Rise of Fridays for Future

Fridays for Future is an international youth movement that calls for urgent action against climate change. It grew from the protest of Greta Thunberg, a Swedish schoolgirl, who began sitting outside the Swedish parliament with a sign saying School strike for climate, skipping classes on Fridays to demand that politicians follow the Paris Agreement. Her action attracted wide attention, and students in many countries began their own weekly strikes. Global strike days in 2019 drew millions of participants in cities around the world, and the movement was widely discussed in the media. It also drew criticism from some, who questioned its methods. Its activities were curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, though it continued online and with later demonstrations.

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