HIGH school students marched through Bendigo for the second day in a row as part of a climate strike, demanding action from the federal government to improve climate change policies.
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And this time the students – predominantly from Castlemaine Secondary College and the Steiner School – recruited some Bendigo teenagers when they arrived at the railway station.
They stood outside Lisa Chesters’ office and were granted a meeting with the MP this afternoon.
They then took their striking banner – “School strike for climate action!” – down Williamson Street and into Hargreaves Mall to protest in front of Nationals deputy leader Bridget McKenzie’s office.
Despite ringing the bell, there was no response for a second day.
Sigrid Doolan, 13, said children across Australia were becoming increasingly frustrated with leaders who were failing to consider future generations.
“I don’t think children get to have a say at all in what the government does, and we’re the ones who will have to live with the consequences,” she said.
“This isn’t taught in schools either. I don’t think that’s acceptable.”
High school student Miro Wilkinson was getting footage of the protest for a personal film project.
He said if high school students could see that governments were concerned about money instead of the climate, then why couldn’t others?
“It’s just such an important issue but the government is completely ignoring it, and even listening to people who say climate change is false,” Miro said.
“The fact that the government is so focused on money from coal mining companies is unacceptable.”
The students will take part in a national school student climate strike on November 30.
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