Youth protest climate change in worldwide school strike (VIDEOS)
Tens of thousands of students have walked out of classes to protest climate change in a global strike, condemning government inaction on the matter.
Organized by activists at numerous locations, the demonstrations primarily saw school students walking out of classes, joined by adult climate activists.
Huge turn for the Climate Strike here in London! Over 10,000! We will shape our own future! #ClimateStrike#schoolstrike4climate#YouthStrike4Climatepic.twitter.com/qwwJF6EmYJ
— Joel🌲 (@JoelReidWylie) 15 марта 2019 г.
"Police tried to close the entrance to The Mall leading to Buckingham Palace but they just keep on coming... #ExtinctionRebellion#climatestrike#schoolstrike4climate", @LdnRebellion.#YouthStrike4Climate#FridaysForFuture@Strike4Youth@UKSCN1@ukyccpic.twitter.com/kmfmj5YSdR
— Extinction Rebellion ⌛️ (@ExtinctionR) 15 марта 2019 г.
The protesters poured into the streets of European capitals, as well as other cities.
Toujours beaucoup de monde et une bonne ambiance dans le cortège à Paris pour la grève scolaire pour le #climatpic.twitter.com/v9sDyhqqXz
— Audrey Garric (@audreygarric) 15 марта 2019 г.
They displayed assorted banners and placards, featuring such slogans as “Oceans are rising, so are we,” the infamous phrase “There's no planet B” and so on.
Also on rt.com ‘Greatest scam in history’: Greenpeace co-founder thrashes global warming ‘brainwashing’ campaignYoung activists insisted that the adults – and politicians in particular – needed some education on climate change issues, thus skipping school was needed for them to be heard.
Students in Delhi at their #SchoolStrike4Climate today!(spotted a support @GretaThunberg sign too😊)Demanding clean air, clean energy, &clean water— asking governments to act now!Solidarity among young activists across the world is so amazing!#ClimateStrike#FridaysForFuturepic.twitter.com/n79fV8yole
— Pujarini (@pujarini_sen) 15 марта 2019 г.
The US, which has walked away from the Paris agreement on climate change thanks to President Donald Trump – prominent climate change denier himself – was not spared by the young demonstrators either.
WEEK 14 of my @UN#ClimateStrike in NYC. Today, we demonstrated to our world leaders what will happen if they don't urgently address climate change! Look out America, #SchoolsStrike4Climate is here! @GretaThunbergpic.twitter.com/pUR3DOxfPl
— Alexandria Villasenor (@AlexandriaV2005) 15 марта 2019 г.
Hundreds of kids in front of City Hall in New York cheering “Our future our earth” and “hey hey, ho ho, climate change has got to go.” pic.twitter.com/R8fSXjFAXX
— Sarah Kaplan (@sarahkaplan48) 15 марта 2019 г.
The school student strike movement started last year when 16-year-old activist Greta Thunberg began skipping school on Fridays to protest climate change outside the country's parliament. Thunberg's activities have attracted supporters across the globe and fetched the girl a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Around 10 000 young people schoolstriking for the climate in Stockholm with @GretaThunberg and all the other heroes of #FridaysForFuture together with hundreds of thousands around the world. The rules of our societies have to be changed in line with the Paris agreement! pic.twitter.com/m3zI2SDypZ
— David Fopp (@DavidFopp) 15 марта 2019 г.
Thunberg appeared at the rally in Stockholm and addressed fellow activists.
“We have only been born into this world, we are going to have to live with this crisis our whole lives. So will our children and grandchildren and coming generations,” Thunberg said. “We are not going to accept this. We are striking because we want a future and we are going to carry on.”
Supporting my doughter, children and youth all over the world today at climate school strike in Stockholm #FridaysForFuture @GretaThunberg pic.twitter.com/XYy4s07vPj
— Helen Ågren (@AgrenHelen) 15 марта 2019 г.
The global climate strike is in effect! Across the globe and in Stockholm, where it all began with @gretathunberg#Fridaysforfuture pic.twitter.com/X0IDDMyf1T
— Sweden.se (@swedense) 15 марта 2019 г.
In some countries the politicians were not eager to get schooled, blasting the young protesters for skipping classes.
READ MORE: I am terrified of ‘children’s crusader’ Greta Thunberg – and you should be too
“For action on issues that they think is important, they should do that after school or on weekends,” Australia's Education Minister Dan Tehan told reporters. The students, however, apparently didn’t pay much attention to the minister's words and showed up to the demonstrations en-masse.
Look around, world. Pay attention to the youth. Tens of thousands of students are striking in Australia, and that's just the start. Here's a thread of photos from the youth #ClimateStrike in different locations around the world.READY, SET, GO!📷: @skateanderson // #Melbournepic.twitter.com/YWKCU36woK
— Alyssa Klein (@dj_diabeatic) 15 марта 2019 г.
Tehan's rant was not taken lightly, with both activists and fellow politicians blasting him for “hypocrisy” and criticizing his own poor attendance record in Parliament.
Education Minister Dan Tehan has turned up to Parliament for 8 days this year but he thinks he can criticise kids for leaving school early protest. #ClimateStrike#wollongong#auspolpic.twitter.com/kd6pf44e0H
— Stephen Jones MP (@StephenJonesMP) 15 марта 2019 г.
Dan Tehan and the rest of the @LiberalAus bullying #ClimateStrike school children on #antibullyingday#irony? #auspol
— The Angry Goddess (@Bishop64) 14 марта 2019 г.
Plenty of Leaders standing up & speaking out in support of #schoolstrike4climate.But @ABCNews@gavmorris insists on broadcasting the ignorant opposing voices of FRWFWs like Dan Tehan, the Education Minister who thought Africa was a country.Why is it so. #auspol#ABCFAIL
— Boomer, Ms Jenny Frecklington-Jones (@Triplejay58) 14 марта 2019 г.
In contrast, officials of neighboring New Zealand endorsed the protesters, with the country's PM Jacinda Ardern stating that the youth should not wait for voting age to be heard. Aside from that, she pledged NZ$100 million (some USD$68 million) to cut emissions of greenhouse gases. The climate activists have protested in about 100 different locations in the country, which was left shaken by Friday’s gruesome mosque attacks.
if you want to see something else out of New Zealand today, thousands of kids skipped school there today to demand action over climate change pic.twitter.com/LfgGdZYpHH
— Matthew Champion (@matthewchampion) 15 марта 2019 г.
Auckland, New Zealand School Strike for Climate #ClimateStrike#schoolstrike4climatepic.twitter.com/ib27SiZ1Et
— Cristina Parra Jerez (@parra_jerez) 15 марта 2019 г.
Like this story? Share it with a friend!
