Hundreds protest for climate justice as G7 leaders meet in Bavaria

Hundreds of protesters marched in the southern German town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen on Sunday (26 June), near where leaders of the Group of Seven countries are meeting, demanding action on climate change.

The leaders of the G7, which includes the United States, France, Germany, Britain, Italy and Canada, began a three-day summit at Schloss Elmau in Bavaria on Sunday. It was set to be dominated in part by the conflict in Ukraine.

A banner that read "Global Justice, Saving Climate Instead of Arming", several speakers addressed the crowd, calling for greater action to combat climate change.

One of the protestors, Theresa Stoeckl, said that she was protesting for climate justice and the right decisions so that she has a future.

The protesters were holding an Oxfam banner that read "Stop Burning Our Planet", and seven of them were dressed in traditional Bavarian costumes with masks depicting G7 leaders. While holding beer mugs, they held a model of Earth over a barbecue grill.

Benedikt Doennwagen stated: "Seven heads are of government from different countries and they negotiate about the whole world." We have seen that not all of their negotiations are to the benefit for the whole world.

Erich Utz, another protester, said that the G7 leaders must include young people in their summit and its decisions.

Utz stated: "I am 17 years old. There are people there who are four-times my age and discussing my future without ever asking any young people what they want."

Protestors were expected to gather around 1,000 people, but police stated that there were only 250 at Sunday's protest.

"We believe there will be more. However, we will have to wait and watch," Carolin Englert, a spokesperson for the police, told Reuters.

On the sidelines to the G7 protests, a group of women protestors wore rose garlands and waved Ukrainian flags. They called for an end to Russia's influence.

Ilya Bakhovskyy stated that "we are here to remind both the public and the heads of state of G7 states meeting here that war in Ukraine continues".

On Saturday, around 4,000 protestors marched through Munich calling for the G7 leaders' action to end hunger, poverty and climate change.

Greenpeace activists projected an enormous peace symbol on Waxenstein mountain, near Schloss Elmau, late Saturday night to send a pro and anti-fossil fuel message at the G7 summit.

A small group of protesters can hold a rally at 500m from the castle, where the G7 summit took place on Monday (27 June).

Share this article: