Hundreds skip school to attend controversial climate change rally
Senior figures including Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk have expressed their dismay after hundreds of Gold Coast children skipped school to attend a climate change rally this morning. SEE OUR PICTURE GALLERY
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Hundreds of school students have skipped class to attend a controversial climate change rally in Varsity Lakes today.
Students as young as seven took part in the rally which has been condemned by prominent politicians, including Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, for seeing them miss class.
Many carried signs that took direct aim at the Morrison Government and the Adani mine proposal.
The protest, which took place at the office of Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, Karen Andrews, was attended by students and parents from a number of Gold Coast schools.
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The students shouted chants including “Our future on the line, come on Karen Andrews, time to shine” and “Water is life - coral not coal.”
The students presented Ms Andrews’ office with hundreds of letters detailing their concerns about Government inaction on climate change.
Ms Palaszczuk said she thought it was “wonderful” children were accepting the science of climate change but could not work out why they had to walk out of class.
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“I honestly don’t know why this rally could not have been held on a weekend so families could participate together,” she said.
“I don’t support children leaving school for this rally I think it could have been held after school hours or it could have been held on a weekend.”
Ms Palaszczuk declined to say if students should be penalised for walking out of class, saying it was matter for parents to know where their children were.
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