Hunter Students to Walk Out for Climate Action
Young people across the Hunter region are preparing to stage a major act of protest, planning to walk out of their classrooms this Friday. The school strike, organised by the youth climate group Youth Rising, is a powerful demonstration of their demand for an end to all new fossil fuel projects in Australia.
'Anxious and Furious': The Student Perspective
The protest comes just one week before the planned Rising Tide people's blockade of Newcastle Harbour, signalling a growing wave of climate activism in the region. Grace Goldman, a 17-year-old organiser from Merewether High School, voiced the frustration felt by many students. She stated that young people are tired of government greenwashing and dishonesty on climate policy.
'The Albanese government was voted in on a climate-focused agenda, promising an emissions reduction target of 43 per cent by 2030,' Ms Goldman said. 'Instead, we have seen the continued approval of new coal mines. Australia is among the top 20 emitters and one of the world's biggest per capita emitters of greenhouse gases.'
She expressed the deep emotional toll of the climate crisis on her generation, stating, 'We are both anxious and furious. Meanwhile, teenagers are expected to socialise, work, study and plan our future careers just accepting that our leaders will happily sell off our futures, knowing full well that people have, are and will die as a result of climate change.'
Protest Details and Official Responses
Students plan to abandon their classes and gather at No. 1 Sportsground in Newcastle at 2pm on Friday. From there, a march will proceed to Civic Park, where participants will listen to speeches and performances by local musicians. The group pledges to take any non-violent action necessary to defend the climate.
Official responses to the planned walkout have been firm. A spokesperson for the NSW Department of Education confirmed it does not endorse the protest and expects all students to attend school as usual. The spokesperson confirmed that police had been notified and that several schools, including Hunter School of the Performing Arts, Newcastle High School, and Merewether High School, had sent communications to parents emphasising that absences would be investigated according to standard policies.
A NSW Police spokesperson acknowledged receipt of a notification for the demonstration. 'The NSW Police Force recognises and supports the rights of individuals and groups to exercise their rights of free speech and peaceful assembly,' the spokesperson said. 'However, the priority for NSW Police is always the safety of the wider community and there will be zero tolerance for illegal and dangerous behaviour.'
The Catholic Schools Maitland-Newcastle diocese also stated it was aware of the protests. A spokesperson said, 'Catholic Schools support students exercising their individual voice but always encourages lawful and considered ways to do so.'
For the students, however, the walkout represents a necessary step. Ms Goldman highlighted the political disenfranchisement felt by young people, noting, 'None of us want to miss valuable learning but we have no vote and protest is the only path to tangible change. Until our government starts behaving with our interests in mind, acting with urgency and seriously funding a transition away from coal we will continue protesting and our numbers will grow.' The group is expecting at least a couple of hundred students to join the climate action.
