FARMINGTON — A coalition of students from across Maine are joining the movement “Fridays for Future” and “US Youth Climate Strikes,” sparked by 16-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and her weekly Friday “school strikes for climate” in front of the Swedish Parliament, and thereby bringing the movement to Maine.
Students are leaving regular classes to join a teach-in and rally at the Meetinghouse park gazebo in Farmington Friday, Sept. 20, from Noon to 1 p.m., where – in the course of learning-by-exercising their fundamental freedoms of First Amendment Speech and Assembly – they will share their outrage about the climate crisis and, in so doing, be part of student strikes on that day across the globe. There will be singing, art, theatre, and youth speakers from middle to high school.
Other actions and strikes will be happening in Portland, Lewiston, Bar Harbor, Brunswick and elsewhere across the state.
Students are encouraged to leave school at 11 a.m. to begin their strike.
Maine Youth for Climate Justice is a student-run climate action team from youth statewide. Comprised of middle schoolers, high schoolers, and college students, their mission is to bring climate change to “the ‘front burner’ of the public’s awareness.” Their co-leader, Anna Siegel, Maine’s state lead for the strikes, has been sponsored by US Youth Climate Strikes.
The demands of US Youth Climate Strike are:
- We demand a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in line with the October 2018 IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius.
- We demand our world leaders take action that ensures global warming remains under 1.5 degrees Celsius.
- We demand that our US legislators implement the Green New Deal and other legislative actions that decrease the climate crisis.
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