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Greta Thunberg Tells Climate Activists to Find Other Ways to Protest

Greta Thunberg Tells Climate Activists to Find Other Ways to Protest

(Bloomberg) -- Swedish activist Greta Thunberg has the same message on the novel coronavirus as she has on climate change: listen to the science. 

For thousands of young climate activists across the world, that will mean changing the way they protest. Fridays for Future started in August 2018 following Thunberg's solitary protest in front of the Swedish parliament calling for stronger legislative action. Since then, her followers have multiplied exponentially, and in past months, millions of people have marched to force governments into a stronger response on climate change.

In a series of tweets, Thunberg encouraged people to avoid large crowds and protest online, tagging their social media posts #DigitalStrike and #ClimateStrikeOnline. “We’ll have to find new ways to create public awareness & advocate for change that don’t involve too big crowds,” Thunberg wrote. “Keep your numbers low but your spirits high and let’s take one week at the time.”

The coronavirus outbreak that originated in China’s Hubei province has infected about 120,000 people globally and killed more than 4,300, according to Bloomberg data. The disease has rattled markets and resulted in several countries implementing strict measures to prevent it from spreading further.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Jillian Goodman at jgoodman74@bloomberg.net

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