Organiser hopes for 100,000 to roar for the climate in front of Parliament

Oslo.School strike for climate.Photo: Tom Hansen / NTB scanpix

The roar for the climate is being held in Oslo and ten other Norwegian cities on Friday. Organisers are hoping for an attendance of up to 150,000 climate protesters.

The idea is that a roar from so many throats will really awaken the politicians, says Even Nord Rydningen, the initiator of the Climate Roar to NTB.

It is possible to limit global warming. But there is a lack of a really broad, popular support for the tough climate policy that is needed, says Rydningen.

In Oslo, organisers are planning for 100,000 protesters to let the climate message reverberate through the streets, while 50,000 protesters are expected to roar for the climate in ten other cities from Tønsberg to Henningsvær.

If so many people come, it is the setting for a mark of historical size.

“Silent majority”
An important thought behind the action is to activate what Rydningen calls “the silent majority.

“Very many people are concerned about climate change. They now have an effective low-threshold opportunity to show what they mean. What is important is that we make visible how many people end up with this, says Rydningen.

During our short time as a party politically independent association, we have been in contact with trade unions, religious communities, companies, corps and associations. We see that there are many who take ownership of this mark, and that there is great interest in standing shoulder to shoulder with the school strikers and saying that enough is enough.

Friday is also the third national school strike for the climate. Demonstrations have been announced in Oslo and seven other places, including Trondheim and Tromsø.

In the first school strike in March, around 40,000 school students participated.

Will cost
The main requirement for both the Climate Roar and the school strikers is that Norway must fulfill its obligations under the Paris Agreement. Rydningen is concerned that politicians must be honest that the fight to keep warming down will cost.

This is not just a dance on green technology and smart solutions. We’re all going to have to let go of something. But this is the only way to go. We must fight for a more credible climate policy, he says, pointing to what he believes is double communication from politicians.

They protect LoVeSe and at the same time distribute 90 new oil exploration licenses. People do not feel that there is a unified goal and a clear direction on politics, he claims.

However, research indicates that the climate commitment is declining with age. In a Cicero survey presented at Arendalsuka earlier in August, 57 % of those under 30 say they are quite or very concerned about climate change. Among those over 45, a little less than one in three believe this.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today

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