Updated
A teenager whose family home was destroyed in
bushfires has delivered an impassioned plea to the Prime Minister to
take action on climate change, saying "thoughts and prayers are not
enough".
Key points:
- Student strikes have been organised across the country today
- 'Solidarity sit-downs' are planned to take place outside politicians and fossil fuel companies offices
- The protests follow major climate change rallies across the country in September as part of the Global Climate Strike
Shiann Broderick, 18, who lost her home in Nymboida in northern NSW, gathered along with about 500 protesters outside Liberal Party headquarters in the inner-city Sydney suburb of Woolloomooloo.
"Mr Morrison, as Prime Minister your thoughts and prayers are not enough," Ms Broderick said."I want climate action. This is a crisis. Act like it."
A series of strikes in cities across the country took place today as part of the School Strike for Climate Australia in response to recent devastating bushfires.
Student activists walked out of school to protest outside the offices of politicians and fossil fuel companies.
In Sydney's eastern suburbs, students from Bronte, Clovelly, Bondi, Bondi Beach and Waverley Public Schools marched to Marks Park.
Signs carried in the crowd read, "We need climate action. Thoughts and prayers aren't enough", and "You're burning our future".
Ms Broderick said the Government was "denying science" in its response to climate change after her family "lost everything" in Nymboida bushfires a few weeks ago.
"On Friday the 8th of November, our entire town of Nymboida was swept through by a massive bushfire. We lost our house and so did many of my other friends," Ms Broderick said.
"This terrible, catastrophic bushfire just swept through our area, we lost everything, and they're [politicians] just denying that climate change has anything to do with it.
"They're just clearly denying the science," she said.
Daisy Jeffrey, a 17-year-old student, moved a maths exam to attend the protest.
"Unfortunately, school students don't feel like we have a choice, we feel like we have to be out here demanding action," she said.
Adelaide, Hobart students march on Parliament
In Adelaide, about 200 students assembled on the steps of Parliament House demanding climate action.
They held banners asking for "desperate action for a dying planet" and asking leaders "how can you sleep when the world is burning?"
In Hobart, hundreds turned out to a rally at Parliament.
Tasmanian Independent MP Andrew Wilke told the crowd he was fed up with government inaction.
"I heard barely a mention of [climate change] all week in Canberra. It was more important for my colleagues to spend four days hurling abuse at each other," he said.
'I'm worried for my future'
In the Northern Territory, about 20 people, including students, protested outside Chief Minister Michael Gunner's office in the Darwin suburb of Parap."I'm worried for my future and I want to try and make a change as quickly as possible because we're running out of time and I'm scared," 15-year-old Bridget Davies said.
"My passion is not politics, but I'm prepared to get involved in something I don't like if that means something is going to happen," 16-year-old Mikayla Flack said.
"If they're not going to listen to us then we're going to go into Parliament House ourselves."
A group of young parents also declared a sit-in at the community room of Mr Gunner's office, saying they would not leave until he had come to meet with them.
They are demanding the NT Government declare a climate emergency and implement an immediate ban on fracking.
Victorian student's demand for nationwide action
Chrissy Downes, a 16-year-old Year 10 student from Glen Iris, in Melbourne's south-east, said she had joined her state's School Strike for Climate demonstration because the bushfires "currently sweeping our nation are undoubtedly influenced by the climate crisis"."We're doing this protest today as a solidarity sit down to show how much we care about those that are affected by the bushfires that are wreaking havoc across our country," she said.
"This has been noted from firefighters to Indigenous leaders to scientists for years and it's time our policymakers and politicians both on a state, local and federal level give them a voice and listen to them," she added.
She said student activists were demanding "no new coal, oil and gas projects including Adani's mega coal mine … 100 per cent renewable energy by 2030 and funding for a just transition and for jobs in the fossil fuel community and workers".
"Specific to today's solidarity sit down we are also asking for increasing support for Indigenous land management and increasing support for the rural fire service," Ms Downes said.
While she acknowledged Victoria is moving towards 50 per cent renewable targets, Ms Downes said this was not enough.
"One would argue Dan Andrews obviously and the Victorian Government are definitely paving the way for the climate crisis movement to able to keep the climate in a safe space," she said.
"However, we can recognise from 97 per cent of scientists that climate change is a massive issue."We need to be doing everything in our power, not just on a state level but on a national level to make this better for the generations of the future."
Black Saturday bushfires a 'disaster wasted'
Victorian bushfire survivor Ali Griffin lost her home on Black Saturday and said her generation needs to stand up for "what we value".Speaking at today's protest in Melbourne, she said bushfires were now "supercharged" because of a 1 degree Celsius warming, which she said was to blame for catastrophic bushfires in Australia "every year".
"We are the lived experiences of the direct effect of climate change. This is our lives."
"What breaks my heart is that even though we know the climate is changing, the Government has done nothing except offer thoughts and prayers."I've been waiting to talk about climate change for 10 years and still they tell me it's not the right time. Well, how dare you. How dare you Scott Morrison tell us, the people who have survived bushfires, that it's not time to talk about climate change.
"How dare you tell our children that they should be at school instead of listening to what they have to say about their future.
"How dare you pretend to know about anything about how we feel or how our community should react."
Bushfire survivor Maggie Taylor also spoke of losing her home in Kinglake, on Melbourne's northern fringe, in 2009.
"I was in a house on fire when I was eight years old," she told the crowd in front of State Parliament.
"Our leaders consoled us and told us this was not the time to talk about climate change. It is 10 years on now, almost 11.
"My home is ripe for burning again, and we have not finished rebuilding.
"Our Government still says, this is not the time to talk about climate change. So when is the time to talk about climate change?
"To echo Greta [Thunberg], we should act as if our house is on fire because it is. The Black Saturday bushfires were a catastrophe because they were a disaster wasted.
"This is not the problem of future generations. This is my past, this is my present. This is our future."
Queensland students want action, not thoughts and prayers
Students in Queensland also joined in today's nationwide demonstrations, with about 500 gathered in Brisbane's Queens Garden, joining teachers, parents and Indigenous activists.Speakers directed their anger at both the Federal Government and the State Labor Government over the approval of the controversial Adani Carmichael mine.
School student Keegan, 16, from Villanova College, said students were striking today because of inadequate government climate policy.
"We want to see action and we want to see it now, that's our demand," he said.
"Don't send thoughts and prayers; send climate action."
Innes Larkin, owner of the Mt Barney Lodge and deputy chair of Ecotourism Australia, said businesses like his own have tried to make the case for action of climate change but more needs to be done.
"Everything we do is small. What Australia can do is so much more," Mr Larkin said.
The Heritage-Listed Mt Barney National Park was severely burnt in recent bushfires, which Mr Larkin says is damaging his business.
"Customers don't want to come to a burnt-out landscape," he said.
"We can't deliver on the brand promise of the Scenic Rim, on the brand promise of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia, if it's not there."
A dozen Extinction Rebellion activists also attempted to enter 1 William Street but were stopped by security guards.
Strikes follow September marches
Photo: Children and students made their voice heard in Sydney at the Global Climate Strike. (ABC News: Brendan Esposito)
Across Australian cities in September it was estimated 300,000 Australians — including tens of thousands of students — gathered at climate change rallies in one of the largest protest events in the nation's history.
The protest was part of a global day of action inspired by 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, who first started protesting alone outside Sweden's Parliament last year.
Demonstrations took place in all eight capital cities as well as 104 other centres, with protesters calling on the Federal Government to commit to no new coal, oil or gas projects, 100 per cent renewable energy generation and exports by 2030 and funding for "a just transition and job creation for all fossil fuel industry workers and communities".
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