Students and community members will strike for climate justice this Friday, in an online protest organised by Illawarra Climate Justice Alliance (ICJA).
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This international day of action, called by Greta Thunberg, had been planned for many months prior to the COVID-19 crisis.
Following the 3000 strong Wollongong protest last November, and several large protests in December and January, climate activists have not retreated from the scene, despite being in isolation.
ICJA spokesperson Dr Margaret Perrott said activists were more determined than ever to see a change in the way the climate crisis is addressed, especially as the economy opens up after the emergency.
"We are looking ahead to what comes next. Just as the COVID-19 crisis threatens our health and well being, the climate crisis does the same, only the climate crisis will have even bigger impacts. To avoid the worst of the next crisis we are facing we're going to have to make some serious changes," Dr Perrott said.
"When the COVID-19 crisis is over we need to be supporting communities ravaged by the bushfires to open to normal, we need to be saving the barrier reef for the thousands of jobs it creates in tourism and we need to be supporting education, health and welfare, not mining under our precious water catchments or building fertiliser factories in Narrabri using coal seam gas."
Jess Hewitt from AYCC and Kaye Osborne from POWA will speak during the online protest on May 15.
Join the protest at 2pm with the national Uni Students for Climate Justice, followed by the ICJA forum at 3pm and ss4c (school students for climate) at 4pm.
More details on the Illawarra Climate Justice Alliance Facebook page.