School Strike 4 Climate – where did the protests take place today and how did it start?
Thousands of students walked out of class to protest against climate change
THOUSANDS of students walked out of class to protest against climate change.
We explain where the protests took place and how they started.
Who organised the protests?
Youth Strike 4 Change is organised by the UK Student Climate Network and UK Youth Climate Coalition.
Students across the country took part in a strike because of an “alarming” lack of action from the Government to prevent climate change.
The group is calling on the government to include young people in decision making when it comes to global warming.
They are also calling for the voting age to be lowered to 16 so they can influence policy.
The strike followed the lead of 16-year-old Greta Thunberg, a climate change activist from Sweden who has been skipping school every Friday since August 2018 to lobby her government over addressing global warming.
Anna Taylor, of UK Student Climate Network, said: “We’re running out of time for meaningful change.
"We’ve had enough and we’re making sure our voice is heard.”
Youngsters in 60 towns took to the streets across Britain on Friday, February 15 to have their voices heard.
It has been reported another round of strikes are scheduled for March 15.
What happened in London?
Thousands of students whistled, chanted waved signs while blocking traffic outside Parliament.
One was spotted climbing on top of a red double-decker.
Youngsters chanted "f*** Theresa May", swigged booze and clambered on Winston Churchill's statue in Parliament Square.
A boy of 17 was held on suspicion of a public order offence and a 19 year old for obstructing a public highway, Scotland Yard have said.
A girl of 15 was seen in handcuffs after she was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence.
Cops said she was later "de-arrested".
Threats were made that parents of the absent children would be handed a £60 fine.
What has the Prime Minister said?
Theresa May slammed thousands of young people staging a mass walk-out, which blocked the road outside Parliament.
A Downing Street spokesperson said: "Everybody wants young people to be engaged in the issues that affect them most so that we can build a brighter future for all of us.
"But it is important to emphasise that disruption increases teachers' workloads and wastes lesson time that teachers have carefully prepared for."
Why are they protesting?
The strikes come in the wake of a UN report which warns of global temperature rising to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, and advises cutting global carbon dioxide emissions by almost half within 12 years.
Students are demanding the Government declare a climate emergency and say young people should be involved in policy making as they have the biggest stake in the future.
That is despite Britain cutting greenhouse gases by 42 per cent since 1990 - faster than almost every other major nation.
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Who backs the strikes?
Green Party MP Caroline Lucas said: “This generation is taking action to build a fairer, safer world.”
Jeremy Corbyn and Lib Dems backed the strike.
Energy minister Claire Perry told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I'm incredibly proud of the young people in the UK who are highly educated about this issue and feel very strongly.
But added: "I do hope that anyone missing school today does get their work and their homework done."