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.
