Photos: kids in 123 countries went on strike to protect the climate

“This movement had to happen, we didn’t have a choice.”

An estimated 1.4 million young people in 123 countries skipped school Friday to demand stronger climate policies in what may be one of the largest environmental protests in history.

“This movement had to happen, we didn’t have a choice,” wrote the Swedish activist and strike leader Greta Thunberg with other young climate activists in the Guardian Friday. “We knew there was a climate crisis … We knew, because everything we read and watched screamed out to us that something was very wrong.”

Greta Thunberg speaks a strike outside of the Swedish parliament house, Riksdagen, in Stockholm, Sweden, on March 15. — Greta Thunberg speaks a strike outside of the Swedish parliament house in Stockholm on March 15.

Thunberg, 16, began skipping school to strike in front of Sweden’s parliament in August. Soon students in other countries began to follow her lead in what became the Fridays for Future movement.

As her media presence has grown, Thunberg has become the voice of youth exasperation with policymakers’ failure to take steps to dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions in the face of catastrophic climate change. “Our house is on fire,” she said in a January speech at Davos. “I don’t want you to be hopeful. I want you to panic. I want you to feel the fear I feel every day. And then I want you to act.”

What Thunberg and her fellow protesters want from governments now is to “keep fossil fuels in the ground, phase out subsidies for dirty energy production, seriously invest in renewables and start asking difficult questions about how we structure our economies and who is set to win and who is set to lose,” as they put it in the Guardian. And they have the backing of thousands of scientists who’ve signed letters of support.

Strikes are also expected Friday in more than 100 US cities, and have been organized in large part by three girls: Alexandria Villasenor, Haven Coleman, and Isra Hirsi, daughter of the headline-making first-term Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN).

Here are some of the best photos and video we’ve seen of the strikes in the United States and around the world so far. This post will be updated throughout the day.

Sydney, Australia

Seoul, South Korea

Delhi, India

An Indian child carries a placard as she participates in a school strike called ‘Fridays for future’ to protest against climate change in New Delhi, India, on March 15, 2019.

Indian school students hold placards as they take part in a protest against global warming in New Delhi on March 15, 2019.

Indian school students shout slogans during a protest against global warming in New Delhi on March 15, 2019.

San Francisco, California

Students march along Market Street during a protest against climate change Friday, March 15, 2019, in San Francisco.

London, England

Schoolchildren gather around Queen Victoria Memorial at Buckingham Palace as they take part in a student climate protest on March 15, 2019 in London, England.

I can’t believe how big the #ClimateStrike is here in London. It’s huge. It’s been carrying on up the mall for ever. This is just incredible. They’re so loud and so awesome. pic.twitter.com/XKVVCS2Yj0

— Dr Nick Crumpton (@LSmonster) March 15, 2019

Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town’s #SchoolStrike4Climate outside Parliament this afternoon. ✊ ⛰#FridaysForFuture #climatestrike pic.twitter.com/q6DBYez59u

— Jo Jackson (@jojacks0n) March 15, 2019

Youth in 2 052 places in 123 countries across the globe are taking a stand demanding #ClimateAction! .
Students outside parliament in #CapeTown making their voices heard.#FridaysForFuture #SchoolsStrike4Climate #ClimateStrike #Fridays4Future
Video source: .@AshrafRSA pic.twitter.com/aM5TitsPWz

— Greenpeace Africa (@Greenpeaceafric) March 15, 2019

Washington, DC

Lisbon, Portugal

Portuguese students chant and hoist placards in front of the Assembleia da Republica (Portuguese Parliament) during their demonstration to support actions for climate change on March 15, 2019 in Lisbon, Portugal.

Prague, Czech Republic

Time to close this thread. For those who read all 70+ updates: thanks for sharing this journey over the world. This Climate Generation gives hope, let’s make sure those in power finally take action! ✊ #Fridaysforfuture

Photo: #ClimateStrike in Prague by @zewlakk_foto pic.twitter.com/QJhHxHatOt

— FYEG (@FYEG) March 15, 2019

Dublin, Ireland

There are literally thousands of students on the streets of Dublin taking part in #climatestrike pic.twitter.com/MzFVpMy83v

— Kacey O’Riordan (@KaceyORiordan) March 15, 2019

Young activists during a rally for climate, in Dublin, Ireland.

Stockholm, Sweden

Students participate in a strike outside of the Swedish parliament house, Riksdagen, in order to raise awareness for global climate change on March 15, 2019 in Stockholm, Sweden.

Supporting @GretaThunberg in #Stockholm with many others! Future can be better! #FridaysForFuture #ClimateStrike #shoolstrike pic.twitter.com/b9qvGfjD80

— Esa Nikunen (@EsaNikunen) March 15, 2019