#YouthStrike4Climate in London. Photo: Steve Eason

Global youth strikers: declare a climate emergency

rs21 members • 16 March 2019

From Mauritius to Manchester, young people around the world walked out of their schools and colleges on Friday 15 March, demanding action on climate change. #FridaysForFuture #YouthStrike4Climate

Mauritius

Over 200 school, college and university students marched through the centre of Port-Louis.

One of the youth activists, Keyla Kauppaymuthoo, stressed how important it was to face up to climate change: ‘Mauritius is even more vulnerable to climate change because it is a small insular state, hardly visible on a map, but which is suffering huge damage.’

Manchester

‘At the youth strike for Climate in Manchester, there was a large crowd of around 1500, including uni and school students from several schools and colleges. Contributions from the platform were predominantly from school students with girls in the majority. Despite a police presence to try and prevent it, they successfully invaded the tram tracks staging a sit down. They then marched around the city centre. The enthusiasm and energy was palpable and this is not going to go away.’ – Bev Naneek.

Youth strikers in Manchester. Photo: Tom Haines-Doran.

‘Hundreds of school children on strike, joined by young adults and a scattering of old bastards like me. Inspiring speeches from kids who have been gaslighted by the schools, the media, and told off by the Prime Minister. Very inspiring. Some older climate activists and trade unionists, but no banners from trade unions, the Labour party, and Momentum. The established left have to do better.’ – Tom Haines-Doran.

Cambridge

‘At the Youth Strike in Cambridge. About 800-1000. Very lively. Very noisy!’ – Mitch Mitchell.

Cambridge. Photo: Zareen Taj.

‘When someone said well done to a 12-year old, he turned round and said we’re doing this for our kids and our kids’ kids.’ – Zareen Taj.

Porto (Portugal)

Photo: Climaximo (via fb)

Oxford

Photo: John Walker.

Photo: John Walker

London

Photo: Katherine Hearst

‘The march mysteriously kept going after we reached parliament square and I asked a comrade carrying the banner of the SOAS contingent as we were crossing bridge if he knew where it was going. He had no clue, “and they’re not chronically sleep deprived like we are.” At one moment, several cop vans with their sirens blaring tried to break through us but in seconds students were standing and sitting in the street and refused to move, forcing the cops to find an alternative route.’

Photo: Steve Eason

‘Our “no borders! no nations! stop climate devastation!” “close the polluters! open the borders” chants caught among these students as we approached the river – but it was way cooler seeing students not even in high school testing chants, leading them, blowing shofars, climbing on the roofs of bus-stops and the like. The deficit of rhythm that holds back the British left (and its dirge-awful chants) was less pronounced today …’ – Seth Uzman