A mass of people, young and old, crowded Sydney Town Hall on Wednesday, calling on Prime Minister Scott Morrison and New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejeklian to do more to fight climate change.
Many of the protesters wore filter masks.
It came a day after Mr Morrison rejected calls for more help for firefighters battling blazes along the east coast, saying that they “want to be there”.
SBS News spoke to several protesters in Sydney on Wednesday evening, each of whom said they had a message for the PM.
Katy Alexander
"Scott Morrison, we are relying on you. You are human. We are asking you to be humane, to look after us," Ms Alexander said.
"Look at the fires at our back door [and] at my house. Last I heard, you were saying firies want to be there? That they're choosing to be there? They need help. I can tell you right now, they need help.
"They need your support. We need your support.
"Stand up and be human. Show us some heart."
Katy Alexander Source: SBS News
Margaret Curtis
"I really want you to listen to the people," Ms Curtis said.
"We have come here today to try and get your attention. We really need you to lead us. If you do not lead us, we will step up and lead these people.
"Something has to change. If you don’t lead us, the nation will change before you.
"Come with us on this journey or we will leave you behind.”
Margaret Curtis Source: SBS News
Patricia Rosas
"You need to stop. We need to breathe. You need to save the forests," Ms Rosas said.
"This is Indigenous land - it has been and it all was will be. So please stop the mining. Stop destroying the planet. We need to live in it.
"We don't need money. We don't need material things. We need our health.”
Patricia Rosas Source: SBS News
Nicolas Farrar
"Scott Morrison, I'd love you to plant more trees in our communities and green up Australia," Mr Farrar said.
"Our future is worth more than your bottom dollar."
Nicolas Farrar Source: SBS News
As the protest transpired, NSW firefighters worked to take advantage of easing weather conditions, though dozens of blazes continued to burn throughout the state.
Also on Wednesday evening, the NSW Rural Fire Service confirmed 724 homes, 49 facilities and 1,582 outbuildings had been destroyed and 2.7 million hectares burned over the fire season so far.
