School Strike 4 Climate: Students call-out corporate greenwashing, Government inaction
From throwing buckets of paint on protesters to represent greenwashing to marching on Parliament, thousands of school students across Aotearoa took to the streets in the years second School Strike 4 Climate (SS4C) . Dozens of events were organised around New Zealand by the group Fridays for Future Tamaki Makaurau in cities such as Wellington, Auckland, Dunedin, and Christchurch, as well as smaller centres. In the capital, more than 200 students, some in uniforms, and supporters of various ages marched from Te Ngakau Civic Square to the steps of Parliament. Wellington organiser Izzy Cook said she and others marching were worried about their futures and wanted stronger Government action to address climate change. READ MORE: * 'Regenerative' agriculture could save farms and the planet, students say * Why I strike: A student's plea for action * School Strike for Climate roars back this week after shock breakup heres why * School Strike 4 Climate: School students get ready to strike again over climate change * 'Keep your carbon in the soil': Students strike again against climate change The 17-year-old Hutt Valley High student said empty promises werent good enough, with students calling more meaningful policies and massive changes. The group had four demands: These demands go hand in hand. With agriculture being our biggest carbon emitter, in order to significantly reduce our countrys emissions, we need to rethink the way that we farm completely, Cook said. A group of students performed a haka in tautoko (support) of speakers calls for Te Tiriti-centred climate decision-making. Speaking to the crowd at Parliament, Green MP Julie Anne Genter, along with Green MP Jan Logie, told those gathered to keep demanding change: We hear you. Fifteen-year-old Tawa College student Isabella Macdonald was among the protesters, along with sister Pippa Macdonald, 13, and Juno Albertson, 11. It was the younger girls second time protesting and Isabellas fourth. Pippa said shed rather have been at school, but it was too important. School is a 13-year thing, but this is a lifetime thing. In Christchurch hundreds marched from Cathedral Square through the central city, blocking traffic and trams chanting for climate action. Dozens of bicycles followed the march in a cycle convoy to acknowledge Christchurch City Council backing their campaign calling on the Government to subsidise ebikes . A performance group wearing suits mimicking five well known companies in New Zealand performed a skit on the steps to the council building. Each person with painted red hands and sunglasses painted with dollar signs symbolised a company: Fonterra, BP Petrol, Z Energy, Mobil and Christchurch Airport. Buckets of green paint were individually poured over each person while the crowd chanted green washing . In Auckland, about 250 protesters gathered in Victoria Park, Auckland to march towards the council building with banners reading our streets flood so we flood the streets. Hill Whitmore, 77, was marching with her son and grandchildren. Our planet is too precious to fry. Our childrens future and their childrens future is too precious to fry, she said. Addressing those in Auckland, Climate Minister James Shaw said the country had been slow to cut emissions and react to recent storms causing flooding. That has started to shift, but we really need to pick up the pace. He said the 2019 march make a material difference to the political environment, adding it had helped lead to the passing of the Zero Carbon Act and all those things that have happened since then, like the New Zealand Steel deal announced over the weekend. The Post