Global climate strike LIVE: Australian school students march to protest climate change

It's been a huge day for more than 300,000 Australian school and university students, families and workers who took to the streets of their cities and towns to protest climate change inaction.

Up to 80,000 people are estimated to have poured into The Domain in Sydney. Credit: Louise Kennerley

Organisers described the turnout as the biggest nationwide since 500,000 people protested against the Iraq war in 2003. Similar school strikes in March and November last year drew 40,000 and 15,000 people.

Police commended the large crowds for displaying good behaviour at the peaceful protests. 

The rallies produced some powerful images, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne where the crowds were especially large – so check out our gallery to the right for all the best photos. 

You can read our wrap of the day's events in Sydney and beyond here, and keep an eye out for how the rest of the world takes up Greta Thunberg's call to action. 

Are there better makers of protest placards out there than school kids?

Here's some of the internet's faves from today:

Most of the strikes across the country have now wrapped up, and organisers have reiterated their demands. There are three.

1. No new coal, oil and gas projects, including the Adani mine

2. 100 per cent renewable energy generation and exports by 2030

3. Fund a just transition and job creation for all fossil-fuel workers and communities

The question now is whether 300,000 marchers, many below voting age, could be enough to sway the government to change tack. The 500,000 who marched to stop Australia's involvement in the Iraq war were not able to do so. 

Today's climate strike may have been the biggest nationwide protest turnout since 500,000 Australians took to the streets to protest against the Iraq war in 2003. 

Organisers say "well over" 300,000 people gathered across the eight capital cities and more than 100 towns to send a message to the government that they want action on climate change. 

It's more than double the turnout seen at the previous climate strike in March. 

In a statement, School Strike 4 Climate said about 100,000 people rallied in Melbourne, 80,000 in Sydney, 30,000 in Brisbane, 20,000 in Hobart 15,000 in Canberra and 10,000 each in Adelaide and Perth. 

Along with tens of thousands of school and university students, 2500 Australian businesses allowed their workers to attend and 33 Australian unions participated. 

Police are praising the conduct of strikers at the rally in Sydney today. In a statement this afternoon, police said officers were deployed to ensure the safety of those attending. 

"No arrests were made at the event and police are commending the behaviour of those who participated in the peaceful protest.

"Police would like to thank the community for their patience during significant road closures throughout the CBD."

Thousands of Sydney strikers are now dispersing from Hyde Park, where student organiser Daisy Jeffrey, 17, said it had been an "the most incredible day".

"We have proved to our government that Australia does want climate action."

Strike organiser Daisy Jeffrey. Credit: Louise Kennerley

Ms Jeffrey, who founded the Sydney school strike movement, said at the first strike in November "this was just the beginning".

"Today shows we have followed through with that promise and we will never back down," she told the crowd of over 50,000.

"We are on the outskirts of the biggest catastrophe humanity has ever faced and our government is doing nothing ... By each of us leading in our own way, and teaching others to do the same, we can build our way out of this mess."

Federal Labor MPs Ged Kearney, Kate Thwaites, Josh Burns, Andrew Giles, Peta Murphy and Clare O'Neil have ventured into Melbourne's CBD to join protesters.

Earlier, Independent MP for Warraingah Zali Steggall took a Manly ferry to the protest in Sydney with her staffers, but was delayed due to a smaller vessel than usual being used to transport the larger-than-usual crowd. 

Vision from above the crowd in Melbourne shows it is very large indeed. We don't have an estimate from police yet, but organisers are tipping 100,000. 

Footage from Nine News shows the massive scale of the crowd in and around Treasury Gardens. 

The implications of climate change aren't lost on Australia's snow-lovers. Locals and visitors at Mount Hotham ski resort have joined in the strike. 

Mount Hotham ski resort locals and visitors came together to support the ​Global Climate Strike​. Credit: Karl Gray

Nearly four hours' drive west of Brisbane at the small town of Chinchilla, Ariel Ehlers is staging her own strike outside Chinchilla State School.

Four hours west of Brisbane, schoolgirl Ariel Ehlers stages her own climate strike. Credit: Tony Moore

"In a way because I want to have a future," Ms Ehlers said. "Even though Western Downs Council is only a regional council, we can still do our part to play a part in raising awareness about combatting climate change."

Chinchilla State School has about 600 students. "While a fair few Year 6 students know about climate change, they don’t really know enough to try to make a difference," she said. "I made a PowerPoint presentation for them and they really seemed to appreciate that."