Sign up for our newsletter.

Quality journalism. Progressive values. Direct to your inbox.

Follow us:

Join the small group of generous readers who donate, keeping Common Dreams free for millions of people each year. Every donation—large or small—helps us bring you the news that matters.

Please support non-profit Common Dreams today.

To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.

There are only a few days left in our critical Mid-Year Campaign and we truly might not make it without your help.
Please join us. If you rely on independent media, support Common Dreams today. This is crunch time. We need you now.

To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.

To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.

Join the small group of generous readers who donate, keeping Common Dreams free for millions of people each year. Without your help, we won’t survive.

To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.

School children march down Queen Street during a climate change protest on May 24, 2019 in Auckland, New Zealand. Thousands of students across New Zealand are demonstrating in the streets again to fight for climate change action. (Photo: Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

'Save Our Planet, Save Our Future': Youth Demand Action With Massive Climate Strikes Worldwide

May 24th school strikes said to be biggest yet

Andrea Germanos

Over one million young people marched in cities across the globe on Friday in what organizers expected to be the largest #schoolstrikeforclimate actions yet.

With chants including "Save our planet, save our future," and placards with messages such as "Act like the house is on fire," the youth-led actions represented a unified call for urgent and sweeping measures to address the climate crisis.

Organizers said over 1.8 million people took part in over 2,000 actions in 125 countries—a participant figure that, if confirmed, would surpass the massive turnout for the previous coordinated global strikes in March.

Images of the actions—from London to New Delhi to Cape Town—were widely shared on social media.

Amanda Rodrigues, a junior who co-organized the day's action at Farmington High School in Connecticut, explained her motivation for the mobilization.

"The world is our home, right?" Rodrigues told the Hartford Courant. "So we have to do the best we can to preserve it. If the adults in our politics aren't making a change, then we have to take a stand."

Doing so, said Swedish teen Greta Thunberg, whose picketing outside the Swedish parliament catalyzed the weekly climate strikes, indeed has an impact.

"Activism works," she tweeted ahead of the marches. "So act. Join us!"

Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Comments

Just a few days left in our crucial Mid-Year Campaign and we might not make it without your help.
Who funds our independent journalism? Readers like you who believe in our mission: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. No corporate advertisers. No billionaire founder. Our non-partisan, nonprofit media model has only one source of revenue: The people who read and value this work and our mission. That's it.
And the model is simple: If everyone just gives whatever amount they can afford and think is reasonable—$3, $9, $29, or more—we can continue. If not enough do, we go dark.

All the small gifts add up to something otherwise impossible. Please join us today. Donate to Common Dreams. This is crunch time. We need you now.

To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.

Latest News

See all
Pat Cipollone

Jan. 6 Panel Subpoenas Trump White House Counsel Pat Cipollone

Noting his refusal to cooperate beyond an informal April interview, the committee's chair said that "we are left with no choice."

Jessica Corbett ·

Tlaib Levin

Sanders Pushes Back Against AIPAC Super PAC With Endorsements of Tlaib and Levin

"Once again, these extremists are pouring millions of dollars into a congressional race to try to ensure the Democratic Party advances the agenda of powerful corporations and the billionaire class."

Brett Wilkins ·

Plan B

Missouri Hospital System Resumes Providing Plan B After 'Shameful' Ban

The health network had stopped offering emergency contraception over fears of violating the state's abortion law—a "dangerous" move that critics warned could become a national trend.

Jessica Corbett ·

SCOTUS

'An Act of Conquest': Native Americans Condemn SCOTUS Tribal Sovereignty Ruling

"Every few paragraphs of the majority opinion has another line that dismissively and casually cuts apart tribal independence that Native ancestors gave their lives for," observed one Indigenous law professor.

Brett Wilkins ·

Dick Durbin

'Lunacy': Democrats Risk Running Out of Time to Confirm Federal Judges

"Democrats aren't filling open seats right now in federal district courts because, for unfathomable reasons, they are letting red state senators block nominees," said one critic.

Julia Conley ·

Common Dreams Logo

To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.