Thousands of climate activists marched through rain in downtown Antalya on Saturday, November 14, in the largest demonstration since the COP31 climate summit opened in the Turkish resort city, as negotiators from nearly 200 nations reached the halfway point of the two-week talks.

Source: AFP via The News International

Police estimated that more than 7,000 people attended the march, which was organised by environmental groups, trade unions and rights organisations and proceeded without any major incident, AFP reported. Organisers put the turnout higher, at more than 10,000 people. The march — the traditional halfway-point 'people's COP' march — brought environmental, political, human rights and workers' organisations onto streets about 20 kilometres from the summit venue, The Irish Times reported, along a route of roughly one kilometre between Aydin Kanza Park and Republic Square.

'Our voices are never heard at the COP'

"We are suffering the consequences of climate injustice, yet our voices are never heard at the COP," said Halime Saman of the People's Climate Summit platform, one of the groups behind the rally, speaking to AFP. "Turkey is the co-chair of COP31 but still has no roadmap for phasing out fossil fuels. New power stations and coal mines are being opened," she said.

Yasar Gokoglu, a 78-year-old demonstrator, told AFP he had travelled nearly 600 kilometres (350 miles) from Adana in southern Turkey to denounce what he called "a masquerade sponsored by monopolies". Ayse Ozdemir, a veteran activist, told The Irish Times of the summit delegates: "They are discussing their own interests." Eser Oncel of the Northern Forests Defence group said her members were highlighting the destruction of natural habitats for mega-infrastructure projects.

Nil Ormanli of the organising committee told the German news agency dpa: "For a long time there has not been a demonstration in Turkey with this level of participation." Demonstrators were only allowed to join the rally after being searched by police, and banners were checked before the march. Some protesters waved rainbow flags; civil society activists had raised safety concerns ahead of COP31 after Turkey began a crackdown on the country's LGBT community in September, AFP reported.

Inside the talks: halfway, and far apart

The protest came as the negotiations hit their halfway point on Saturday, with countries still far apart on financing adaptation measures in developing nations, defending climate science, and shifting away from fossil fuels to clean energy. Australia's climate minister Chris Bowen, who is chairing the formal negotiations, said there had been "really good and positive conversations" but that some issues required more time. Much smaller demonstrations inside the COP31 venue this week, including one attended by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, have also been pressing leaders to act faster.

UN climate chief Simon Stiell told reporters on Saturday: "There's no climate quick fix. No single COP can magic this crisis away, but each must drive progress." The formal talks pause on Sunday and resume on Monday, with five days left to agree the wording of a final deal before the summit closes on November 20. Outside the negotiations, Turkey is urging countries to join a voluntary pledge to raise the share of global energy demand met by electricity.