Hundreds join Lincoln climate strike in global action day

Young people in Lincoln were joined by adults and environmental groups on a global day of climate change strike action.

Crowds gathered with a variety of placards to call for action to be taken at the event hosted by the Lincoln Green Party, which started at 11am opposite Primark on Lincoln High Street.

Helena Grigg, 15, from Lincoln Christ Hospital School, led chants which the crowds followed including “Tell me what democracy looks like. This is what democracy looks like” and “Hey hey ho ho climate change has to go”.

Up and down the country the Green Party have been declaring climate emergencies on councils and demanding action. At least one local business was involved in the strike action — Lush, who closed for the day to lend their support before re-opening at 1pm.

‘Quite literally on fire”

Helena told The Lincolnite : “The world is quite literally on fire and people are not doing enough about it. They have left it up to us kids who didn’t start it to solve it. The government needs to start doing more like switching to renewable energy and stop polluting the air.”

Fellow Lincoln Christ Hospital School pupil Michael Leonard, 15, added: “If more and more people do this it makes more impact. If we don’t, what will happen? We need to take action.”

‘Children struggle to sleep’

Jo and Sam Tarrant, both 39, with their children Finn and Rhys, said: “We’re here because we are not happy with how things are run at the moment. It is scary times and we have small children who struggle to sleep as they see all the climate issues on the news and they wanted to sacrifice a day to ask people to consider what they are doing.”

‘Businesses and the government need to do more’

Mel Marsh, 34, said: “I see so many consumers trying hard to make a difference, but the companies need to be doing more, with more measures to reduce plastic waste and packaging, so it’s easier for us to buy the right thing.”

John and Diane Pearson, both 65, said: “Climate emissions are continuing to rise and the planet and people are facing catastrophe. If the government don’t act now time will run out. We are here for our children and grandchildren, for them to have a future.”

Supporting the children

Fiona McKenna, in her 30s, from the Lincoln Green Party, said: “The youth strikers are inspirational, and we should all be showing solidarity for them. It isn’t just their problem and we have a moral responsibility to do something and show solidarity to the youth, to show they are not facing the problem alone.”

Linda, a member of Extinction Rebellion Lincolnshire, said: “I am here to support the children’s strike. This is their future we are talking about. We shouldn’t stand by, we need to act now. There is still time to make a difference, but the longer we leave it the harder it will be. We’ve got 10 years.”

Geoff Jones, 74, Greenpeace volunteer, said: “We’ve been asked by school strikers to come out in solidarity with them. In the past they were happy to do their own thing, but as this is a global strike day, they asked environmental groups to support them, which is why we are here.

“It is desperately important as our government are obsessed with other issues and are not giving climate change the attention it needs. It is a global emergency and so far it’s been all words no action from them.”

See more photos from the strike below: