Thousands expected on climate strike in Frankfurt

'Fridays for Future' is bringing people to march in the city’s financial district, and denounce investments in climate-damaging projects

The German Fridays for Future movement is gathering in Frankfurt today for a central climate strike. The activists are primarily targeting the financial district and have planned widespread blockages across the city.

A decade that can determine what the next thousands of years might look like

The Fridays for Future movement called for a central climate strike on Friday and around 8,000 participants are coming to march in downtown Frankfurt.

The demonstration will focus on the banks and the financial sector with the criticism directed at investments worth billions in climate-damaging projects and fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas.

Fridays for Future Germany stated on Facebook that according to an Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change report, an increase of temperatures below 1.5°C is still possible, however, the window for action is getting smaller and smaller.

According to the activist group, there is a serious lack of political will, yet an abundance of opportunities to act. Neither party has a plan to comply with the 1.5°C threshold and the group called for a serious revaluation of the candidates’ platforms, because ‘the decisions in this decade will impact people's lives for thousands of years’.

The call to action was rounded out by a reminder that with all the fires, floods and Gulfstream fluctuations, we are starting to get a sense of what that future would look like.

It is no coincidence that the demonstration is taking place in Frankfurt as the financial metropolis is antithetical to what the movement stands for. Fridays for Future is focused on promoting a system change towards an economy that is not focused on people and resource exploitation, but rather on social and ecological needs.

8,000 protesters will come from 70 cities

The Frankfurt organisers expect around 8,000 participants from more than 70 cities to come to the protest. Many local groups travel by bus due to Germany’s recent rail union strikes.

Representatives from Greenpeace, Seebrücke, Endegebiet and the ver.di youth will also join the Fridays for Future march. Janine Wissler, chairwoman of Die Linke political party, also plans to take to the streets on Friday.

Fridays for Future Frankfurt has set up a camp at the Weseler Werft for the activists that need to stay in the city overnight. The group developed a hygiene plan with the Frankfurt Health Department so the camp can hold up to 1,000 demonstrators.

Everything surrounding today’s march will be Covid-safe, as organisers urge everyone to bring a mask, vaccination certificate or a negative test.