Climate protest: 30,000 flood Brisbane streets
CLIMATE Strike volunteers suggest about 30,000 people have marched in a procession stretching nearly two kilometres through the Brisbane CBD, joining an expected 1 million global participants in the School Strike 4 Climate actions.
In spite of calls from Education Minister Grace Grace for students to protest "in their own time", rather than skipping class during regular school hours, thousands of school-age children joined adults as the protest converged at Queens Gardens and slowly moved through the city.
This is unreal #Brisbane #ClimateStrike pic.twitter.com/mxuGYPcjhB
— Amanda Bordin 👩🔬 (@AKBordin) September 20, 2019
Among them are hundreds of school students who have taken the day off to join the protests, many with parental and school support.
Thousands gathered in front of the Treasure Casino, brandishing signs and umbrellas with anti-Adani and anti-Goverment slogans scrawled across them.
The march route is Queens Park, George Street, Adelaide Street, North Quay, the Victoria Bridge, Melbourne Street, Grey Street, Glenelg Street and into Musgrave Park, South Brisbane.
— Queensland Police (@QldPolice) September 20, 2019
Mansfield High School student Bella Allen, 17, said she and her friends were marching to make a difference.
Other students, like 14-year-old Klarise Kathari, said marching was a better alternative to staying at home.
For those passionate srudents, the chance to cast off the aspersions assigned to them as the lazy, entitled generation was also important.
"People have the wrong idea about our generation," Eliana Heron, 14, said.
"We're willing to fight to let the Government know they can't toy with our futures.
"It's us, and our children, who will bear this (burden of climate change).
Echoing Minister Grace's words, Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack said climate protests should be held on weekends when they are not disruptive to the community.
Thousands of people are gathering at rallies around the country on Friday, demanding an urgent escalation in climate change action, ahead of a United Nations summit in New York next week.
"I think these sorts of rallies should be held on a weekend where it doesn't actually disrupt business, it doesn't disrupt schools, it doesn't disrupt universities," Mr McCormack told reporters.
"I think it is just a disruption."
He said students would learn more at school than at a protest rally.
Mr McCormack said the government was taking action to cut emissions and boost the use of renewable energy.
