Switzerland Marches Against Climate Inaction Under the Banner ‘No 50-Degree Summers!’

Thousands took to the streets in Geneva and Lausanne on Saturday, September 19, 2026, to protest what they call government inaction on climate change, under the rallying cry “No 50-degree summers!”

Organized by a coalition of over 100 associations and political parties, the demonstrations drew at least 8,000 people in Lausanne alone, with several thousand more in Geneva. Marchers carried signs reading “No Planet B” and “We’re cooked!” — a fittingly blunt response to a summer that saw heatwaves severe enough to shut down a nuclear power station and drop Lake Zurich to record-low water levels.

The protests follow a landmark 2024 European Court of Human Rights ruling — the first of its kind — that found Switzerland wasn’t doing enough to tackle climate change. Organizer Yves Froidevaux put it simply: “This is about telling our authorities that it’s really the time to act.” More marches are planned across Swiss cities through October 2.

Source: Channels Television.