Climate strikes, environmental protests in February 2020

By Burak Bir

ANKARA (AA) - 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.