Students voice fears
HUNDREDS of Townsville students marched along The Strand yesterday to protest about climate change as part of a global climate strike.
Students chanted and waved banners emblazoned with “planet above profit” slogans during the strike from 9am to noon held by the Australian Youth Climate Coalition.
The Global Strike 4 Climate took place in 110 towns and cities across Australia with organisers demanding a target of net zero carbon emissions by 2030 and a transition to 100 per cent renewable energy.
Year 8 student Billie Tristram, 13, said students from across the city skipped a day of school to raise awareness.
“I’m scared for my future and for future generations, it’s really scary and disappointing our politicians aren’t doing enough to slow it down or stop it,” she said.
“We will never stop, we’re getting louder and louder, there’s no point trying to shut us down, we’re going to continue no matter what.
“We’ve taken a day off school to make a sacrifice and show what we believe in.”
The protest was opened by a traditional owner and a smoking ceremony.
Billie was one of the main speakers at the rally and spoke about her imagination of “doom and gloom” but also a solution to the “crisis”.
“It was an amazing atmosphere there were so many people there,” she said.
According to the School Strike 4 Climate website more than 300,000 students and workers joined in yesterday’s strikes. An estimated 100,000 people took to the streets of Melbourne, with Sydney coming in a close second with more than an estimated 80,000 protesters.
More than 35,000 people attended the protest in Brisbane and 22,000 in Hobart.
Swedish climate change activist Greta Thunberg praised protesters across Australia for the huge turnouts across the country.
“Australia is setting the standard,” the 16-year-old wrote on Twitter.