Germany: Thousands rally in Munich demanding G7 leaders to act on poverty, climate change

Ahead of the annual gathering of the Group of Seven (G7) leaders in the Bavarian Alps in Germany, at least 4,000 protestors descended the streets in Munich to push for more impactful actions against poverty and climate change, and to diminish world hunger. The demonstrators also demanded that the European leaders phase-out dependence on fossil fuels and take notable steps towards the preservation of animals, plant diversity, and social justice.

As many as fifteen groups that slam globalisation, including WWF Germany, Oxfam Deutschland, Bread for World, and Greenpeace- gathered in Munich to call for stricter laws for the protection of the planet. "My demands for the G7 are that they have a clear commitment to the energy transition, that is the exit from fossil fuels, all forms of fossil fuels, by 2035 at the latest, so that we can stop financing wars and conflicts," said an activist Kilian Wolter, a part of Greenpeace movement, as quoted by the Associated Press.

Activists from the Oxfam at an earlier protest outlined their list of appeals to the leaders of the wealthiest nations accumulating for the annual summit. Demanding more global equality, the spokesperson of the group Tovias Hauschild said, "We need concrete action to cope with multiple crises of our times...that means the G7 have to act immediately. They have to fight hunger, inequality and poverty," as reported by AP.

The footfall, however, was much less than expected, German publication dpa agency reported. The police anticipated 20,000 activists beginning Saturday but a lesser number of people came as the demonstrations began. Nevertheless, participating activists did not fall short of conveying their message. Dressed in oversized tees and colourful outfits, the climate activists carried banners reading "Stop The war between Russia and US/NATO", "Hands off Ukraine" and "Imperialism Starts Here."

Berlin urges protestors to refrain from violence

The demonstration comes as the G7 leaders- UK PM Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron, US President Joe Biden, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida- have arrived in Germany to partake in the much-awaited convention. German interior minister Nancy Faeser on Sunday urged protestors to avoid violence and engaged in "peaceful" demonstrations. At least 18,000 police personnel have been deployed around Munich to ensure the safety of leaders amid the event.  

 Apart from deliberations on the ways to quell Russian aggression, the leaders are expected to follow up on climate change promises made during the COP26, looming food insecurity, energy and fuel crisis, and post-COVID recovery. The state heads will also discuss the ripple effect of the war in European countries and vulnerable parts of Africa at the same time "ensure that we stop manmade climate change," the German Chancellor said earlier on Saturday.

(With AP inputs)

(Image: AP)