Teenage climate change activist Greta Thunberg received a rock star reception from thousands of followers as she led a major march through New York City.
The 16-year-old Swede said she was overwhelmed by the success of yesterday’s protests – with mass demonstrations being held across the globe.
However, she criticised US President Donald Trump’s response to the global climate crisis.
Teenage activist Greta Thunberg was one of thousands of young people seen taking to the streets of New York as part of a worldwide rally calling for action on climate change
Ms Thunberg addressed thousands of New Yorkers as 1.1 million school children were told they could attend the demonstration if they had their parent’s permission
Ms Thunberg, pictured, announced that climate change deniers were ‘sad’ and declared the demonstration a major success
‘We are missing lessons to teach you one’: A student held up a powerful placard in New York on Friday as public school students were exempt from classes in order to hit the streets for a protest
The sheer scale of New York’s climate rally could be seen from the air, as demonstrators flooded roads in Manhattan’s bustling downtown
Speaking to reporters during the march, Ms Thunberg said: ‘It’s just such a victory. I would never have predicted or believed that this was going to happen someday. And so fast, only in 15 months. I can’t wait to see the official numbers come in. It will be magnificent.
‘I think if enough people get together and stand up for this then that can have a huge difference, to put pressure on the people in power, to actually hold them accountable and to say you need to do something now.’
Ms Thunberg admitted some countries were responding with greater urgency to the impending crisis.
She claimed: ‘It’s a bit worse than in other countries. The arguments for continuing to not do anything and the empty words and promises and lies are the same. Some countries are more extreme than others but it’s not much different.’
Ms Thunberg dismissed climate change deniers as ‘sad’. She said: ‘You just have to ignore them because they are just desperately trying to remove the focus from the climate crisis to make it something about me as an individual rather than the crisis itself. When they do that, they don’t have any arguments left.’
World leaders are meeting in New York to discuss the climate change emergency.
World leaders will fly into New York next week in order to discuss the climate change crisis
Youngsters and adults alike chanted slogans and waved placards in demonstrations that started in Asia and the Pacific, spread across Africa, Europe and Latin America, before culminating in the United States where Thunberg rallied.
She told a rally in New York: ‘Change is coming whether they like it or not. Why should we study for a future that is being taken away from us? We demand a safe future. Is that really too much to ask?’
In New York, the city’s Department of Education said all its 1.1 million schoolchildren were free to skip class to participate in the strike if they had parental consent – without any fear of punishment as Ms Thunberg, who has been nominated for a Nobel prize for her climate activism, spearheaded a rally at the United Nations headquarters.
Led by climate activist Greta Thunberg (centre), young activists and their supporters rally for action on climate change in New York City today
Students and activists march to the US Capitol during the global climate strike march in Washington DC today
Thousands of environmentalist gather during a demonstration to draw attention to global warming and climate change in Brussels, Belgium
Students take part in a demonstration part of the Fridays for Future global climate strike, in Wageningen, The Netherlands
Bali: People display placards during a rally as part of a global climate change campaign at Sanur beach on Indonesia’s resort island
Young people hold up banners as they take part in a march, part of the global Climate Walk 2019, against climate change in Wakiso, Uganda
Kenyan environment activists dressed in plactic waste attire join hundreds of youths and students during a protest against climate change in the streets of Nairobi, Kenya
Greek students and activists of environmental take part in a Global Climate Strike rally of the movement Fridays for Future in Athens, Greece
Schoolchildren protest with banners outside parliament in London, Friday, September 20
Young people gather for a protest against climate change at the Old Town Square in Prague, Czech Republic
Young demonstrators take part in the Global Climate Strike protest in Bangkok on Friday morning
Protesters gather during a global climate strike demonstration in Paris, France
People hold placards and chant slogans as they take part in a climate strike rally in Hong Kong’s Central district
Advocates for environmental protection hold signs during a rally in solidarity with the Global Climate Strike at the University of the Philippines in Quezon City
Indonesian activists carry placards as they rally as part of a global climate change campaign in Jakarta
The majority of protesters are young people or children who walked out of school to take part in the demonstrations, inspired by activist Greta Thunberg. Pictured are demonstrators in Cyprus
Thousands of Turkish students, holding banners and posters, take part in demonstrations against climate change in Ankara
A young woman holds a poster as she takes part in a strike to protest against governmental inaction towards climate change in New Delhi, India – one of the most polluted countries anywhere in the world
Activists take part in Global Strike 4 Climate Change protests in Lodz, the manufacturing hub of Poland, on Friday
Tens of thousands of people also took to the streets in Berlin, while other German cities including Frankfurt and Munich also saw their own demonstrations take place
Protesters take to the streets of Sydney on Friday morning as the largest climate demonstration in history, which is due to take place in 150 countries, got underway
It appears that many took heed of the relaxed school attendance laws, as the streets of Manhattan overflowed with thousands of young protesters on Friday afternoon.
