“The governments have failed” was written on posters held up by the young men and women of the Extinction Rebellion group on Sunday afternoon in the historic center of the Italian capital. Some of the slightly more than a dozen protesters also sat on the street and blocked traffic.
On Saturday early in the morning a few dozen climate activists blocked the lane of a street with a sit-in that leads to the venue of the summit of the 20 most important industrialized and emerging countries (G20) in southern Rome. The police broke the blockade and carried some demonstrators off the road. On Saturday afternoon, thousands walked towards the historic center at a registered demonstration. The protests have so far been peaceful.
The heads of state and government came to Rome for the two-day meeting because Italy was chairing the G20. Among other things, they advised on climate change, corona vaccines and economic issues.
The Executive Chancellor Angela Merkel as well as the SPD candidate for Chancellor and Executive Finance Minister Olaf Scholz also traveled. The heads of government of the superpowers China and Russia were represented.