About 120 people gathered on Sunday at Albertina Square near Brussels Central Station for the ‘Sing/Fuck the Planet’ protest, calling for climate justice and more ambitious climate policy.
The demonstration was organised by Rise for Climate Belgium, together with a range of artists. Through music, poetry, theatre and speeches, participants protested against what they see as the influence of the fossil fuel industry on climate policy and international climate negotiations.
The event was held in the run-up to the COP31 climate summit in Türkiye. Organisers also used the occasion to celebrate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s victory in Brazil and what they described as Donald Trump’s defeat in the US midterm elections, which Rise for Climate said were positive signs for democracy, human rights and the climate.
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The protest opened with remarks from Rise for Climate, which accused governments and fossil fuel lobby groups of sacrificing the future of the planet and humanity for economic interests.
The programme brought together artists and climate activists, combining performances with political demands. Among those demands was a call for countries to honour the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement.
Climate justice was another central theme. According to the organisers, the richest and most polluting countries bear a historic responsibility for climate disruption in the global South.
Rise for Climate Belgium said hundreds of thousands of lives are being lost and estimated the economic damage at about €400 billion a year. The group argued that wealthier countries must take responsibility and compensate for loss and damage already suffered.
The organisation also called for an end to fossil fuel subsidies and for the preservation and continued implementation of the European Green Deal. It opposed any weakening of European climate measures and urged governments to fulfil the commitments they have made.
Organisers warned that, without decisive action, the human and economic consequences of the climate crisis will continue to grow. They said effective plans for climate mitigation and adaptation are needed now, not in 2050 or 2100, and cautioned that without strong action the world risks heading towards a temperature rise of 3°C, bringing extreme heat and life-threatening conditions for billions of people.
