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\nSchool students are calling on the government to do more to fight climate change.
\nPhoto: RNZ \/ Lauren Crimp\n<\/p>\n
About 200 school students have marched their way through the capital to Parliament, calling on the government to do more to fight climate change.<\/p>\n
School Strike 4 Climate Wellington co-director Miki Inoue-Palmer said they were striking because they “care about the planet”.<\/p>\n
“I believe it’s super important to get young people engaged in civics, and to get young people understanding how they can shape the world around them, and shape the decisions of the government,” she said.<\/p>\n
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\nAbout 200 school students have marched their way through the capital to Parliament.
\nPhoto: RNZ \/ Lauren Crimp\n<\/p>\n
Inoue-Palmer said they wanted the government to:<\/p>\n
reinstate the ban on oil and gas exploration;
\nintroduce free public transport fares for under 25-year-olds;
\nlower the voting age to 16;
\nrecognise Palestine as a state; and
\nscrap the fast-track approvals regime.<\/p>\n
Asked about the relevance of a Palestinian state, Inoue-Palmer referred to the environment children there were living in: “Our organisation’s all about advocating for young people.”<\/p>\n
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\nSchool Strike 4 Climate Wellington co-director Miki Inoue-Palmer.
\nPhoto: RNZ \/ Lauren Crimp\n<\/p>\n
Associate Education Minister David Seymour said the students should be in class, and he expected schools to mark their absence as unjustified.<\/p>\n
“Students going on strike today would make a bigger difference by showing up to school, working hard, and taking every opportunity to learn,” he said.<\/p>\n
“If students want to show how much this cause means to them, they could march on Saturday in their own time.”<\/p>\n
Inoue-Palmer said the strike was an important part of education.<\/p>\n
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Photo: RNZ \/ Lauren Crimp\n<\/p>\n
“I also think that his government isn’t doing enough, which is why we’re out here in the first place.”<\/p>\n
Green MP Francisco Hernandez addressed the crowd on Friday, proclaiming “the youth climate movement is back, baby” and encouraging them to continue organising.<\/p>\n