Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Chronicle Live
Chronicle Live
National
Sophie Finnegan

Protesters in Newcastle and North Tyneside take to the streets to call for more action to protect the planet

Climate protesters gathered on the streets of Newcastle and North Tyneside to call for more action to protect the planet.

Schoolchildren gathered for the North Tyneside Youth Strike for Climate in Cullercoats at 10.30am on Friday before they marched to Whitley Bay, where they carried out a community litter pick. Children held up colourful homemade signs which said 'Act Now' and 'Let Our Planet Heal.'

During the march, the group chanted: "Whose future? Our future! Whose streets? Our streets! Whose planet? Our planet!" The group also waved colourful banners and signs.

Read more: Proposals to ban Sunday driving and cut motorway speed to 64mph limit to save oil

Meanwhile, young people gathered in Newcastle to make their voices heard alongside thousands of others worldwide in today's Global Climate Strike. Some held up signs which said: "No Fossil Fools Here" and "Time is running out".

Fiona Robertson, a spokesperson for the group, said: "It's always so brilliant to see so many of the next generation on the climate strikes, joining in, explaining what's wrong with our planet and what we can do about it. It is so inspiring to see these younger children at the coast standing up for what they believe in.

"It's hugely important to get people back out on the streets to show that ordinary people care massively about the unfolding crisis and want to see real action from our leaders."

Speaking at the march, Fiona said the children wanted to show "that they're making a difference to this world". She said: "Our children started the group two years ago this is our thirteenth climate strike in North Tyneside for younger children who can't go into the Newcastle marches. These guys are just great.

"They've been making new banners for this march and they feel that they want to come out of school because they want to make a difference and they need to show that they're making a difference to this world as it's quite worrying for some."

One schoolboy called Jack, said at the march: "I just think that the main aim of the protest is to try and get more and more people to do it until the Government actually do something. I think that's the whole point of the protest and I'm here to help that happen."

The strike stems from the Fridays for Future movement that began in August 2018 after 15-year-old Greta Thunberg and other young activists sat in front of the Swedish parliament every schoolday for three weeks to protest against the lack of action on the climate crisis.

They created the hashtag #FridaysForFuture and encouraged other young people all over the world to join them. This marked the beginning of the global school strike for climate.

The campaigners are asking leaders across the world to keep the global temperature rise below 1.5C compared to pre-industrial levels, to "ensure climate justice and equity, and listen to the best science currently available". More schools are also being encouraged to include climate change in their curriculum.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.