Their last climate change protest caused major traffic disruptions in Wollongong CBD.
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But activists from the Wollongong Youth Environmental Alliance (YEA) are stepping up preparations for their next major rally in the city.
YEA will hold a rally in Wollongong on September 20, backing the lead of Greta Thunberg and 46 other high school activists, who earlier this year penned an open letter calling for a Global Strike for Climate on September 20.
Thunberg lead mass demonstrations across the world with the last Global School Strike on March 15 seeing 1.6 million people turn out (including 500 in Wollongong).
YEA was formed in the wake of these initial strikes as an organising space for all enviro-activist groups in the Illawarra to unite in the campaign for climate action.
They have weekly meetings in Wollongong Library every Friday at 5pm.
But their next meeting on July 26 will run from 4-6pm, to allow interested parties to attend to kick-start the planning and promotion processes for The Global Climate Strike.
YEA member and Wollongong Undergraduate Student Association representative, Darcy Turner, said it was important to back the great work of Swedish teenage activist Greta Thunberg, who is now urging the society as a whole to join the push for climate change action.
"But to change everything, we need everyone," Thunberg said.
"It is time for all of us to unleash mass resistance - we have shown that collective action does work. We need to escalate the pressure to make sure that change happens, and we must escalate together."
Turner said YEA was born out of the School Strike for Climate movement here in Wollongong.
"One of the group's major goals is to create the space for like-minded groups and individuals to come together in the fight for climate justice and to broaden this movement," he said.
At the last organising meeting, 50 people, representing all of the major political and activist groups in the region met to discuss the rally on September 20.
YEA member, UOW student and local retail worker Ben Gava, indicated that the group was keen to extend an invite to any and all parties interested in planning and taking part in the September rally.
"It is important that all sections of society from workers to students and activists came along," he said.
Agron Latifi
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
