Sheffield schoolchildren stage protest against climate change

Youngsters at a Sheffield primary school have staged a second protest as part of a global youth action against climate change.
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Dozens of children and their parents gathered outside Greystones Primary School for the rally against climate change on Friday, February 14.

The youngsters took it in turns to lead chants asking us to “save our world” and carried placards and flags which echoed a similar message.

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Pupils from Greystones Primary School protest about climate change on the road outside their schoolPupils from Greystones Primary School protest about climate change on the road outside their school
Pupils from Greystones Primary School protest about climate change on the road outside their school
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Headteacher Chris Jennings described the importance of allowing students to positively have a voice on big issues affecting the world.

He said: “They are worried about climate change and they want to do something about it to make a change so giving them a vehicle to make a positive change and a place to feel like they have a voice is really important for all of us.”

Organiser Kate Cooke, from Nether Edge, was joined by her daughter Amber for the protest which was scheduled to coincide with the national Youth Strike for Climate.

She said: “Primary school children are becoming really interested in the environment and what is happening to the world. Our children all watch documentaries such as David Attenborough and are becoming increasingly concerned about climate change and the loss of habitat for wildlife.

Pupils from Greystones Primary School protest about climate change on the road outside their schoolPupils from Greystones Primary School protest about climate change on the road outside their school
Pupils from Greystones Primary School protest about climate change on the road outside their school
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“A lot of older students have found their voice and that is really empowering and I wanted to be able to give younger children that same experience. I met with the headteacher and the student council who are all really knowledgeable but also worried and confused saying climate change is really bad but nobody is doing anything about it.”

Amber, a Year 5 student at Greystones Primary, added: “I feel happy and sad – sad that we have to protest but happy that we are taking part and fighting for our future.”

Students in the UK are demanding the government declare a climate emergency and take active steps to tackle the problem, communicate the severity of the ecological crisis and reform the curriculum to make it an educational priority.

Other protests were organised across the country on Friday, with campaigners in Sheffield marching through the city centre to demand radical climate justice.