WATCH: Shoes replace people at Limerick protest to highlight climate crisis

MORE than 400 pairs of shoes have been donated to a unique climate change protest, which is taking place in Limerick this lunchtime.

The courtyard outside City Hall at Merchants Quay was full of footwear for the demonstration which kicked off at around 11am.

It's an initiative of Raheen youngster Iona Logan, the Fridays for Future Limerick climate change coalition, Extinction Rebellion Limerick and XR Youth Limerick and Clare.

Shoe protest in limerick for #bailouttheplanet #ExtinctionRebellion @FFFLimerick @xryclarelk pic.twitter.com/kWi8mMUk7n

— Extinction Rebellion Limerick (@XRLimerick) July 3, 2020

And it comes as part of a European-wide week of measures calling for a radical change, with the core message to warn European governments against using Covid-19 bailout funds to help "polluting industries".

On a local level, the demonstration here also urged Limerick City and County Council to respond to the climate crisis with the same urgency of the Covid-19 crisis - and adopt the original mobility plan in full, which would see increased pedestrianisation along Catherine Street.

One of the speakers this lunchtime, Eoghan Hussey from Murroe said: "How we act on both crises is critical. If we fail in how we handle the climate crisis, we will see mass starvation on a planetary scale and, in consequence, almost total societal, economic and political collapse as well as widespread death and destruction. If we fail in how we handle the Covid-19 crisis, we will witness widespread death and a collapse in our health systems and social, political and economic upheaval."