Greeks march in demand of clean energy, equality, justice

Under the slogan "Break free from what holds you back", thousands of people joined their voices against climate change, injustice and discrimination on Sunday participating in vibrant Break Free 2017 walk around the Acropolis in central Athens.

To the energizing sound of percussions, people of all ages in colorful outfits, held placards reading "Solarize Greece", "Equality - Clean Energy - Justice", "Life before borders".

Humanitarian NGOs, environmental NGOs, boy scouts, homeless people, refugee communities, second generation immigrants and the LGBTQI community joined forces in an unprecedented alliance in order to pass a message of hope, peace and solidarity and stand for a sustainable future with equal rights for all.

For Dimitris Ibrahim, Campaigns Director at Greenpeace Greece, environmental protection is not a drawback to growth, but rather a prerequisite.

"We have to protect what is valuable in this country -- our natural assets, our beaches, our clean air, our water, our forests, our climate if we want to get out of this crisis," he told Xinhua.

"For us, as an environmental organization, [the message] is break free from fossil fuel. Greece is a country that depends still to a large extend on coal, while we are a country with amazing weather, sun, wind and we should be turning to clean energy. We should be turning to renewable energy," said Dimitris Karavellas, executive director at WWF Greece.

"Mediterranean SOS Network joined today's action with a banner for the protection of water resources, of this invaluable natural treasure that is water," said Loukia Kalaitzi, communication manager of the NGO.

As Kalaitzi noted, participating organizations share common grounds.

"The right to clean and safe water is as important as the right to love whoever you chose, to live in a healthy environment, to not to be threatened by war or poverty... These are our common human-focused demands," she said.

"Break Free", a global movement of communities, organizations, initiatives and individual citizens, was launched last year in 20 countries as a bundle of actions against fossil fuels and climate change.

This year, the movement's hundreds of activities spanned more than 35 countries across the globe, in 20 days (March 12 to March 31).

In Athens, the march started from Thisseio, where members of Anima NGO for the protection and care of wildlife released rehabilitated birds in the groves surrounding the Acropolis and ended at Zappeion Mansion where, between children's games and live music, the organizers renewed their appointment for next year's "Break Free".

source: Xinhua