School children mobilised across several schools on Dublin for a demonstration outside the Dail. It was part of the first primary school strikes highlighting the lack of government action on Climate Change.
The call for a strike by school children around climate action arose from the the 6th year class taught by Jenny Stanley at Donabate/Portrane Educate Together National School (DPETNS). They chose the 13th of February, the day before Valentines day to ‘encourage people to ‘make the world their Valentine. The demonstration happened on the same day that news reports that Ireland has the third worst record in the EU on meeting 2020 fossil fuel targets.
Comhlámh popped along earlier to the demonstration where the students of 6th class in DPETNS were joined by over 350 other students from schools across the city. So what made these young people thinking of taking strike action for climate action?
In a letter send out to other schools prior to today to encourage wider involvement of others, they stated…..
“You may be wondering how we got our inspiration to do this. We learned about a Swedish girl called Greta Thunberg, who went on strike for climate action. She has caused headlines around the globe, recently gave a ted talk in Stockholm and inspired the Australians to march to their government buildings and peacefully protest. We had a debate on the topic of should Irish children be allowed to peacefully protest and strike for climate action, our class decided yes to this topic and the idea just caught on”
And clearly the idea did catch on, with a massive turn out of striking school children and some of the most colorful, well thought-out and politically smart posters Comhlámh has seen in a while.
