Pictures show massive turnout as hundreds protest against climate-change in Canterbury

Hundreds of children and young people took to the streets of Canterbury yesterday in a protest against climate change.

Demonstrators, which were mostly made up of schoolchildren, marched through the streets of Canterbury in a protest against what they see as government inaction against global warming.

The protesters marched from the Marlowe Theatre up to Whitefriars.

The marchers were heard shouting: “No more coal, no more soil, keep the carbon in the soil”, and “We need eco, stop this ego”.

Protesters even held a sit down outside Canterbury Cathedral along the way, holding up traffic for twenty minutes.

A Unified reporter at the march estimated that up to five hundred people attended.

Students and staff at Christ Church University also held a “die-in” before the march.

Dozens of people lay down outside Touchdown cafe in a show of solidarity for those affected by global warming.

Kate Chesterman, an Extinction Rebellion member who works at the university helped organise the event, and told Unified that while marches were important, more is needed to prevent climate change.

“Petitioning and marching raises publicity, and makes people aware, but the most important thing is that people are beginning to take disruptive action,” she said.

“Children are refusing to go to school.

“It is only by being radical that things will change.

“We are raising awareness and getting more people involved.

“It’s making clear that we will not tolerate this.

“The more people try to ignore us, the more we will make it clear that this will not continue.

“We must act now.

Kent Police told Unified yesterday that any illegal behaviour by the protestors would be dealt with appropriately.

“Kent Police is aware of protests being carried out in Canterbury on Friday 20 September 2019,” a Kent Police spokesperson said.

“Any incidents reported to the police will be dealt with proportionately and appropriately to ensure the activity remains peaceful and businesses continue to go about their lawful trade.