Prime Minister Scott Morrison had told them to stay in school rather than demonstrate. He was not impressed when students took time off to protest.
"We do not support the idea that children participate in something that can be done outside the school, and we do not support it when our school is turned into parliaments." Morrison wants less activism and more education, as reported by ABC Australia.
Resource Minister Matt Canavan also advised young people to go to school and attend science classes rather than finding out how to live off social assistance. "You do not learn about demonstrating," he told 2GB radio station.
However, the students evidently understood that as an invitation to take to the streets: Thousands of them, many in school uniforms, skipped school in Sydney and more than 20 other Australian cities like Melbourne, Brisbane or Perth to oppose the climate policy To demonstrate government. They are rebelling against politicians, who in their eyes are far too little against the climate change business.
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Young protester in Sydney
On their signs they painted the globe. "Make Earth cool again", stands on a cardboard. On another "Our earth dies". They sing and they scream and they call on the government to finally do more to protect the climate.
The students were inspired by 15-year-old Swede Greta Thunberg, who is demonstrating in front of the Swedish Parliament every Friday to urge politicians to do more to combat climate change, according to various Australian media.