Climate protesters in Portugal storm building, urge minister to step down

Quercus Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych SA

12/11/2022 19:07

By Catarina Demony and Miguel Pereira
       LISBON, Nov 12 (Reuters) - 
    Hundreds of protesters angry about the climate crisis took
to the streets of Lisbon on Saturday, with dozens storming a
building where Portugal's Economy Minister Antonio Costa e Silva
was speaking demanding that the former oil executive resign.
    Holding banners and chanting slogans, protesters demanded
climate action. As some demonstrators broke into the building,
those outside shouted: "Out Costa e Silva!"
    Police officers dragged the protesters out of the building.
Portuguese broadcaster RTP reported the minister left the
building through a back door. 
    The economy ministry declined to comment. 
    The protest in Portugal took place as world leaders, policy
makers and delegates from nearly 200 countries gather at the
COP27 U.N. climate summit Egypt, where they hope to keep alive a
goal to avert the worst impacts of climate change.
    But some activists do not believe COP27 will solve the
problem.
    "COPs are not designed to face climate change because it
would need more participation from civil society, less
participation from lobbyists from the fossil industry," said
Pedro Franco, a 27-year-old student. 
    Joao Duarte, 23, also pointed a finger at governments for
favouring the "monetary interests" of big companies instead of
putting climate change at the top of the political agenda. 
    "There will be no change until governments stop being best
friends and allies of the big companies," he said. 
    U.N. experts said in a report on Tuesday that promises by
companies, banks and cities to achieve net-zero emissions often
amount to little more than greenwashing.
    "The situation is serious and urgent," Marta Leandro, the VP
of Portuguese environment group Quercus, said at the protest in
Lisbon. "What we do or do not do in this decade will have a
great impact on climate security."
 (Reporting by Catarina Demony, Miguel Pereira and Pedro Nunes
in Lisbon; Editing by Diane Craft)
 ((catarina.demony@thomsonreuters.com; +351 915 616 444
(Twitter: @CatarinaDemony);))