On Friday 15th February thousands of University, College & School students will be taking part in a one day strike to protest against the failure to take the necessary actions to tackle climate change and pollution. Swanley & District Labour Party has voted to give its full support to young people joining the protest.

Pupils from more than 50 towns and cities across the UK are expected to join the walk out across the UK. There have been individual actions before, but this is the first time strike action will be coordinated centrally. The organisers state:

The World’s Youth are waking up. Millions of young people are realising it’s now or never and are now taking direct action on the climate crisis and ecological catastrophe. Whether you are at school, college or uni, go on strike on the Friday 15th February. For some this falls on half term; join the protest anyway, with youth from across the world.

There will be a mass rally in Parliament Square, London, SW1A 2. The protest will start at 11.00am and go on to 2.00pm. (You Strike 4 Climate – London)

Pupils across the globe have been striking since 15 year old Greta Thunberg started protesting on her own in Sweden. Greta’s message is:

We Can’t Save the World by Playing by the Rules, Because the Rules Have to Change.

Her actions have struck a chord across the globe and a world wide movement challenging the inactions of governments is emerging. In the Guardian Jake Woodier of UK Youth Climate Action, said:

The images of what Greta did and then the huge strikes by schoolchildren in other countries have been widely shared by young people on social media and have really inspired people.

The protesters emphasise that we are facing an unprecedented global emergency. Governmental actions, it is argued, have not only failed to protect people and the earth, they are endangering it on a daily basis.

The UK group is demanding the Government declares a “climate emergency”, transforms an economic system that is devastating the planet, ensure people know how serious the crisis is, and reform the national curriculum to take the “climate emergency” into account.

The strike action on February 15th is the start. It will be followed by a global day of action on 15th March, 2019.

Key links

• Climate and economic risks ‘threaten 2008-style systemic collapse’
• Plummeting insect numbers ‘threaten collapse of nature’
• Humanity faces an existential crisis – Labour must join the fightback
• Environmentum
• Grea Thunberg: The United Nations Climate Change Conference speech
• Plans for thousands of pupils to strike applauded by head teachers’ union
• Scientists Warning