From the mouths of babes: Good on them

When confronted by child protesters, politicians and other adults often reach for the age-based putdown, rather than engage with the substance of whatever it is they are protesting about. Often, the suggestion is that someone older has put them up to it.

Flemish environment minister Joke Schauvliege took the patronising tactic much too far when she said that recent school strikes across Belgium were a “set-up”; she later resigned.

The youth-led demonstrations have since spread to the Netherlands, as thousands of people marched in The Hague. Similar protests are scheduled to take place across the world in the coming weeks. There are older precedents for the recent upsurge in youth activism, with children playing key roles in historic civil rights and labour struggles. School desegregation in the southern US states and the 1888 London matchgirls’ strike are two famous examples.

There are sensible questions to be asked about the influence exerted by parents and others on children professing strong opinions. But we should respect and welcome efforts by them to make their voices heard and influence decision-making. After all, they will be living with the consequences for longer than the rest of us. If children want to take to the streets and demand tougher action to avert disaster, who can blame them?