Protesters and climate activists trekked a total of 25 miles from Landquart in eastern Switzerland to the ski resort in Davos on Sunday in order to draw attention to climate crises and global warming—a key discussion point at the World Economic Forum held in Davos this week.

Hundreds of protesters gathered in the town of Landquart—a town whose population was teetering on 9,000 persons in 2018—to trek about 40 kilometres (25 miles) in the winter cold in hopes of raising awareness of climate change. Some protesters were dressed as flowers or koala bears—alluding to the massive fires that have ravaged Australia and the habitats of many indigenous wildlife and flora. Reuters has reported that protesters held signs and banners reading “Let’s ignore the Donalds and listen to the Gretas,” in response to Trump’s indifferent demeanor during climate change discussions at the Forum.

The World Economic Forum, an annual meeting of thousands of influential global actors from government, civil society, and academia to discuss issues ranging from the global economy, climate change, geopolitics, and global health, was held between 21 and 24 January in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland. There, many influential figureheads and global actors made speeches on these issues. One of the most anticipated issues was that of climate change—a global phenomenon that greatly affects and is influenced by the workings of global economics. Both environmental activist Greta Thunberg and U.S. President Donald Trump made speeches regarding the environment at the World Economic Forum, though both lay on opposite ends of the spectrum.

Thunberg was quoted saying that “Our house is still on fire,” warning that “inaction” is “fueling the flames by the hour.” Trump was quoted rather rebukingly saying that “This is not a time for pessimism. This is a time for optimism.” Greta refuted Trump’s call for optimism and his pledge to the Trillion Tree Initiative by arguing that it is hypocritical to plant trees in far-away places like Africa while at the same time, ignoring the destruction of forests such as the Amazon and habitats such as those in Australia.

Greta Thunberg joined a crowd of more than 10,000 protesters outside of Switzerland’s city of Lausanne on Friday—a few days before the start of the World Economic Forum. There, signs read “Do your job so I can go to school,” and “Another world is possible.” Thunberg, who spoke at the protest, proclaimed that, in the new year and the new decade, there have been no signs of true change. In proclamation to world leaders, Thunberg said “You have not seen the last of us, we can assure you that.”

Greta herself was unable to participate in the three-day hike from Landquart to Davos. Even so, protesters were determined to arrive in Davos despite legal and security issues. According to Reuters, authorities had approved of the first stretch from Landquart to Klosters but had rejected a request to proceed to Davos by road for “security reasons.” However, organizers planned to take smaller hiking paths that did not require permission by authorities.

Protests and climate strikes such as the ones in Lausanne and Landquart are sparking fires of resistance across the globe. Gatherings such as the World Economic Forum—cesspools for big-wig corporate actors and influential state leaders—often spark protests and marches outside of their heavily guarded gates. The importance of these gatherings is most vital within their peaceful processes and their solidarity. Without an innate foundation of peace and professionalism, the world system will crush efforts under the guise of law and order. In order to prevent such invalidation and discrediting, it is vital for populations across the globe to continue to participate in such calls for action, even as they are continuously ignored by those who need to listen the most.