According to an estimate from the national government delegation in the Balearics, some 4,500 people took part in the climate strike rally in Palma yesterday.
There was a gathering in the Plaça Tubo and then a march along the main streets of the city.
Chants made during the march included “there is no planet B”. Organisers called for the Spanish government to declare a climate emergency as a matter of urgency in order to develop specific policies to fight climate change.
Among regional politicians who took part was the environment minister Miquel Mir. For him, the “climate emergency is an undeniable fact”, and he demanded greater involvement by the Spanish government and the Eurpoean Union in dealing with the emergency. Mir noted that legislation in the Balearics has been pioneering.
He cited examples such as the region’s law on waste. But he stressed the importance of going much further in involving the public in adopting “sustainable habits”. He congratulated the many young people on the march - the great majority were students - and said that the government had given its full support.