Students in Vancouver and across B.C. take part in Global Climate Strike

Students across the world, including thousands across B.C., took part in global climate protests on Friday.

Climate strikes and “die-ins” — where protesters lay on the ground in an effort to depict what will happen if nothing is done to address climate change — were staged in Vancouver and Victoria and a number of other B.C. communities.

WATCH (Sept. 20, 2019): Global Climate Strike sees millions skip work, school

2:27 Global Climate Strike sees millions skip work, school

“The students here today came out to say that we need a future and that we need to act,” organizer Emma-Jane Burian said.

In Vancouver, students travelled throughout the downtown core, stopping at three different locations for die-ins.

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WATCH (Sept. 20, 2019): Kelowna joins in Global Climate Strike

2:12 Kelowna joins in Global Climate Strike

The protesters were inspired, in part, by Swedish teenager and climate activist Greta Thunberg, who has rallied millions around the world to stand up and speak out about climate change.

Those students and the adults supporting them said climate change poses an existential threat to the future of the planet demanded governments and corporations across the world do more to address the issue.

“It’s children that have to lead the fight now,” climate activist David Suzuki said. “That’s supposed to be the job of parents and grandparents. And now it’s up to the children to tell us the simple truth.”