Stop Adani protesters gather in cities, take aim at Scott Morrisonâs activism comments
By Kevin Nguyen
Student activists who felt condescended by the Prime Minister have vowed to remove the Liberal Party from power â and keep it out â as long as it maintains its current climate policies.
Key points:
- A national survey showed a majority of respondents supported student protests on climate change
- Rallies took place in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Cairns
- Junior activists said the Prime Ministerâs comments compelled them to march
Thousands of protesters gathered in capital cities on the east coast today in a coordinated march against Indian energy giant Adaniâs Carmichael mine and rail project.
At the end of last month, Adani announced the scaled-back $2 billion controversial coal mine in the Galilee Basin would go ahead and would be 100 per cent self-financed, with work starting before Christmas.
While the attendees at the rally were diverse, it was school-aged students who were leading the crowds.
âItâs awful to see our leader feels like we shouldnât have opinions and we shouldnât care and they shouldnât listen to us,â 14-year-old Jean Hinchliffe said in response to Mr Morrisonâs calls last week for âless activism in schoolsâ.
"Itâs just atrocious. As students we are very informed and very educated and thatâs why weâre taking action.
âWeâre fighting for our own futures.â
PHOTO: Jean Hinchliffe, 14, addresses the crowd at Sydneyâs Town Hall Square. (ABC News: Kevin Nguyen)
Jean was the organiser of the Big School Walk Out in Sydney, which saw thousands of students leave classrooms and march through the streets.
She spoke to more than 1,000 people at Sydneyâs Town Hall Square on Saturday and said it was unlikely to be her last time marching against the Coalition.
The PM wants âless activismâ in schools, but experts say itâs all part of a âcivics educationâ.
A national ReachTell poll conducted after the student strikes showed 62.7 per cent of the 2,345 surveyed agree school students have a right to âdemand that the Morrison Government act urgentlyâ on climate change.
The number increased to 80 per cent among Labor voters, whose party were a target of fury at todayâs protests for their perceived silence on the Carmichael mine.
PMâs comments galvanised students
Like Jean, many young students who appeared at the rallies today were part of the thousands of Australian students who defied Scott Morrisonâs call to stay in school.
While school-aged students will not be eligible to vote in next yearâs federal and state elections, they are becoming the face of the Stop Adani and climate strike movements determined to make it a persistent election issue.
<img src=â/uploads/default/original/3X/6/0/60ce7dcd32f200e75e560c42249a9cd59b925e8c.jpegâ alt=âA school girl hold a sign which reads: Iâve seen smarter cabinets at Ikea".|700x467â> PHOTO: Student signs from last weekâs protest went viral following national media attention. (ABC Radio Sydney: Harriet Tatham)
Daisy Jeffrey, 16, from Conservatorium High School in Sydney, said she was interested in a future in politics and Mr Morrisonâs comments had galvanised her, and dozens of her peers, to take to the streets.
âIt wasnât disheartening, it made us more angry and more determined to go out on the streets,â Daisy said.
In addition to Sydney, rallies were held in Brisbane, Melbourne and Cairns.
In Melbourne, hundreds of people sat down in the middle of the busy Flinders Street intersection, blocking traffic in a bid to draw attention to their cause.
Mother Elizabeth Campbell said she was inspired by the childrenâs call-to-arms on an issue that will impact them the most.
âWe need a planet to live on, the kids are leading the way and I wanted to support them,â she said.
An Adani Mining spokesperson said the company welcomed the democratic expression.
âAll we ask is that peopleâs opinions are based on facts and that they donât put lives at risk through irresponsible, illegal and unsafe protest behaviour,â the spokesperson said.
âWe recognise there are varied opinions about the Carmichael project and encourage everyone to voice them safely and respectfully.â