Fridays for Future: Students strike on Parliament Hill for climate change

By Chris Kurys

Hundreds of students marched to Parliament Hill Friday afternoon to deliver an urgent message to adults: It's time to take climate change seriously.

A large group left from the University of Ottawa, and another left from Gatineau, where they met up on the Hill in the afternoon.

In front of the Parliament Building, speakers implored youth to rise up and start taking action against climate change.

The Fridays for Future movement saw students skip class to join the protest, and as one University of Ottawa student told 1310 NEWS, it was the right thing to do.

” This was too important to not skip class for,” said Hannah. “What's the point of studying for a future I may not have?”

She says she tries to buy climate friendly cleaning products, groceries without packaging and even uses her own jars when shopping.

Her friend Karolina explains she also tries to do as much as she can to help the planet.

” Personally, I have beeswax food wraps, reusable grocery and produce bags and I try to use as much public transportation as she can.” she said.

They told 1310 NEWS it's important the rally isn't confined to just students, but to have adults show up as well.

Care, a former student said she showed up to support the youth.

“I'm here because I care about the future of all these beautiful people, and they need to keep knocking on the door until the politicians can't help but listen.

Friday's rallies were one of the biggest climate change actions yet. It was one of 957 events in 82 countries across the globe. 

The coordinated “school strikes”  were inspired by 16-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who began holding solitary demonstrations outside Swedish Parliament last year.

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