Australian school kids walk out of class in global climate change protest
Schoolchildren from across Australia have walked out of classes today, demanding government action on climate change. But the country’s resources minister says the child protesters will only learn how to join a dole queue.
National
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Thousands of Australian schoolchildren have walked out of class today to join an international strike to demand urgent government action on climate change, but the country’s resources minister Matt Canavan says skipping school to protest will only teach them “how to join a dole queue”.
More than 3000 people showed up outside Melbourne’s parliament building, ready with signs and chants in pursuit of government response.
Sydney’s Martin Place has also been flooded with kids and their parents from noon today, with stopping the Adani coal mine high on their agenda.
The ‘Strike 4 Climate Action’, inspired by 15-year-old Swedish schoolgirl Greta Thunberg, involves children in capital cities and 20 regional centres such as Ballarat and Newcastle as they team up with kids globally to push governments into action on the issue.
Yesterday more than 1500 students protested in Hobart for the Tasmanian school strike.
Mr Canavan said he wants kids in school learning about how to build mines, study geology and how to drill for oil and gas “which is one of the most remarkable science exploits in the world”.
“These are the type of things that excite young children and we should be great at as a nation,” he told 2GB.
“Taking off school and protesting? You don’t learn anything from that.
“The best thing you’ll learn about going to a protest is how to join the dole queue. Because that’s what your future life will look like, up in a line asking for a handout, not actually taking charge for your life and getting a real job.”
Prime Minister Scott Morrison earlier this week urged students not to take part.
The #climatestrike has gone global! Don't miss out in this historic event. Get to an event near you: https://t.co/Fg0yi0sYU9 pic.twitter.com/Zn4QFAkQ1v
— School Strike 4 Climate (@StrikeClimate) November 29, 2018
“What we want is more learning in schools and less activism in schools,” he told federal parliament.
Australia’s environment minister Melissa Price echoed the prime minister saying: “We acknowledge the right of young people to engage in demonstrations on important issues, although our number one priority is for students to be in the classroom.”
“Our government takes climate change very seriously and we are committed to a responsible path to reducing our carbon emissions that does not compromise Australia’s economy,” she said.
Mass protests were held in Sydney’s Martin Place and outside Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane’s parliament buildings on Friday from noon with a total of 30 cities and towns across the nation taking part.
In Sydney kids in school uniform chanted “ScoMo sucks” and “climate action now”.
Mount Druitt student Siniva Esera said Australia needs to be the Big Brother to the low-lying Pacific Islands, including her relatives on Tokelau atolls.
“Our prime minister thinks we should be in school right now and maybe we should,” the Chifley College Senior Campus student told the Sydney protest.
“But how can I just sit by and not do anything to protect the future of this planet and as my family on the islands worry about the rising sea level?”
Forest Lodge Primary school captain Lucie Atkin Bolton said she’d learned in class that leaders need to look after all and take responsibility when things go wrong.
“I wish I lived in a country where our adults, especially our politicians, actually cared about my future,” the 11-year-old said.
Rose Bay student Michelle Leevig said lots of other issues are also important.
“But none of that will matter if the earth ends up drowned, the temperatures rise and there are no humans,” she told AAP.
“As a generation, we are sick of those in power failing to stop the climate crisis,” Sydney student Jean Hinchliffe, 14, said.
Students on the steps of Vic Parliament house right now LIVE on the Today show #climatestrike pic.twitter.com/oij8qjegpR
— School Strike 4 Climate (@StrikeClimate) November 28, 2018
Over 1500 students and their supporters have turned out in Hobart today for the Tasmanian school strike! Are you listening @billshortenmp @ScottMorrisonMP #climatestrike pic.twitter.com/BxBD87MnHY
— School Strike 4 Climate (@StrikeClimate) November 29, 2018
“Our future is on the line … We are striking to tell our politicians to stop all new coal and gas projects and take immediate action to move Australia to 100 per cent renewable energy.”
Strike spokeswoman Charlie Wood told News Corp the strikers would gather for two hours between 12 noon and 2pm today.
She said based on the numbers at Hobart yesterday, about 2000 people were expected at the Sydney and Melbourne protests.
“No councils or local government have opposed it and the Sydney police have been excellent,” Ms Wood said.
She said the NSW Teachers Federation had also sent out written support for the strikers.
“The schools themselves cannot promote a strike but the conversations with teachers indicate they’re personally supportive,” she said.
The striking students had to get permission from their parents or guardians before they could walk out today. Each have sent signed forms to their schools to declare they will be participating in the strike,
“It’s not an unexplained absence,” Ms Wood said, “the permission slips were written by the parents or guardians themselves.”
WHAT THE STUDENTS WANT
The students have three key demands today:
1. For politicians to treat climate change as a crisis in Australia
2. For Australia to move beyond coal and gas to 100 per cent renewable energy by 2030
3. To stop the Adani coal mine.
Yesterday, to the outrage of environmental groups, Adani announced it will fund the entire cost of its Carmichael mine in Queensland’s Galilee Basin.
Last month Adani said it was scaling back the size and scope of the project from a 60 million tonnes a year, $16.5 billion mega-mine, to a more manageable 10 to 15 million tonnes a year costing around $2 billion.
The project has been fiercely opposed by environmental groups who argue the thermal coal that will be extracted from the mine will contribute to global warming.
“We are here to demand real action on climate change from our politicians,” Melbourne student Jagveer Singh, 17, said.
