'Won't be silent while the world is on fire,' roars Greta Thunberg at UK climate rally

During the nationwide UK rally organised in Bristol, the teen climate activist, Greta Thunberg denounced the political leaders on February 28 for failing her generation and claimed that she won't be silenced when “the world is on fire”. According to international reports, more than 20,000 people attended the rally in the southwestern English city to see the 17-year-old environmentalist who has demanded action from governments around the world over climate crisis and claimed “we are the change”. Thunberg has also managed to capture the imagination of many young people with impassioned demands for world leaders to take urgent action. 

“I will not be silenced while the world is on fire - will you?” said Thunberg. “This emergency is being completely ignored by the politicians, the media and those in power. Basically nothing is being done... despite all the beautiful words.”

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"Our leaders behave like children so it falls to us to be the adults in the room. They are failing us but we will not back down," Greta told the crowds. 

Meanwhile, reportedly the supporters held the placards which read, “change the politics not the climate”, “The ocean is rising so are we” and “At this point education is pointless”. Thunberg had gained international popularity when she started missing lessons two years ago to protest outside the Swedish parliament building, alone. Since then she has not only become the face of climate change movement but has been nominated for Nobel Peace Prize 2019-20. 

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Organised by Bristol Youth Strike 4 Climate group

The rally was organised by Bristol Youth Strike 4 Climate group as a part of the movement of school students deciding to skip school to protest against lack of action on climate change. According to international media reports, the organisers expected attendance of 15,000 people to 60,000 children from across the nation. A coach company reportedly announced that it was providing transportation to 13 places across the UK including Birmingham, Oxford, Brighton and Cardiff. 

The Bristol police have reportedly closed the area where Thunberg is expected to speak before she joins the march through the city. While in the UK for the climate change rally, Thunberg called the Human rights activist Mala Yousafzai as her “role model” on February 25. Malala also said that teen climate activist Greta Thunberg is her only friend she would consider skipping school for. Both women met at Britain's University of Oxford and also posed for a photo together. 

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(With agency inputs)