Climate school strikers return to the streets the country-over
24 September 2021
Hundreds of students gathered in Dublin today in-person to protest against the Irish government’s inaction on the climate crisis for the first time since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The demonstrations in both the capital and around the country were part of a wider international action as strikers the world-over called for intersectional justice and the need to “Uproot the System”.
Dublin-based protesters demanded a number of policy measures to be implemented by the Government, including a fossil fuel-free economy and the need for a Just Transition for those most impacted by the changes required to transition to a zero-carbon economy.
Being able to gather in-person to protest after a year and a half since the start of the coronavirus pandemic was a welcome relief to Isabelle Cahill, a demonstrator who has just finished a diploma in sustainability.
Compared to previous strikes, today’s action was “definitely a different experience,” she told The Green News.
“I remember the first climate strike I went to three years ago and it looked a lot different to this. You were really crowded up with people and you were walking through town together. But this is still much better than last year when we were sitting at home,” she said.
According to organisers, today’s strike demonstrates that “the climate crisis does not exist in a vacuum.”
“Other socio-economic crises such as racism, sexism, ableism, class inequality and more amplify the climate crisis and vice versa,” Fridays for Future International said in a statement leading up to the day of action.
“Together we will fight for a just future where no one is left behind. The historical victories of collective action have proven the need for the youth to stand united with the multisectoral, intergenerational struggle for a better future for all; a future where people and planet are prioritised,” they added.
School strikes around the country and the world have been ongoing en-masse since March 2019. Millions of students took part in the first global strike, with 10,000 students mobilising in Dublin alone.
Since then and in the lead-up to the onset of the pandemic, thousand-strong protests continued to take place in Ireland with strikers urging that “there is no Planet B” and that their own futures were in politicians’ hands.
Due to public health measures put in place in March 2020, the strikes moved online or to socially-distanced methods.
Further climate crisis demonstrations in both Ireland and around the world are anticipated in lead-up to COP26, an international climate conference taking place in Glasgow whereby world leaders will discuss and set pledges in order to limit global warming.
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