Held worldwide on Sept. 20, the world’s largest youth-led activist movement occurred three days before the climate summit at the United Nations. The movement sparked from 16-year-old activist Greta Thunberg who walked out of class every Friday for government action on climate change last year.
Led by Thunberg, the goal of the movement was to bring awareness to the climate issue and to demand action by government officials. In Seattle, people showed up, representing their voice for the future. According to Komo News, approximately 10,000 people protested in Seattle.
The strike was held in front of Seattle City Hall as an incentive for government officials to take action. Both students and major tech companies participated.
Amazon employees participated after CEO Jeff Bezos announced a climate pledge, which requires net zero carbon across businesses by 2040. According to the Washington Post, Jeff Bezos said Amazon would be the first company to sign the pledge.
According to the Washington Post, young people from Kiribati to Afghanistan to the United States skipped school to urge governmental action.
“The message of the protests was summed up in a sign held up from Seattle to Sydney,” SeattlePI representative Joel Connelly said. “There is no planet B.”
