Climate activist Greta Thunberg protests in front of the White House

After calling politicians into climate action in "The Daily Show" this week, Greta Thunberg, a teenage climate activist, demonstrated Friday in front of the White House to ask the US government to attack the consequences of climate change.

The 16-year-old Swede is accompanied by young activists in the protest, marking the beginning of Thunberg's stay in Washington, DC, for six days.

With dozens of other young protesters, Thunberg chanted, "Hey hey, ho ho, climate change needs to disappear" as activists headed for the White House.

Students presented a variety of house signs, including "Restoring the Earth's Conscience", "Save the Ice Caps" and "If you did your job, we would be in school".

Shortly before 1 pm, Thunberg spoke briefly to a crowd that had grown to over 100 people.

"I am so grateful to each and every one of you," she said.

"Never give up, we will continue," she declared with loud acclaim, "See you next week on September 20th!"

Next Friday, Thunberg is organizing a global climate strike that encourages students to go out of the classroom to protest. New York City public schools said they would excuse the absences of students attending the event with the consent of their parents.

Learn more about Greta: A young climate activist sailing across the Atlantic Ocean completes his journey

In August, Thunberg attracted worldwide attention when she departed Plymouth (UK) for a zero emission boat trip across the Atlantic. Thirteen days later, on August 24, she arrived in New York and organized a demonstration in front of the United Nations headquarters.

The celebrity status of Thunberg has increased in recent months. On Wednesday, Thunberg joined Trevor Noah for her Comedy Central night show, where she said her decision to go by boat was motivated by the massive impact of aviation on the carbon emissions that drive change climate.

Citing 200 species disappear every day, Thunberg said the world was in a state of mass extinction and reiterated that the effects of climate change were now being felt.

Thunberg urged people to learn about climate change and to advocate for a political movement to end the destruction of the world.

"What we need to do as individuals, is to use the power of democracy to make our voices heard and to ensure that the people in power can not actually continue to ignore it, "Thunberg told Noah.