Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in cities across Australia Friday to protests their government’s inaction on the global climate emergency as the country continues to battle catastrophic bushfires that have devoured millions of acres of land, destroyed hundreds of homes, and left over a billion animals and 27 people dead.
Australia is only halfway through its historically hot, dry summer, but the country is already in the midst of an “unprecedented national crisis” featuring “virtually unstoppable” blazes, particularly in the continent’s southeastern states. As the fires have ramped up, so has public pressure on Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his coalition government.