Brussels — Brussels saw another massive protest march Sunday as at least 70,000 people braved the cold and rain to demand that the Belgian government increase its efforts to fight climate change.
Banners held high urged the country to better use renewable energies and to take more action to improve air quality.
It was the fourth climate change rally in two months in the Belgian capital that attracted at least 10,000 people. A similar march last month also saw 70 000 demonstrators and last Thursday some 35 000 schoolchildren and students skipped class to take to the streets with their climate demands.
Even though the direct impact on Belgian politics is small because the country is led by a caretaker government, the demonstrations have pushed the issue of climate change up the agenda as parties prepare for national and European Union elections in May.
Hours before the demonstration was to break up, Brussels police estimated the crowd at least 70 000.
Trains from across the nation were so clogged that thousands of protesters failed to reach the march in time and organizers had to begin the march early to ease the congestion.