Greta Thunberg has arrived in Bristol by train this morning for her mass climate change rally, where she is expected to draw in thousands of young people from across the UK.
She got a police escort upon arrival, before getting into a Red Nissan Leaf – which is known to be an environmentally-friendly vehicle – that took her to College Green near Bristol Cathedral.
Police together with Bristol City Council have issued a number of warnings of multiple road closures and bus diversions for locals as at least 15,000 people are set to flock to the demonstration.
At around 11am, 17-year-old environmental activist Greta will address a Youth Strike for Climate rally at College Green, before marching her many followers through the city centre.
Event organisers Bristol Youth 4 Climate, which is part of an international movement that organises climate change protests in schools, estimate as many as 60,000 could attend the climate strike.
Roads throughout the north of the city will be closed between 9am and 5pm today, according to tweets of the route posted to social media by the event organisers together with local authorities.
One coach company revealed that it was providing transport from 13 places around the UK, including Oxford, Birmingham, Brighton, and Cardiff, to enable thousands of children to skip school today.
Climate campaigner Greta Thunberg (pictured) arrives at Bristol Temple Meads train station where she transferred to an electric car shortly before she is expected to speak at a school strike protest in the city
Environmental activists gather ahead of the Bristol Youth Strike 4 Climate protest at College Green, where Greta is due to address a rally from 11am today
Event organisers Bristol Youth 4 Climate claim at least 15,000 people from around Britain will attend the Greta-led demonstration (pictured, people holding placards)
Young people from around the country are flocking to Bristol to hear Greta speak (pictured, activists, with one placard saying ‘change the politics not the climate’)
Although it’s not confirmed how the climate activist will arrive in the city, Greta will get a police escort from Bristol Temple Meads railway station (pictured, activists)
The climate activist has already cancelled her anticipated visit of a 50ft-high mural of herself, showing Greta half submerged in melted icewater, paitned against the redbrick wall of the Tobacco Factory in Bedminster.
Yesterday, Bristol City Council and Avon and Somerset Constabulary warned of multiple bus diversions and disruptions to traffic today as part of their combined effort to ‘manage public safety’.
In a joint statement published online, the two authorities revealed that the area covered by road closures stretches from Broadmead and the Bearpit through to the popular student hub Park Street.
‘We have seen a number of protests over the last year however this one will be significantly larger,’ it said. ‘Please do not underestimate the scale of this protest.’ They expect the protest, however, to remain ‘peaceful’.
Barriers erected outside College Green earlier today ahead of an appearance by environmental activist Greta at the Bristol Youth Strike 4 Climate protest
A poster advertising the rally, to be attended by environmental activist Greta which has been pasted to a bus shelter ahead of the Bristol Youth Strike 4 Climate protest today
The climate activist has cancelled her expected visit of a 50ft-high mural (pictured) of herself painted against the wall of the Tobacco Factory in Bedminster
Meanwhile, two local schools announced they had closed ahead of the demonstrations, with Colston’s Girls School writing to parents citing police fears over adults ‘coercing’ youths.
According to the Bristol Post, acting principal Kerry McCullagh expressed fears of ‘criminal acts of damage’ and of young people being in ‘great danger’ ahead of today’s rally.
The school authority had referred to warnings by Supt Andy Bennett of Avon and Somerset Constabulary, who claims to have seen ‘coercion from adults’ in previous Bristol Youth Strikes.
Parents whose children may attend the march are concerned about the potential for ‘crushing’ as Greta, who came to international prominence two years ago, leads thousands through Bristol.
Greta Thunberg (pictured in Germany last week) is set to draw in thousands of children from across the UK to a mass climate change rally in Bristol today
Bristol Youth 4 Climate, which is part of a global movement of pupils which organises climate change strikes, hit back at ‘patronising’ public safety fears, declaring ‘the world’s youth are waking up to and taking action on the climate crisis’.
Around 60,000 people turned out to see Greta when she joined a protest in Hamburg. Since today’s event was announced, thousands of young people from across the country have expressed an interest in marching.
Some schools have agreed to let pupils attend with conditions, and others warn this will be recorded as an unauthorised absence. Last night two Bristol schools – Cathedral Choir and Cathedral Primary – said they would be closing for the demo.
Some schools have agreed to let pupils attend with conditions, and others warn this will be recorded as an unauthorised absence. Last night two Bristol schools – Cathedral Choir and Cathedral Primary – said they would be closing for the demo (pictured, a parent’s tweet)
One Bristol university student – ‘Megan from Omagh’ – was photographed standing outside College Green by Bristol Cathedral waiting for Greta to arrive
Pupils from a school in Chippenham were pictured on their way to Bristol this morning, both holding placards bearing the ominous warning ‘there is no Planet B’
Since today’s event was announced, thousands of young people from across the country have expressed an interest in marching (pictured, tweet of young girl who made placards)
One social-media user tweeted: ‘Speeding (& snoozing) our way to Bristol to hear Greta Thunberg & to climate march’. She added ‘this for Josephine is the dream’
Greta has been in Britain since the weekend, visiting 22-year-old Nobel prize winner Malala Yousafzai (pictured right) at the University of Oxford
Greta has been in Britain since the weekend, visiting 22-year-old Nobel prize winner Malala Yousafzai at the University of Oxford.
The pair shared photos of each other, as Greta called Ms Yousafzai her role model, while she responded that Greta was ‘the only friend I’d skip school for’.
Greta started skipping school two years ago, and became famous for sitting outside the Swedish parliament protesting the Government’s climate policy.
She has since captured the imaginations of young people by demanding fr world leaders to take urgent action to prevent a so-called ‘environmental cataclysm’.