WASHINGTON — Thousands of young people marched to the Capitol Friday calling for action on climate change. DC International Middle School (DCI) student, Amelia Ferrari, said it felt powerful to stand at the front of the rally with her banner, amid so many student activists.
The rally was inspired by 16-year-old Swedish activist, Greta Thunberg, who has started a global movement. Like Thunberg, many of the protesters chose to skip school to put climate issues front and center.
DCI student Amelia Evans said climate change was more urgent than anything else she might have been learning in class.
“We are the people that the planet is going to be left to, and if it is a wasteland, there’s no way we’re going to survive," Evans said.
The march and rally in front of the Capitol building was one of hundreds of protests like it around the world Friday morning. For American University professor Judy Shapiro, the experience of hearing the chants of so many young voices was inspiring.
"I was levitating The Pentagon during the Vietnam war era, so I’ve been to a lot of demonstrations in Washington, but this one is really one of the most touching," Shapiro said.
At the Northeast D.C. Public Charter School, Inspired Teaching, educators turned the rally into a field trip. Seventh and 8th grade Principal, Seth Biderman, said being able to give his students this experience was one of the advantages of being so close to the capitol.
Young protesters skip school to rally for action on climate change
“Living in D.C. we’ve got to take advantage of it. We have a beautiful, powerful, group of kids--we’re trying to teach them that their voice matters,” Biderman said.
Inspired Teaching student, Teasean Moore, said he hopes their voices will be heard.
‘A lot of people don’t believe climate change is a real thing, we just came out here to make an awareness.’
Friday’s rally is one of a number of protests planned in the next week around climate issues.
Climate protesters are planning to disrupt traffic around D.C. during Monday morning’s commute. The protests have been timed to happen around the UN Youth Climate Summit, on Sept. 21, and the UN Climate Action Summit, on Sept. 23.