The “Rise for Climate Belgium” citizen collection will hold its 5th national and European demonstration in Brussels on Sunday.

The demonstrators will meet at the Gare du Nord at 1pm. The march will start at 2pm and reach the Cinquantenaire Park at around 3.30pm. More than 65,000 people attended the march on Sunday the 2nd of December, the first day of the COP24 conference in Poland. Up to 70,000 attended the march on the 27th of January.

Music will be provided by Charlotte and Bai Kamara, two artists committed to the cause. Various groups will be asked to provide testimonies, points for reflection and discuss concrete eco-friendly solutions for a fair and sustainable ecological transition. A “solutions village” will house NGO and environmental association information stands.

This march will be backed by the following associations: the Climate Coalition, CNCD-11.11.11, Generation Climate, Grandparents for the Climate, Declaration for a State of Environmental Emergency (DEUE) and Youth, Students and Teachers for the Climate.

These organisations want to put pressure on politicians to do something about the urgent climate situation. “Our political system is under the influence of a fossil fuel lobby and around a hundred multinationals, who are responsible for 70% of greenhouse gas emissions,” says Pascoe Sabido. Mr Sabido is a researcher and campaign head for the Corporate Europe Observatory.

Jason Bennett

The Brussels Times