Incredible aerial footage showed roads from Foley Square completely shut down, as police blocked off an exit from the Brooklyn Bridge as the crowds swelled.
Young people held up signs with important messages such as ‘don’t burn my future’ and ‘we are missing lessons to teach you one’, in what was expected to be the biggest protest ever against the threat posed to the planet by climate change.
Several protesters brandished placards that took aim at the current Republican administration, with one seen sporting a sign with an outline of President Trump’s profile accompanied by the words ‘Fossil Fool’.
Incredible aerial footage showed roads from Foley Square completely shut down, as police blocked off an exit from the Brooklyn Bridge as the crowds swelled
Several protesters brandished placards that took aim at the current Republican administration, with one seen sporting a sign with an image of President Trump’s head accompanied by the words ‘Fossil Fool’
‘I’ve seen better cabinets at IKEA’: In New York, a sign mocked politicians by referencing the Swedish home store
She said: ‘We must hope, but we must also be prepared for that nothing comes out of it. And then we need to continue no matter what. Giving up cannot be an option. Indeed, this is a great opportunity to do something and they (leaders) should take that. Otherwise they should feel ashamed.’
Some four million people filled city streets around the world, organisers said, in what was billed as the biggest ever protest against the threat posed to the planet by rising temperatures.
Students walk out of school to take part in a march to demand action on the global climate crisis on September 20, 2019 in New York Cit
Many older New Yorkers, including famed photographer Annie Leibovitz, 69, were seen pounding the pavement to raise the alarm about the environment
The Vanity Fair snapper wore a gray boiler suit as she marched along Manhattan’s streets
On the other side of the country, hundreds of Amazon workers also walked off the job – putting pressure on bosses to meet new environmental obligations
Meanwhile, a separate sign mocked politicians by referencing a Swedish home store: ‘I’ve seen better cabinets at IKEA’.
More humour appeared in a sign that seemed to be a message for President Donald Trump. A child said: ‘You can’t comb over climate change.’
The protests are part of a snowballing movement sparked by school strikes outside the Swedish parliament.
The summit in New York convened by UN secretary general Antonio Guterres to urge countries to up their climate efforts.
In New York young men were seen holding up a sign, quoting Bill Nye. It read: ‘The planet’s f**king on fire.’
However, it wasn’t just youngsters who turned out to raise awareness of climate change.
Many older New Yorkers, including famed photographer Annie Leibovitz, 69, were seen pounding the pavement to raise the alarm about the environment.
The Vanity Fair snapper wore a gray boiler suit as she marched along Manhattan’s streets.
On the other side of the country, hundreds of Amazon workers also walked off the job – putting pressure on bosses to meet new environmental obligations.
The employees walked out of their Seattle offices to urge the online retail giant to stop dealing with oil and gas companies, among other requests
Amazon, which ships more than 10 billion items a year, vowed Thursday to cut its use of fossil fuels as hundreds walked off the job
The rainy weather wasn’t enough to deter Amazon workers from walking out of the office brandishing placards
The employees walked out of their Seattle offices to urge the online retail giant to stop dealing with oil and gas companies, among other requests.
Amazon, which ships more than 10 billion items a year, vowed Thursday to cut its use of fossil fuels.
Meanwhile, several hours south, protesters turned out in Washington DC, chanting and marching toward the Capitol.
Several students seemed enthusiastic about putting Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s environmental proposals into practice, by unfurling a large banner which read: ‘GREEN NEW DEAL’.
Also on the east coast, Boston saw thousands of its residents skip school and work in order to petition politicians and lawmakers to urgently address the issue of climate change.
Sseveral hours south, protesters turned out in Washington DC, chanting and marching toward the Capitol
Young environmentalists unfurled a banner which read ‘Green New Deal’ in front of the Capitol Building
Young people were seen sounding the alarm as they sat in front of one of Washington’s most famous buildings
In Austin, one marcher dressed up as a dinosaur carrying a hand-written which read ‘Ya’ll about to go extinct – like me!’
