School Strike 4 Climate attracts protesters across Queensland

Students across Queensland have ignored the pleas of the Education Minister and walked out of class to join a national “strike” for climate change action. VOTE IN OUR POLL

Traffic has come to a standstill in Brisbane’s CBD as hundreds of students and others joined the national School Strike 4 Climate.

William St was blocked in both directions about 2pm as protesters, including children in school uniforms, made their way across Victoria Bridge toward South Bank Parklands, chanting, “What do we want? Climate justice! When do we want it? Now!” and “Always will be Aboriginal land.”

People across Queensland have walked out of school, university or work to join the national protest, which includes 35 in-person and online events aimed at delivering a message to Prime Minister Scott Morrison ahead of the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow at the end of the month.

Ahead of the march organiser Aimee Rogers addressed the group at Queens Gardens outside Treasury casino.

“I’m here not because I want to be, but because I have to be,” she said.

“We as Australians cannot stand by while our planet is destroyed. And unlike our Government, we can no longer ignore the importance of climate change.

“The youth are rising and we will be heard.”

“We are here, rather than at school where we should be, because our government refuses to protect us.”

Junction Park State School prep student Molly Jenvey, 5, was joined by her mother Mary O’Shea.

Ms O’Shea said that she bought her daughter to the strike because “we care about the climate”.

“It’s going to be a bigger deal for her age group, so we have conversations all the time about how it will affect her,” she said.

Mary O’Shea with prep student daughter Molly Jenvey, 5. Picture: John Gass/NCA NewsWire

Year 11 students Sophia Grimshaw, 17, and Magdalena O’Neil, 16, held signs that said, “Eat the rich.”

Sophia said she felt like the Government had “forgotten about us”.

“Covid has definitely taken away from some attention that needs to be shone,” she said.

Hillbrook Anglican School Year 10 student Pia - who held a sign saying “Stop f---ing our Earth ScoMo...” - said the Government was wasting time.

“It’s just embarrassing for Australia,” she said.

“The older generations may not have many years left, but younger kids had their whole lives ahead of them.”

Hillbrook Year 7 student Jo rejected Education Minister Grace Grace’s view that students should not walk out of school, and their voices would be as powerful at 3pm.

“They will be more powerful,” she said.

“It proves our point that we will sacrifice our education because this is more important.”

Murrumba State Secondary College students Sophia Grimshaw and Magdalena O'Neil at the School Strike 4 Climate in Brisbane. Picture: John Gass/NCA NewsWire