Thousands were demonstrating against climate change in downtown Budapest on Friday afternoon, as reported by our colleague on the spot. Protesters gathered on Deák Ferenc Square from where they marched to the Parliament where the audience, mostly comprised of students, listened to speeches. The crowd filled approximately one-third of Kossuth square.

Many protesters we talked to said they attended the demonstration because they would like to avoid humanity's extinction. They demand climate protection, and they are calling governments of the world to take the issue of climate change seriously. The demonstration ended after the speeches at 2 PM.

The demonstration was part of a worldwide effort to raise awareness of climate change, with more than 1400 cities in 110 countries participating, including nine more Hungarian towns apart from Budapest: Miskolc, Szeged, Pécs, Tata, Karcag, Győr, Kecskemét, Szekszárd, and Debrecen.

On 15 March, a couple of hundred people in Budapest took part in the first Global Climate Strike, and a week ago on Friday, and in preparation for today's event, Extinction Rebellion Hungary and Fridays for Future Hungary held a "die-in" flashmob where protesters lay motionless on the tiles of Kossuth Square to call attention to the dangers of climate change: