Thousands take to the streets of London to demand action on climate change

She said, We are the forces of life. We are the ones with the way forward. The politicians over there are afraid because they dont know what to do. The policies we want are the ones that will make the world a better and fairer place for everyone anyway. That should give us boldness and courage.

TUC general secretary Frances OGrady sent a message of support. And Chris Baugh from the PCS union explained that the technology exists to slash emissions now and create jobs in the process, as CCCs Million Jobs report makes clear.

Matt Wrack, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, spoke about its campaign to nationalise the energy companies. He said, Its sick that people can die of cold while energy companies profits go through the roof. Its sick that this system leaves the power in the hands of people who dont care about our future, but their profits. Weve got to take the power back.

Bangladeshi campaigner Rumana Hashem, comedian Francesca Martinez, and left wing Labour MP John McDonnellwhose constituency is threatened by the expansion of Heathrow airportalso spoke. So did speakers from organisations including Greenpeace, Caat, Avaaz, Peoples Assembly, Axe Drax, Frack Free Lancashire, Stand Up to Racism, UK youth against climate change and the French climate coalition.

There are many challenges ahead for the climate movement. But it is bouncing back from the demoralisation that followed the disastrous United Nations climate talks in Copenhagen in 2009. And anti-capitalist ideas are getting more and more of a hearing.

In three weeks time a day of debates is set to take place in London around the ideas in activist and author Naomi Kleins influential book This Changes Everything. In it, she argued that climate change cannot be addressed without taking on the whole system.

In a video message, Klein told protesters to build around those ideas for protests at the Paris climate summit in December, and beyond. She said, We have nine months to reach out to people who arent here yet to be part of the next climate movement.

We need an economy that is 100 percent powered by renewables. We need to transform not just how the power is generated, but who controls it. There has never been a better time to think big.

We bailed out the banksand weve paid for it. No way are we bailing out the fossil fuel companies.

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Thousands take to the streets of London to demand action on climate change