Youth Climate Strike brings over 100 Samo students downtown
On Friday, March 13, around 100 Samo students walked out of school after either second or fourth period to participate in the Youth Climate Strike in Downtown LA. The strike was part of a worldwide movement called “Youth Strike 4 Climate” in 112 different countries to bring awareness to global warming and protest government inaction. The global strike was sparked by 16-year old Swedish activist and Nobel Prize nominee Greta Thunberg, who skipped school for three weeks in August of 2018 and sat in front of Swedish parliament to protest the government’s lack of urgency on the issue. She soon began to bring others to the steps of parliament and demand action. Her dedication inspired the Youth Strike 4 Climate march, and brought an estimated 1.4 million students into the streets to fight for the future of the Earth. Samo’s involvement in the strike was prompted by Ecopac Club leaders Noa Goldsmith (’20) and Sarah Ogata (’20). Goldsmith heard about the event first and promptly spread the word. “My mom sent me a link to the event because she knew I was interested in Environmental Science and I told Sarah about it. At first it was just going to be us, but we decided to publicize it and it soon became a big event with massive support from Samo students!” Goldsmith said. Many of the participating students obtained a parent slip to avoid getting a truancy and met outside of the Michigan and 7th gate. There, once everyone was together, they walked to the Metro Station and got on the Expo Line towards Downtown. The strike began at City Hall, where Samo students integrated with hundreds of other activists and environmental groups. Then, the pack walked the streets of Downtown LA, making a large loop between the I-110 and I-101 freeway and ending again at City Hall. Intermittent chants broke out such as “Hey hey you you we deserve a future too” and “What do we want: change, when do we want it: now.” Protesters gained support from local onlookers who joined in the chanting and various cars who honked in solidarity. Shae Wyatt (’22) felt that the strike was incredibly important for the future of the globe and was excited to partake in such a monumental event. “I wanted to participate in the climate strike because I feel that not enough people are aware of the negative effects of climate change. Because there were so many more students than adults, [it was] so much fun to participate in. During the march everyone seemed so empowered and excited to make a change,” Wyatt said. While there are no future walkout dates planned, Samo students plan to continue fighting for legislation to protect the planet from further damage.