Greta Thunberg leads a 'Fridays for Future' demonstration in Milan, Italy. [Antonio Calanni/AP Photo]

Milan, October 2 (RHC)--Hundreds of young people led by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg marched through the streets of the Italian city of Milan to demand swift climate action, weeks before the crucial United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) slated to be held in Glasgow.

The rally took place on Friday as a continuation of the “Fridays for Future” movement that had brought students to the streets in cities across the globe two years ago, before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Hope doesn’t come from politicians’ blah, blah, blah,” Thunberg said as she led the rally in Milan, accompanied by Ugandan climate justice activist Vanessa Nakate.

“Hope doesn’t come from inaction and empty promises that everything will be alright, they say trust us we are doing everything we can, that is not hope, hope is this, hope is us, the people, hope is when people gather to make change.”

The 18-year-old climate activist, who is seen as a possible Nobel Peace Prize winner on October 8th, was in Milan as part of the official UN gathering for the youth version of the COP26, which is expected to see the participation of about 400 people.

The three-day Youth4Climate conference has drawn criticism from the young delegates, who accused organisers of not being interested in their input for a document that will be sent to this year’s UN climate conference.

Thunberg slammed climate ministers on the first day of the youth climate summit on Tuesday, saying that “they are pretending that they have solutions to the climate crisis and that they are taking sufficient action, but we see through their lies.”