MUNICH (AFP) – Thousands marched in the German city of Munich Saturday to urge leaders of the Group of Seven industrialized nations set to arrive in Germany for a summit to do more to fight climate change.
“We only have one planet,” read one placard.
“Save the world,” said another.
Organizers, who include around 15 non-governmental organizations, said some 6,000 people attended the demonstration in the Bavarian capital.
The heads of G7 nations -- the United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan -- are to meet in a luxurious castle in Germany’s Alps on Sunday.
Among the crowd at the protest, Illayda, a 21-year-old who did not give her second name, said they should be more concerned about climate change.
“G7 nations are responsible for a third of greenhouse gas emissions whereas they only represent a tenth of the world’s population,” said the young member of the World Wildlife Fund.
Police deployed heavy security in the center of Munich, eager to avoid a repeat of the violent riots against the G20 summit in the German city of Hamburg in 2017.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also blasted the G7 countries for trying to deflect blame for the skyrocketing inflation in Europe and the United States, saying the crisis is a direct result of their “irresponsible actions”, not Russia’s military operation in Ukraine.
“The sharp increase in inflation did not happen yesterday - it is the result of [...] many years of irresponsible macroeconomic policy of the G7 countries,” Putin said during the BRICS Plus virtual conference on Friday.
The western powers are grappling with several crises, including surging inflation and energy prices. In the U.S., inflation has shot up to 8.6 percent, while the UK has registered 9.1 percent of year-on-year inflation, and in the eurozone, the number has hiked to 8.1 percent.
The U.S., along with its European allies, have been seeking to shift the blame on Russia. They have imposed a raft of financial and energy sanctions against the country. The Kremlin has warned that the bans have fueled the current food and energy crisis around the world.
Meanwhile, addressing the concerns around the supplies of Ukrainian grain, Putin said that his government is posing no threat to the transportation of products from Ukraine.