted up signs, drew murals on the pavement and camped out on the south lawns at Queen’s Park.
The march started at noon where the large group headed east on Wellesley Street, south on Bay Street, west on Queen Street and north on University Avenue back to Queens Park.
Demonstrators were equipped with powerful messaging on signs and posters that read: “Global Warming is Real,” “Listen to our Warning,” “There aren’t many Jobs on a Dead Planet.”
The main event was organized by multiple youth-led climate action groups, including Fridays for Future, Climate Justice Toronto and ClimateFast.
Between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. speakers will conclude the rally followed by music performances.
Climate protests took place across the country on Friday, including a rally in Montreal that saw Greta Thunberg, the teenage climate activist from Sweden who spurred today’s global action, take part.
Thunberg said the protests have been very successful so far, calling it “a very good day.”
Mayor John Tory said the Toronto Sign was turned off Friday “in solidarity with all those taking part.”
— With files from Ryan Rocca and the Canadian Press.