Fridays are the days when we plan our futures. Our Fridays right now are numbered due to the impending threats of anthropogenic climate change. Here in Fridays for Future St. John’s, we believe that us students need to stand up and fight for our planet’s sustainability, celebrating the possibilities of positive change.
On Friday, May 10th 2019, students from Memorial University will march in solidarity with high school students and beyond for the second climate strike of this year. There will be a Climate Strike NL at 10:00am at the confederation building of St. John’s Newfoundland. Additionally, there will be a poster making session in preparation for the event that is wheelchair accessible and open to all on Tuesday, May 7th 2019 from 7:00pm-9:00pm at the Neal Building, 50 Harbour Drive St. John’s NL.
Photo Credit: Fridays for Future St. John’s
At the inaugural school strike for climate change in Newfoundland on March 15 2019, hundreds of students congregated to get involved. The ambiance there was extremely welcoming, with the tone set for something resembling a peaceful “protest”. Chants of “Protect your mother” were a key theme. The event included representation from indigenous youth and movement leaders speaking up, with music depicting the importance of positivity and light while presenting a case for a cause to be heard.
The event was organised by high school students from Newfoundland & Labrador. Photo Credit: Noah Parsons, Fridays for Future St. John’s
Since its formation in St. John’s, the local chapter for Fridays for Future has also hosted an extremely successful cleanup project for the East Coast Trail where students went hiking and trash-bagging on the Sugarloaf path, on April 20, 2019.
Photo Credit: Fridays For Future St. John’s
We urge students to stand in solidarity with Fridays for Future, a movement started by Greta Thunberg, which has expanded to over 130 countries. A summary of this movement can be found on the interactive map located here:https://www.fridaysforfuture.org/events/map.
This movement has also been set in motion on the West Coast of Newfoundland where students got engaged in activism outside of City Hall in Corner Brook: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/corner-brook-teens-rally-against-climate-change-1.5121779
Photo Credit: Noah Parsons, Fridays for Future St. John’s
Fridays for Future invites you all to the event and requests all social media posts to be tagged #fridaysforfutureNL to show support.
Fridays For Future St. John’s can be reached on Instagram: @fridaysforfuturestjohns and on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/studentclimatestrikestjohns
Reporter: Su Alteen