Young people demonstrate with signs during a youth climate strike week action outside City Hall in Omaha, Nebraska
Haley Williams, left, and Amiya Cox hold a sign together and chant while participating in at the Experiential School of Greensboro in Greensboro, N.C
Boston City Hall Plaza in Boston was blocked by huge crowds that wanted to see human change not climate change
A young girl wears a banner that reads ‘We Deserve A Future’ while participating in the Global Climate Strike rally at Boston City Hall Plaza in Boston, Massachusetts
Mothers and their children with Moms Clean Air Force walk to meet up with other protesters for the Global Climate Strike protests on September 20, 2019 in Washington, DC
Taeko Carroll listens to speakers during a youth climate strike week action in Omaha
School children pose for a photo on a statue in front of City Hall in Omaha, Neb., during a youth demonstration against climate change
A young demonstrator carries a big sign during a youth climate strike week action in Omaha
Young people demonstrate with signs during a youth climate strike week action outside City Hall in Omaha
Emily Hill and her daughter Josephine Hill, 6, of Bellevue, Neb.,listen to speakers during a youth climate strike week action in Omaha
A student holds a sign while participating in a ‘Global Climate Strike’ at the Experiential School of Greensboro in Greensboro, N.C. Across the globe hundreds of thousands of young people took the streets Friday to demand that leaders tackle climate change in the run-up to a U.N. summit.
People gather and march during the Global Climate Strike march in Washington, DC on September 20, 2019. – Crowds of children skipped school to join a global strike against climate change
People gather and march during the Global Climate Strike march in Washington, DC on September 20, 2019, heeding the rallying cry of teen activist Greta Thunberg and demanding adults act to stop environmental disaster
People gather and march during the Global Climate Strike march in Washington, DC on September 20
‘Open your eyes’: In Washington, DC a woman pushed her child, who also held a placard, as crowds surrounded them
The large crowd is seen from across the water in Washington, DC on Friday
‘Save the humans’: In Washington, DC a sign showed a polar bear feeling bad for the future of the human race
People gather and march during the Global Climate Strike march in Washington, DC, showing a range of colorful signs
In Washington, DC the crowd got creative with a pictured of ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods labelled a ‘climate villain’
In Washington, DC, the crowd of young people urged spectators to ‘act now’ and one person asked: ‘My world’s on fire, how ’bout yours’?
Signs are seen blocking the view of the Capitol building in Washington, DC on Friday
‘There is no planet B’: In Washington, DC more signs read ‘no more denial’ and ‘fire is catching’
NYC: A woman joins students as they walk out of school to take part in a march to demand action on the global climate crisis
Students walk out of school to take part in a march to demand action on the global climate crisis on September 20, 2019 in New York City
Students walk out of school to take part in a march to demand action on the global climate crisis on September 20, 2019 in New York City
Students walk out of school to take part in a march to demand action on the global climate crisis on September 20, 2019 in New York City
Students walk out of school to take part in a march to demand action on the global climate crisis on September 20, 2019 in New York City
Students walk out of school to take part in a march to demand action on the global climate crisis on September 20, 2019 in New York City
Students hold up signs during the Global Climate Strike march at Foley Square in New York on September 20, 2019
Students walk out of school to take part in a march to demand action on the global climate crisis on September 20, 2019 in New York City
Students walk out of school to take part in a march to demand action on the global climate crisis on September 20, 2019 in New York City
Students walk out of school to take part in a march to demand action on the global climate crisis on September 20, 2019 in New York City
‘The planet’s f**king on fire’: In New York young men were seen holding up this direct sign, quoting Bill Nye
New York: Signs included ‘I missed bio for this,’ human change not climate change’ and ‘protect our home’
Mother nature: A protester in New York used face paint to write ‘protect our mom’ and illustrated planet Earth
Massage for Trump? A child held a sign in New York saying: ‘You can’t comb over climate change’
Boston, Massachusetts: Millions of people around the world are taking part in protests demanding action on climate issues
Boston City Hall Plaza in Boston was a colorful sight as people used artwork to say ‘time is running out’
Children joined in the action at Boston City Hall Plaza in Boston on Friday while adults marched around them
There were many ‘architects for change’ but at Boston City Hall Plaza signs got very creative too
‘Stop trying to make COAL happen’ a sign with Mean Girls character Regina read at Boston City Hall Plaza in Boston
‘Protect our future’: Protesters hold signs during a climate change protest at the Statehouse, Friday, Sept. 20, 2019, in Indianapolis
In Indianapolis, one person pointed out ‘it’s getting hot’ and another’s sign said: ‘I’m a grandma so I want the earth to be safe’
Robin Mohr takes a photo during a climate change protest at the Statehouse in Indianapolis while holding a skeleton with the sign ‘fossil fuels’
Michael Bean holds a sign saying ‘stop climate crime’ during a climate change protest at the Statehouse in Indianapolis