This February saw the first ever UK youth climate strikes. Thousands of schoolchildren left classes to protest government inaction on the climate crisis. They will continue to do so this month at the global strike on March 15th. What is unique about these protests, and what can they tell us about the future of environmental activism?
“I just had to organise it”
Strikes are planned in over 60 locations today, March 15th. But how are such actions organised? The UK Student Climate Network (UKSCN) issues online callouts asking if anyone wants to organise in a particular city. Young people from different schools step forward to co-ordinate the strike for their city.
One of Oxford’s strike organisers Ella Mann, a year 13 student, explains, “When I found out there wasn’t going to be a strike in Oxford, I just had to organise it.” When it comes to this movement, leadership is found in the community, and comes from young people.
