More than 100 protesters, including many high school students, gathered outside Saskatoon City Hall on Friday to call for action on climate change.
“Actually it makes me feel sick because people all over the world don’t really care about climate change because it maybe will not be in their future because they’re older,” Grade 6 student Olive Watts said.
The protest was part of a national day of student walk-outs under the Fridays for Future movement, inspired by a Swedish teenager who started a student strike there.
“The economy does not matter as much as our human existence on this planet. The consequences are huge and some things have to change,” Grade 10 student Sam Mysak said.
Some students said that as word spread about the planned walk-out and protest, schools took steps to try to keep kids in class.
“They moved our final school dance to today and made it so you can only attend if you did not strike. Everybody here knows and understands climate change is way more important than a school dance,” Grade 10 student Kaia Bater said.
While many expected consequences when they head back to class, they’re more concerned about the consequences of climate change.
“If all of us become aware of what climate change is doing to our planet, I think we have a chance of making a difference in this world,” Watts said.
