OVER 10,000 school youth from around the South East of England descended on London’s Parliament Square yesterday shouting: ‘Solution not pollution! We want change!’ They were part of tens of thousands nationwide and millions of youth around the globe who joined in the global youth strike against climate change.
In Sheffield, thousands of school and university students held a mass rally in the town centre.
Ellie, 19, studying General Engineering at University of Sheffield told News Line: ‘Young people have not been involved enough in questions about climate change. These things should be part of our education. We are now faced with the necessity for everyone to come together to do something about it. People have got the ideas now, but we need to implement them through mass action.’
In Brighton, thousands also walked out of their schools and colleges and joined a mass march through the city.
Right across the world in more than 1,200 cities over 90 countries in every continent, youth walked out of school and joined the strike.
On the London demonstration many of the youth blamed capitalism for climate change and demanded revolution and socialism.
Natasha Mula, from the Arts Educational Schools (known as ArtsEd) in Chiswick, Hounslow said: ‘We want to take responsibility for our planet and make sure we are not passive but instead part of a whole community which wants to see change.
‘Capitalism is a system designed to only let a tiny percentage of people be rich.
‘The sooner we realise that we can’t win in the system and we have to completely change it, the better. I am for revolution 100%. Karl Marx’s principles are admirable.’
Sam Bolton also from ArtsEd added: ‘I do not want our future generation to pay the price for what we or the government have done.
‘We have the right to protect and preserve the world we live in and the lives of the future generations. We can take the helm of this country. The people in power are not making the best decisions. They have enough money to help people but they don’t. They have the opportunity to, but they choose not to.
‘This world is run by the rich people, international companies and governments.
‘We have had this government for a long time. We have to raise our voices for the future.’
Jack Long from Colchester Sixth Form said: ‘Capitalism puts the needs of the rich and the wealthy above people who really need it. We need a revolution to sort this mess out.
‘We have had a capitalist government since 2010 and we need a change. We have got to get rid of the system. We have to get rid of capitalism itself.
‘There are impoverished people around the world and there are impoverished people where we live in Clacton. The UN had an ambassador who did a report recently on poverty in the UK.’
Dallala Giberthorpe from Nower Hill School in Pinner, northwest London, said: ‘We have been given the opportunity for our voices to be heard and I think that it is very important for us to take that opportunity, and I want this government out.’
Nischhal Rai also from Nower Hill School said: ‘Capitalism does not work. If you give too much wealth to a few people at the top it is always going to fail.
‘Everyone must have their basic rights, food, shelter, water. I am for a socialist society and socialism is the best system when compared to capitalism.’
