High school and college students across the Central Coast plan to walk out of class Friday in what they’re calling a “Strike for the Future.”
Organizers say students are required to attend school for a future that may not be there without major action on climate change.
Students are planning to strike from school and then rally outside the San Luis Obispo County Government Office from roughly 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
It’s part of a global protest event organized by #FridaysForFuture in Europe and Youth Climate Strike in the United States.
Students across San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties will hold events in solidarity.
Morro Bay High School students are holding a walkout at 9:45 a.m. Friday.
College students also plan to walk out of their classes throughout the day.
Youth activists from Sunrise Movement plan to rally in front of Davidson Library at the UCSB Arbor at 11 a.m.
Students want action on the Green New Deal and legislative action to limit global warming to 1.5 °C, among other demands. They’re also demanding local action, including stopping the All American Plains Pipeline proposal and Cat Canyon oil wells.
“Climate Change and pollution from agriculture and development are currently disproportionately affecting the health and livelihood of marginalized people and youth on the Central Coast. The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors and local people in power keep allowing the fossil fuel industry to develop, doing almost nothing to guarantee a healthy planet and future for my peers and me,” said Carmen Bouquin, who is 19 and organizing the San Luis Obispo event.
Several local organizations will attend the San Luis Obispo rally, including SLO Climate Coalition, the Sierra Club, and Central Coast Sunrise Movement.
Organizers say #FridaysForFuture was sparked in August of 2018 when a Swedish high school student left class and sat outside the parliament building to protest climate inaction.
