It’s been less than 6 months since the school strike sprang up from schoolyards, country towns and city streets across the country. But we are not slowing down. We are only getting started.

This Friday, just 2 weeks out from the Federal Election, students in 70 locations are taking our movement’s massive momentum to the doorsteps of the people meant to represent us and we’re inviting YOU to join us.

Last November, with just a few weeks’ notice, 15,000 of us went on strike in over 30 towns across Australia. Then 7 weeks ago, we took to the streets again but this time with 150,000 people. Motivated by grim projections for our futures and absent leadership from our politicians, our actions struck a nerve, making headlines everywhere and inspiring record numbers of people to join our movement.

Mostly, people are full of praise for what we’re doing, but some ask what all this protest is really achieving. Whilst we can’t claim credit for all of this, here's just some of what has happened since we got going:

• Almost 30 major unions have endorsed our strike, representing 250 million workers here in Australia and overseas.[1]
• This morning, two of those unions - the Maritime Union and Electrical Trades Union - publicly voiced their opposition to Adani’s dangerous coal mine.[2]
• Dozens of politicians and candidates have been breaking party lines, also voicing their opposition to Adani.[3]
• Tonnes of new people are stepping up to join our movement. Sixty new local groups formed off the back of our #ClimateElection Kickstart events held in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, following our last strike.
  Climate change is dominating this election campaign with politicians and commentators acknowledging it’s the number one issue & more and more independent candidates running on climate platforms.
• Youth enrolment for this election is at an all-time high - 88% - and overall enrolment at unprecedented levels too - 97%.[4]

But as good as these things are, climate change is still getting worse. And it seems the major parties are either not doing enough to address the crisis or worse, fuelling it by announcing support for new coal, oil and gas projects. And that’s why our movement is rising up to confront this crisis with courage and power.

Join us this Friday at MP offices, in cities and towns across the country to show our politicians that we won’t stand for their inaction on the biggest issue of our time.

Whoever wins this election, we are going to have to keep fighting to get the action we need. The Coalition has proven itself incapable of leading. Labor aren't yet showing the courage and leadership our generation needs. Which is why everyone is needed, everywhere to lead the way.

Every day we’re going to get bigger, bolder & braver. 

See you this Friday at our #ClimateElection National Day of Action.

With hope,

The school strikers 4 climate action xx

PS: Are you a school striker and ready to show out in force on the day of the election, May 18th? Register to have a School Strike presence at a polling booth near you: www.schoolstrike4climate.com/electionday

References:
[1] https://www.schoolstrike4climate.com/partners
[2] MUA Leader declares opposition to Adani, Australian Financial Review, 30 April.
[3] Environment Minister ordered Adani meeting the day colleagues lobbied for approval, The Sydney Morning Herald, 18 April.
[4] Roll call, baby: A record amount of young people enrolled to vote, Dscribe, 24 April.