Furious protesters across the globe have taken aim at Prime Minister Scott Morrison over his handling of Australia’s bushfire crisis.
Activists from Europe to South America flooded to the streets to demand action on climate change on Friday amid a relentless bushfire season, which has claimed the lives 26 people and destroyed more than 2,000 homes.
More than one billion animals are thought to have perished and at least eight million hectares have been scorched.
Thousands of protesters in London, Berlin, Madrid, Copenhagen and Stockholm displayed posters in support of Australia and the victims of the catastrophic blazes.
A demonstrator in Buenos Aires, Argentina, painted scorched kangaroos on her face during global protests about Australia’s bushfire crisis
’30 per cent of koalas sacrificed to fossil fuel greed,’ a sign from London read. Bushfire Climate change protesters outside the Australian Embassy in London on Friday
Traffic came to a halt in London as Extinction Rebellion protesters, dressed in red or in animal costumes, gathered outside the Australian High Commission
An activist dressed up as a koala outside the Australian Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Friday. More than one billion animals are thought to have perished and at least eight million hectares have been scorched
Face paint was used at the rally in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where demonstrators dressed as koalas and displayed scorched kangaroos on their cheeks.
Traffic came to a halt in London as Extinction Rebellion protesters, dressed in red or in animal costumes, gathered outside the Australian High Commission.
The notorious activist group are focusing on the ‘betrayal’ of the Australian government in their failures to protect the nation from the fires.
‘It’s getting hot Scott,’ one sign from London read.
’30 per cent of koalas sacrificed to fossil fuel greed,’ said another.
Anne Coates, who travelled from Sheffield for the rally, said watching what was happening in Australia was ‘devastating’.
Hundreds of activists from Extinction Rebellion stage a protest outside the Australian Embassy in London
An Argentinean protester painted a black kangaroo with red and yellow flames on her face during the demonstration in Buenos Aires
Extinction Rebellion are focusing on the ‘betrayal’ of the Australian government in their failures to protect the nation from the fires
‘It’s like hell. And it seems like governments around the world are in a race to drag us down to hell,’ she told The ABC.
Ms Coates also described Mr Morrison as ‘a laughing stock around the world’.
‘We’re absolutely furious with him. And I don’t know what’s it going to take. Governments should be listening,’ she said.
Demonstrators in Berlin also flocked to the Australian Embassy to criticise Australia’s climate policy.
A woman dressed up as a koala during Extinction Rebellion demonstration outside the Australian embassy in Berlin
A protester holds a banner reading ‘Australia’s on fire. Siemens wants to support Adani. #No more words’ as activists from Extinction Rebellion protest in front of the Siemens Headquarters in Munich
‘How ’bout no, Scott?’ and ‘#FireScomo’ were two posters aimed at the prime minister during Friday’s protest in London
Thousands of protesters have gathered in central Melbourne and Sydney to call for more action on climate change and the sacking of Prime Minister Scott Morrison amid the country’s bushfires crisis.
Despite pleas from Victorian police and the premier to reschedule the Melbourne event to a less risky fire day, several thousand protesters huddled under umbrellas at the State Library.
Many held banners which read ‘Time is Running Out,’ ‘Declare a Climate Emergency,’ ‘You have blood on your hands, Morrison,’ ‘Make Fossil Fuels History,’ and ‘Sack ScoMo.’
More than 30,000 people rallied at Town Hall Square in Sydney with similar banners.
Protesters in both cities chanted ‘ScoMo has got to go’ while Sydney protesters also yelled ‘the liar from the shire our country is on fire.’
Climate change activists protest against the Australian governments response to the bushfires in Buenos Aires
Prime Minister Scott Morrison was pictured on placards during protests in Buenos Aires and around the world on Friday
Environmental activists stand amid the flames during Friday’s protests about the Australian bushfire crisis
Sydney protester Ambrose Hayes, 14, told AAP people were ‘fed up’ with Mr Morrison because he’s not acting enough on the ‘climate crisis’.
‘This (the bushfire crisis) is caused by climate change, there is no denying it and they’re (the government) just letting it happen,’ he said.
‘They’re not listening to us.’
Izzy Raj-Seppings, the 13-year-old who made headlines when she was moved on by police during a climate protest outside Kirribilli House in December, called on Mr Morrison to step up.
‘What have you done when your country burns? What have you done when the kids are crying?,’ she said on Friday.
Hundreds of protesters also rallied in Adelaide and Brisbane.
Climate activists and members of the environmentalist Extinction Rebellion movement demonstrate outside the Australian embassy in Berlin
Activists from Europe to South America flooded to the streets to demand action on climate change on Friday amid a relentless bushfire season, which has claimed the lives 26 people and destroyed more than 2,000 homes
Mr Morrison this week announced an initial $2 billion bushfires recovery fund and handed over an immediate payment of $60 million to council areas affected by the fires.
He has flagged a royal commission and says any national inquiry into the bushfires crisis would need to examine the impact of climate change.
But while acknowledging there was an appetite to examine the impacts of climate change, he said he would not consider a stronger commitment to carbon emission reductions.
Australia was already ‘meeting and carrying’ its burden on greenhouse gas emissions, Mr Morrison said on Friday.
The Melbourne protest was criticised by Premier Daniel Andrews who warned the protesters could jeopardise their standing by staging a protest that diverts police resources away from bushfires.
‘The protest, against the advice of the police, in the middle of a disaster, that is when you start losing public support, not adding to your public support,’ he told reporters on Friday.
‘I respect people’s right to have a view, I tend to agree with a lot of the points that are being made – climate change is real – but there is a time and a place for everything and I just don’t think a protest tonight was the appropriate thing to do.’
An environmental activist from Extinction Rebellion protests outside the Australian Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa
A demonstrator holds a kangaroo and its joey during protests in London on Friday