People on almost every continent were preparing for marches and rallies on Saturday to mark a Global Day for Climate Justice, halfway through the Glasgow climate change summit.
Activists in the Philippines, which is eight hours ahead of the UK, had already finished their rally as protesters gathered in Scotland. There were also rallies in Seoul, South Korea, and Palu, Indonesia.
By 11am in Glasgow, the rain had become a steady downpour but the crowd were still assembling at Kelvingrove park, wearing bright rainwear and carrying homemade placards. Buses disgorged their passengers at the park entrance by thick lines of police, while activists struggled to assemble banners in the wind.
Nevertheless the early mood was one of cheerful acceptance. “What do you expect protesting in Glasgow?” asked Lucy Bell, who works for the Vegan Kind, an online vegan supermarket based in Rutherglen. “There are so many people here from different backgrounds. It’s easy to get discouraged by the negotiations going on behind closed doors but I’m feeling optimistic this morning despite the rain.”
Jo Harknett, 48, is en route from Edinburgh with her daughter Grace, 12, and mother Linda, 73. She said: “We feel lucky to live near the Cop gathering, so wanted to show support and solidarity; to raise our voices for people who can’t be here and to remind those who hold purse strings and write policies that the time for radical change is now and they can lead the way.”
Nicola Sturgeon has said she has confidence that today’s mass climate march will be policed “appropriately” after campaigners at Cop26 raised concerns about “heavy-handed” policing of protests over the first week of the summit.
Between 50,000 and 100,000 people are expected to join the Global Day for Climate Justice in Glasgow, with more than 200 similar events taking place around the world, and over 100 in the UK alone.
Sturgeon told reporters on Friday that Iain Livingstone, Police Scotland’s chief constable, had spoken to the force’s independent advisory group after the concerns were raised in an open letter published on Thursday evening.
The march will set off from Kelvingrove park at midday, organised in a series of campaign blocs and walk through the city to Glasgow Green for a rally with speakers including Greta Thunberg, Mitzi Jonelle Tan, Vanessa Nakate and Darren McGarvey.
Asad Rehman, a spokesperson for the COP Coalition, said: “We are taking to the streets across the world this weekend to push governments from climate inaction to climate justice.
“This has been the least accessible climate summit ever – with so many people side-lined at the talks or not able to make it in the first place. Today those people are having their voices heard.”
Assistant chief constable Gary Ritchie appealed to marchers to act responsibly and warned people travelling to Glasgow to prepare for delays.
He added: “There will be an increased police presence in Glasgow and roads, public transport and the streets will be significantly busier than would normally be expected in the city on a Saturday.
“If you’re going to a march, please act responsibly, be respectful in your actions and follow the route and instructions given to you by event organisers or police officers.”