On Friday afternoon, thousands of students all over the world marched out of their classrooms and took to the streets to demand that our leaders take action to avoid climate catastrophe.
In Victoria, hundreds of high school, college, and university students headed to the B.C. Legislature with posters in hand, chanting slogans like ‘Climate change is not a lie, please don’t let our planet die’, in solidarity with their counterparts in nearly 100 other countries.
The event featured youth and international speakers who called on local governments to pass laws to limit global warming, invest in more renewable energy sources, and stop investing in fossil fuels.
Activists also called for governments to respect Indigenous law and sovereignty, stop logging old-growth forests, and to say no to the Trans-mountain Pipeline.
The ‘Global Student Strike 4 Climate‘ movement was inspired by 16-year-old Swedish student activist Greta Thunberg who started staging the first climate change-related walkouts in front of Sweden’s parliament every Friday.
Her weekly protests were quickly joined by students around her, culminating in a powerful youth movement in cities around the world including Victoria.
Without further ado, here are 33 photos and videos from today’s youth climate change inaction strike in Victoria:
On March 15, over a million people went #climatestrike. Youth are demanding bold and urgent action on climate change. And they're really, really good at coming up with creative signs! 👏#yyj #Victoria #YouthClimateStrike pic.twitter.com/oMC1tDzjZj
— Sierra Club BC (@SierraClubBC) March 15, 2019
@jjhorgan @JustinTrudeau @carolejames Happening right now! #YouthForClimate #yyj #youthareawesome #wesupportyou pic.twitter.com/pKw6zBnru8
— Reality Queen 🦋 (@RealityQueen75) March 15, 2019
https://www.instagram.com/p/BvDAGDFhPMV/
To the adults- our voices need to be heard. To the youth- together we are powerful. We can make real and lasting change. Climate is the most important issue of our time #ClimateStrike #yyj #VictoriaYouthClimateStrike the @CanadianGreens hear you loud and clear! pic.twitter.com/3QUoGggFSL
— Racelle Kooy (@racellekooy) March 15, 2019
Sibling duo Franny and Rupert Yalashek have been fighting for their futures in this city for most of their lives.
It’s so cool to see them rocking the mic in this crowd today.#FridaysForFuture #Youth4Climate #ClimateStrike #SchoolsStrike4Climate #climatejustice #yyj pic.twitter.com/yx7TRto7Dg
— Torrance Coste (@TorranceCoste) March 15, 2019
A brilliant turnout for #Victoria BC’s youth-led Strike For Climate today on Parliament.
And it’s only getting started, as the youth are going to be out there the first Friday of every month. @lisahelps #StrikeForClimate #YouthCimateStrike #ClimateEmergency #climateaction #yyj pic.twitter.com/hY4otnxqGw— SpeeZees (@SpeeZees) March 15, 2019
#climatestrike #yyj #standupforbc #FridaysForFuture it wouldn't be a rally without the orcas by our sides! pic.twitter.com/RL8N6ZwK4D
— Arielle S. Houghton (@ArielleHoughton) March 15, 2019
https://www.instagram.com/p/BvC1y-mA_r2/
Feeling inspired and emboldened by the students who gathered in Victoria and around the world today to demand aggressive and immediate climate action 💚#fridaysforfuture #schoolstrike4climate#yyj pic.twitter.com/eRnP7PWKPC
— Kelly Fretwell (@kmfret) March 15, 2019
#YouthForClimate #yyj pic.twitter.com/joaSwOSlh7
— Artist Miesje Me-sha (@ArtistMiesje) March 15, 2019
This happened today in Victoria BC: #YouthClimateStrike #FridaysForFuture #yyj @GretaThunberg pic.twitter.com/cpnfRc4kP1
— Heather Devine (@cbcgeek) March 15, 2019
#YouthClimateStrike #SchoolStrikeForClimate #yyj #canada #westcoast #activetransportation
A beautiful walk in my city today, the youth are fueling our future. Stand up and look at the simple changes you can make for our children and their children. You can make a difference. pic.twitter.com/1U1mE4tORc
— Victoria Levesque (@theradcyclist) March 15, 2019
No words. These kids need us to act NOW pic.twitter.com/Kuk1HTUW1c
— Elise Cote Velazquez (@EliseVelaz9) March 15, 2019
Great turnout today for the #ClimateChangeStrike in #Victoria! #ClimateJustice #ClimateStrike #yyj pic.twitter.com/CGIo80i0ng
— Talen Rimmer (@TalenTypes) March 15, 2019
Victoria BC, Canada
Fantastic turnout for the #youthclimatestrike at the legislature in Victoria! RT@cleanenergycan #yyj #FridaysForFuture #schoolstrike4climate #bcpoli #cdnpoli #climateactionnow pic.twitter.com/IEJmnHDHTO
— BF Nagy (@BFNagy) March 15, 2019
Me and my oldest. Makes me a proud Dad! #schoolstrike4climate #FridaysForFuture #yyj pic.twitter.com/vqwiOgbTjc
— Tim Pearson (@tmpear) March 15, 2019
#yyj #YouthClimateStrike pic.twitter.com/SeYsCbUSNh
— Elysia Glover (@ElysiaGlover) March 15, 2019
Rally fatigue?
Please, these are teenagers and they’ve got stamina for days.
An hour and a half in, no signs of slowing down at the youth #ClimateStrike in #yyj. #FridaysForFuture #bcpoli #cdnpoli #SCHOOLSTRIKES4CLIMATE #climatejustice #ABetterWorldIsPossible pic.twitter.com/XgsQ8a3Znx
— Torrance Coste (@TorranceCoste) March 15, 2019
They will all be voting soon. 🌎 #YouthClimateStrike #yyj pic.twitter.com/af8ktv0HWA
— Erin Gray (@_ErinRGray) March 15, 2019
#YouthForClimate #yyj #youthareawesome #wesupportyou pic.twitter.com/u6WOYHaqIV
— QVCC Youth Centre (@quadrayouth) March 15, 2019
In sea of Salish faces #yyj Victoria BC #Canada youth lead the crowd to a climate just future @GretaThunberg #FridaysForFuture #climatestrike pic.twitter.com/MjRfZ3yhcA
— Arielle S. Houghton (@ArielleHoughton) March 15, 2019
@JustinTrudeau #yyj #YouthForClimate #youthtakeaction pic.twitter.com/5FuABSuplm
— Reality Queen 🦋 (@RealityQueen75) March 15, 2019
#fridaysforfuture #climatemarch just getting started at #yyj pic.twitter.com/NoPs3N8fUa
— janine bandcroft (@envirovegan) March 15, 2019
#ClimateStrike Victoria BC #yyj. #bcpoli #FridaysForFuture pic.twitter.com/1TErH4zw6L
— Eric Doherty (@Eric_Doherty) March 15, 2019
