School kids strike in thousands for climate action

Schoolchildren have walked out of classrooms in their thousands to protest government inaction on climate change.

Thousands of students walked out of school today in cities across Australia to demand government action on climate change. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Scott Morrison’s office will be hammered by phone calls from young activists as thousands of students converge across Australia to protest the government inaction on climate change.

The co-ordinated rallies were held in almost 30 cities and towns around Australia, which included all state capitals as well as large regional centres like Ballarat and Newcastle.

Around 2000 kids flooded Martin Place today for Sydney’s Student Strike for Climate Action rally, truanting school to express their displeasure with the lack of attempts to stop global warming.

The protests were inspired by Greta Thunberg, a 15-year-old Swedish student who led a strike outside Swedish parliament. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Supported by environmental groups including Australian Youth Climate Coalition and 350.org as well as proud parents, school kids in uniform and casual clothes held placards and chanted against the Morrison government.

Armed with smart phones, the young activists documented, instagrammed and tweeted the event which included speeches, live music and slam poetry.

This sign is everything #climatestrike pic.twitter.com/tVnsa6pUt9

— Fadak Alfayadh (@AlFadak) November 30, 2018

Scott Morrison has publicly rebuked the students, saying they should be focusing on learning.

“We don’t support the idea of kids not going to school to participate in things that can be dealt with outside of school,” he said.

“We don’t support our schools being turned into parliaments. What we want is more learning in schools and less activism in schools.”

Students gathered to demand the government take action on climate change at Martin Place in Sydney. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Jean Hinchcliffe, 14, from Fort St High School, is one of the leader organisers of the Sydney rally, said she was compelled to act by the PM’s inaction.

“He [Morrison] told us these issues should be dealt with outside of school and to that I agree, except their not being dealt with outside of school.”

Ms Hinchliffe said the event was largely student run, but a few adults helped out with “things like contacting the media and stuff.”

The oceans are rising and so are we! @StrikeClimate #climatestrike #ClimateAction pic.twitter.com/66ZqOnK59D

— Act on Climate Vic (@ActOnClimateVic) November 30, 2018

The event has largely been organised through social media, with several students in attendance saying they had heard about through Facebook.

Towards the end of the rally Ms Hinchliffe called the PM’s office and left a message demanding he take action against climate change.

She then read out the number and asked everyone to save it their phones, asking the crowd to call it for at least the next week.

These are some extremely well organised teens pic.twitter.com/fXttV2JSux

— Remy Varga (@RemyVarga) November 30, 2018

The rally is inspired by Swedish student Greta Thunberg who went on strike in September with demands Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven take action against climate change.

The resources minister criticised the striking students for skipping school in order to learn about “how to join the dole queue”.

Matt Canavan, who says he’s on the side of science and wants Australia to develop all energy sources including solar and coal, said he’d rather the kids learn about mining and science.

“These are the type of things that excite young children and we should be great at as a nation,” he told 2GB on Friday.

“The best thing you’ll learn about going to a protest is how to join the dole queue.”

This is the best deal we'll be offered, we should probably grab it #ClimateStrike (via @UnaMcIlvenna) pic.twitter.com/Pg9BBQXPd2

— David Pope (@davpope) November 30, 2018

In Sydney, the protesting students chanted “climate action now” and “ScoMo sucks” while similar numbers blocked streets outside the Victorian parliament in Melbourne.

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?”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison urged students to stay in school, telling parliament, "what we want is more learning in schools and less activism in schools". Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

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 said.

— with AAP