School students protest in Newcastle to demand climate action

Hunter students joined thousands of others across the country, skipping school to call for climate action.

Hundreds of students, adults and children rallied in Civic Park on Friday, forming one of 36 protests held in Australia, and more than 600 across the world.

Newcastle School Strike 4 Climate held the protest, in line with others across Australia, calling on the government for "urgent climate action."

"We are sick of the lack of climate action and we are sick of the lack of care that the government has toward us young people regarding our futures and we are scared for our future and we want to see action, so that is why we have come out here today along with many other people to demand this urgently," said organiser and Hunter School of the Performing Arts year 12 student Luka McCallum.

Protestors shut down the streets of Newcastle, marching from Civic Park to Nesca Park, chanting that "fossil fuels have got to go."

With an election coming up soon, organiser Emily Ashton from St Philip's Christian College said the protest hopes to send the government a powerful message to put climate issues on the agenda.

"We are demanding strong climate policy in the lead up to the federal election because so far none of the major parties have given us anything substantial that we feel are good enough for the state that we are in currently and with young people turning 18 this year I think climate is on their minds and they will be voting out the government if they don't give us change" she said.

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"It is great that it is not just high school students here today. There is primary school students, older people, university students, young little children. It is great to have such a community in Newcastle.

"Today shows how many people actually care about climate change, despite what we are being told and the government pushing that it doesn't really matter and nothing is going to change."

NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said students should stay in school and advocate for change by being "informed citizens."

"Why should we go to school or uni if they won't listen to the educated?" said University student Bonnie Rudd.

Newcastle School Strike 4 Climate believe one student skipping school and demanding climate action is considered a success. Organiser Luka McCallum said hundreds of people protesting on Friday will send a strong message to the government.

"Every person makes a difference," she said.

"I think getting the community rallied together in itself is a success, and in saying that we have got hundreds of thousands of people coming together globally, so we think that in doing it here we are adding to that huge number of people who are thinking the same."

Nine-year-old Charlie Perkins attended the protest with his mum. He said climate change is an issue he feels strongly about.

"If we don't do anything we won't have a future and if we don't do it no one else will. It is not just for us but for future generations of this planet. It is our life and we need to be able to live it to the fullest."

Alexa Stuart has been involved with Newcastle School Strike 4 Climate since 2019. She said the momentum for combatting the climate crisis among students has not stopped over the years, despite having to move some protests online in the last two years due to COVID-19.

"Locally, because we are a fossil fuel community, we really need to see investment on retraining services for fossil fuel workers and we just need to not build the Kurri Kurri gas plant, which is pretty straight forward and that is why we are here every year."

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