Students are being encouraged to pull a sickie on Friday to march for climate change action, and are being given a doctor’s note to do it.
Organised by School Strikes 4 Climate, the strike comes off the back of a series of similar movements in 2019’s climate strikes which saw hundreds of thousands of students marched through Australian streets and millions more around the world.
The only catch is that the note is signed by climate change doctors rather than medical ones. It says students are unable to attend school due to a “major climate health concern”. It is hoped the certificate will ease criticism from past protests which saw complaints that kids should remain in class.
Student organiser Joey Thompson, 16, told PEDESTRIAN.TV students were striking to shift the power away from fossil fuels.
“As we head into a summer of dangerous heat and bushfires, the Labor Government is pouring more fuel on the fire by approving and subsidising new coal and gas projects,” he said.
“Fossil fuels are making climate disasters in floods and bushfires more intense and more frequent, and young people will bear the brunt of the impacts of these disasters. We need to rise up and demand change from those in positions of power.”
He said student voices were powerful, and they needed to use their voices to force politicians to bring a stop to coal and gas approvals.
The letter is signed by two leading climate scientists, University of Melbourne’s Dr David Karoly and ANU College Of Science’s Dr Nick Abel.
Speaking to PEDESTRIAN.TV, Karoly said the idea of using the letter was to teach kids how to get involved in the democratic process.
“This doctors certificate is to make it easier for school students to participate in the march and learn more about importance of action,” he said.
“Climate change impacts and are going to impact the rest of their lives, so we need to teach kids how to get governments to listen.”
He said criticism that kids should be in class was an inappropriate response, saying that “field experience on non-violent protest is democracy in action”.
The protests will take place throughout the day on Friday in nine locations around Australia, with the earliest beginning at 8:30am in Adelaide.
Where to go
- Sydney, Belmore Park – 12pm
- Taree, Fotheringham Park – 11am
- Adelaide, Steps of Parliament – 8:30am
- Melbourne, Flagstaff Gardens – 1pm
- Byron Bay, Railway Park – 10am
- Noosa, Andrew Powell MP Office – 10am
- Canberra, Katy Gallagher’s Office – 12pm
- Perth, Florence Hummerson Reserve – 9am
- Brisbane – Time and Place TBC
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