Emma Ruby-Sachs, acting Executive Director of Avaaz, said:

“Melbourne has kicked this off with 60,000 people and this weekend people all over the world will flood the streets to call for an ambitious climate deal in Paris.
Climate change threatens everything we love, and scientists are screaming from the rooftops that time is running out to stop it. It is up to our political leaders to move to the only solution: a shift to 100% clean energy for 100% of the world. If successful, Paris could see the world finally saying ‘au revoir’ to dirty energy for good.”

Melbourne is one of thousands of rallies being held around the world in the lead up to the crucial meeting in Paris. Organisers the march to be 60,000, with 5 blocks of the march 10,000 deep with hundreds of people yet to have started the march. Twice as many people marched in Melbourne as they did last year making it the largest climate march in Australia's history.

The atmosphere was like a party with people dancing and singing. There were young and old, and families with small children lining the streets as far as the eye could see. The march ended with a minute's silence before the crowd joined together for a rendition of Paul Kelly's From Little Things Big Things Grow.