“It is time for them to stop sucking up to the big corporations and start truly representing their constituents. My parents taught me that if you have a loud voice, you should make the voiceless heard. We may not be old enough to vote yet and that’s is why we need your support to help us fight for a safe future. We must have a say in the decisions made about our future. The message from the students is loud and clear: if you want to govern, you’ve got to commit to keep fossil fuels in the ground.”
Ruby Walker from Inverell, NSW added: “I wake every morning in a state that is 100% drought declared. I have seen our government axe policies to protect my generation’s future. I have seen the failure to invest in solutions that would protect us and the failure to prevent and prepare for the climate crisis. Enough is enough.”
She added while it wasn’t a problem her generation created, she wanted to do everything she could to stop it.
COUNTRIES UNITE TO STRIKE
Greta Thunberg went on strike on September, ahead of Sweden’s national election, demanding the country’s leader to do something about climate change.
Miss Thunberg said each Friday from then a group would sit outside Swedish parliament until Sweden was in-line with the Paris Agreement.
At the time she urged supporters from all countries to do the same.
“Sit outside your parliament or local government building until your nation is on a safe pathway to a below 2 degree warming target,” Miss Thunberg said in a video post on Twitter.
“Some people say we should be in school instead, but why should we be studying for a future that soon will be no more?”
‘What is the point of learning facts of the school system, when the most important facts given by the finest scientists of that school system clearly means nothing to our politicians and our society?”
This morning she tweeted support for Australians striking today.
“Time for bed in Sweden. But in Australia it’s already morning and the 30th of November. IStand (sic) strong Australia. We are with you,” she tweeted.
She said 100 towns in Sweden and 260 places worldwide would be striking today.
On Friday we will be striking or demonstrating for the climate in hundreds of places all over the world! Visit @KlimatSverige to find a local strike. If there isn't one near you-make one! Contact @janine_ok or @klimatsverige They will help you! #climatestrike #fridaysforfuture pic.twitter.com/M56Ln1lx67
— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) November 28, 2018
Youth Ambassador for Plastic Pollution Coalition, Lilly Platt, also voiced her support for the Australian kids who were protesting today.
“I wish the thousands of students that will walk out of school in Australia the best of luck. You are brave, this is a historic moment,” she wrote on Twitter.
“Climate change is no fake news,” she declared in a video that accompanied her post.
Miss Platt, who is 10-years-old also thanked Greens MP Adam Bandt for supporting the initiative.
The Netherlands based student is also taking part in the school strikes, she has been protesting every Friday for the last 12 weeks.
@StrikeClimate Nov 30 is here and I wish all the thousands of students that will walk out of school in #australia the best of luck!! You are brave this is a historic moment #climatestrike #FridaysForFuture @AdamBandt @estherswchan pic.twitter.com/uuhQcovHry
— lillysplasticpickup (@lillyspickup) November 29, 2018
PM: DEAL WITH IT OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL
Scott Morrison angrily condemned the national strike saying children should stay in class rather than protest things that could be dealt with “outside of school.”
“Each day I send my kids to school and I know other members’ kids should also go to school but we do not support our schools being turned into parliaments,” Mr Morrison told parliament on Monday.
The prime minister gave the fiery response when questioned by Greens MP Adam Bandt about the walkouts.
Despite disagreeing with students’ skipping school to protest today, he said climate change was a “very real and serious issue.”
He said the government was acting on climate change through initiatives such as the emissions reduction fund and the renewable energy target.
“We are committed to all of these things, but I will tell you what we are also committed to — kids should go to school,” he said.
Charlie Wood said the strikers were ignoring the PM’s plea to stay in school today because “it’s their future on the line.”
“They’re the ones who are going to be here to deal with the effects. Sitting with that as a young person is a really big thing and they’re looking at our politicians to show they are serious and to do something,” she said.
“They can’t vote, they can’t run for government due to their age so this is a powerful way to have their voice.”
“As young people, we will inherit the decisions that our politicians are making about climate change. We learn in school that scientists think we have just a decade to avoid the worst impacts of climate change and yet our politicians are helping rich companies like Adani mine and burn more coal that will only make this worse. We’re striking from school to tell them to stop, now,” 14-year-old protester Harriet O’Shea Carre said.
She will be taking part in central Victoria today.
The Greens have backed the student protest efforts: “The PM is unbelievably out of touch with young people, not only in Australia but around the world,” Adam Bandt said.
“These students want a leader to protect their future, but they got a hectoring, ungenerous and condescending rebuke from someone even worse than Tony Abbott.”
Australian Youth Climate Coalition spokesman Laura Sykes said Mr Morrison had shown “irrational outrage” to students who care about their education.
.@AdamBandt: Students will go on strike from school calling for emergency action on climate change. Prime Minister will you join me in praising these kids?@ScottMorrisonMP: What we want, is more learning and less activism.
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) November 26, 2018
MORE: https://t.co/ykweMevBOK #ParliamentLive pic.twitter.com/QW2nGnesBG
“It was shockingto see our prime minister condemning students as young as eight, who are sacrificing a day of schooling to stand up for a safe climate future,” Ms Sykes told AAP.
“When young people try to have a voice in politics, Scott Morrison is shutting them down, yet he’s happy to listen to the coal lobby and big corporations who continue to profit from making climate change worse.”
PROTEST DETAILS: To find out where students are striking today, click here.
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