Last Friday, millions of people in 150 countries across the globe took to the streets to urge world leaders to enact dramatic solutions to combat climate change.
The Climate Strike was inspired, in part, by Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old girl from Sweden who has captured worldwide attention for her tireless work to hold lawmakers responsible for the climate crisis.
The strike gave people across the planet the opportunity to make their voices heard before the U.N. General Assembly Climate Summit in New York City on Monday.
Thunberg was invited to speak in the U.N. assembly hall at the summit and she gave a passionate speech directed at world leaders, chastising them for inaction and leaving the crisis to the next generation.
“This is all wrong. I shouldn’t be up here. I should be back in school, on the other side of the ocean,” she said sternly.
She criticized U.N. leaders for their weakness in turning to the younger generation for inspiration when it should be the other way around.
“You all come to us young people for hope. How dare you? You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words, and yet I’m one of the lucky ones,” she continued. “People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing.”
She then posed an important question: If the science has been clear for 30 years, why have you done so little?
“You say you hear us and that you understand the urgency. But no matter how sad and angry I am, I do not want to believe that,” she continued. “Because if you really understood the situation and still kept on failing to act, then you would be evil. And that I refuse to believe.”
Thunberg concluded her remarks by saying, “The world is waking up. And change is coming, whether you like it or not.”
RELATED: 25 of the funniest signs from the global Climate Strike
Shortly after Thunberg’s remarks, President Trump made a surprise visit to the same auditorium to see speeches by Indian Prime Minister Modi and German Chancellor Merkel. Trump is one of the few world leaders who denies the indisputable science surrounding climate change.
He then left to head a panel on religious freedom, which is bizarre for a man who banned Muslims from entering the U.S. and suggested they be monitored by surveillance squads.
He also has a very loose grasp of The Bible for a man who claims to be chosen by God to lead the country.
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Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg took a jab at the president during a panel discussion in front of the U.N General Assembly.
“Let me also thank President Trump for coming today to the United Nations — hopefully our discussions here will be useful for you when you formulate climate policy,” he said.
The audience reacted with a few chuckles before erupting into full-blown laughter.
This isn’t the first time Trump has been mocked at the UN. Last year, UN representatives laughed in his face when he made bogus claims about his administration’s successes.
“In less than two years, my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country…so true,” he said, before chuckles began to roll through the crowd.
“Didn’t expect that reaction but that’s OK,” he responded, inspiring the entire hall to burst out in laughter.
