The demonstration began at midday with an opening event on the Münsterplatz and ended around four hours later at the Museumsmeile. The demonstrators demanded that the German government strictly implement the Paris Climate Agreement, which would also mean closing coal power stations. Organisers spoke of 25,000 participants, the police of “several thousand.”

Kathrin Schroeder, spokeswoman for the Climate-Alliance Germany, an alliance of 115 civic organisations, criticised Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU). The Chancellor is certain to act in Bonn, as at other climate summits, as if Germany is a pioneer in climate protection and energy policy. “But climate rhetoric is not enough for us!” said Schroeder, who, as an advisor, is also responsible for energy politics at Miserior. Hubert Weiger, head of the Association for the Environment and Protection of Nature, also affirmed that coal is the energy of the past and threatens to destroy our future.

After marching on foot along Adenauerallee, the demonstrators were welcomed with entertaining Balkan pop from the Cologne band “Hot-Stop-Banda” in front of the stage at the Kunstmuseum, before a final rally with further international speakers.

Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner, from the Marshall Islands, described herself as a climate refugee and demanded the conference take immediate action, as did Mamadou Mbodji from Senegal and Manuel Pulgar Vidal from WWF in Peru. American, Jennifer Morgan, from Greenpeace, remembered taking part in the Climate Conference in Bali ten years ago. “The hall applauded enthusiastically when Mrs Merkel’s government announced a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 40 per cent by 2020.” She noted today emissions have hardly reduced.

Speakers Luise Neumann-Cosel of Campact and Ann Kathrin Schneider of Friends of the Earth had already thanked the thousands of demonstrators when, shortly before the end of the event, they learned that Federal Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks (SPD) and the Ambassador of Fiji had been sighted among participants. “We are pleased that with your presence you given a sign towards the phasing out of coal. We would, of course, have been more pleased, if you had also used your time as minister to stop using coal!”

This was not the only Cop23 demonstration at the weekend. Participants in a bicycle demonstration started from Cologne on Saturday and arrived in Bonn using several routes. Members of the Greenpeace children’s group “Greenteam Rethedamm” protested in the Rheinaue and dressed up as polar bears.

Original text: Stefan Hermes. Translated by Kate Carey.