Students walk out of class to protest climate change
Students walked out of class and filled the streets of Downtown Santa Cruz, Friday.
8th graders from Gateway Middle School learned about climate change in class, and decided to take action. “We won’t have a future if we don’t fight for climate change. We have to take a stand,” said an 8th grade student.
Their teachers marched with them, too. “Adults aren’t listening to us, the people who care. Hopefully the children can speak for us,” said Kim Lenz, a teacher at Gateway Middle School.
Nearly 1,000 people made it a priority to attend the march. The group protested big companies like Amazon, Google, and Wells Fargo. Protestors said they add to an already large problem. “This is sending a message to people in power. If things aren’t done we’ll disrupt business as usual and we won’t be complicit,” said Angela Landes, a 10th grade student at San Lorenzo Valley High School.
Police shut down streets to manage the crowds. “We are controlling traffic at the intersections. We’re allowing them to pass and take up the street. We want it to work out for everybody,” said Santa Cruz Chief of Police, Andrew Mills.
Students said they plan to take what they learned and apply it to their everyday lives. “I don’t live close enough to my school that I can bike, but if I do go somewhere near my house I’d rather bike or walk,” said an 8th grade student from Gateway Middle School.
