Climate strikes, environmental protests in February 2020
Strikes, demonstrations, protests continue to grip world as environment, climate change awareness tightens
ANKARA
In the month of February, people across the world continued to stage strikes, demonstrations and protests calling for action against human-made climate change and damage to the environment.
In only the decade's second month, activists and concerned citizens alike held events at an average of every other day across a myriad of countries.
They included the Fridays for Future protests sparked by 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg, eight-year-old Indian activist Licypriya Kangujam's protest in front of her parliament, the beginning of the first climate strikes in Mongolia and demands for 100% renewable energy by 15,000 activists in Ukraine.
Feb. 2:
- Nearly 250 university professors in Canada sign a letter to support environmental group Extinction Rebellion’s fight against climate change.
Feb. 3:
- Palestinian farmers gather and display affected agri-product by poisoned pesticides to protest against Israel, claiming it poisoned agricultural lands near the border and are harming crops in Gaza City.
- 16-year-old environmental activist Elijah McKenzie-Jackson completes the seventh week of hunger strike outside of the U.K.’s parliament, protesting West Cumbria coal mine.
Feb. 7:
- A group of Yale University students in the U.S. shut down a firm representing ExxonMobil, which is criticized by environmentalist groups around the world.
Feb. 8:
- Eight-year-old Indian environmental activist Licypriya Kangujam completes one year of climate protests in front of the country’s parliament.
- Kenyan activist Elizabeth Wathuti hit her eighth climate strike week, and carries a sign reading -- The climate is changing, why aren’t we?
Feb. 9:
- Environmental activists are seen taking action on Global Day of Action to Protect the Ocean by wearing a penguin costume in Pekanbaru city of Riau, Indonesia.
Feb. 10:
- Environmental activists make ice penguin sculpture at Muizenberg beach in the South African capital of Cape Town to raise awareness about Africa’s endangered species and climate change’s effects on bio-diversity.
Feb. 11:
- First climate strikes in Mongolia starts with Tuul Erdenebileg and she says “Climate change is everyone’s problem.”
Feb. 13:
- Students from more than 55 universities across the U.S. hold rallies and demonstrations to call for fossil-free world as part of Fossil Fuel Divestment Day.
Feb. 14:
- Activists of “Youth Strike 4 Climate” from the U.K. campaign for Fridays For Future movement take to the street for first climate strike of decade.
Feb. 15:
- Various demonstrations are held across Canada, including blocking railways, in solidarity with the Wetsuwen community standing against the government’s new pipeline project.
- Climate activists protest London Fashion Week by stopping traffic with a street demonstration, demand the cancellation of event as it is claimed to be “a global hub of wasteful overconsumption” by the protestors.
Feb. 17:
- Some 20 Sunrise Movement activists, including six underage students who demand lawmakers back “Green New Deal” are arrested at the Capitol protest in the U.S.
Feb. 21:
- Nearly 15,000 activists from various organizations, including Energy Transition Coalition, hold demonstration outside Ukraine's Environment Ministry in the capital of Kyiv to demand 100% renewable energy by 2050.
- Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg attends Friday’s climate strike in the German city of Hamburg where thousands of protesters gather.
- Kenyan activist Elizabeth Wathuti and a group of activists gather at Uhuru Park in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi for the tenth week of climate strikes.
Feb. 23:
- Indonesian young activists hold demonstrations on streets in the capital of Jakarta to demand the government to declare a climate crisis.
Feb. 28:
- Tens of thousands of activists, including children, gather in Bristol, the U.K. for a climate strike, with Thunberg attending and addressing protests.
