Students, faculty and San Luis Obispo residents gathered on Cal Poly’s Dexter Lawn on Friday, Sept. 20 as part of a global initiative to fight climate change.
The demonstration, organized locally by Sunrise Movement Central Coast and San Luis Obispo County Youth for Environmental Action, took place in tandem with the international Global Climate Strike.
“Sunrise is a group of young people aged 35 and under who are working to stop the climate crisis,” Sunrise Movement representative Emmet Arries said. “Our organization is focused on systemic and political change, specifically with world leaders and corporations who make up the larger group of polluters.”
People in more than 150 countries stepped out to protest, according to Global Climate Strike.
Participants of all ages crafted signs, listened to speeches from experts and marched across campus with the hope to inspire climate action on both a local and global scale.
The Cal Poly Democrats took part in the strike with a booth to help participants register to vote.
“We are here today because registering voters is incredibly important for the issues facing our generation, and climate change is the largest issue facing our generation,” Cal Poly Democrats co-president Lizzy Marshall said. “We want people to be aware that their vote matters.”
Marshall went on to say that, although personal habits are important to protect the planet, voting for action-oriented elected officials is the best way to hold the world’s biggest polluters accountable.
Aside from the city of San Luis Obispo, demonstrators in Atascadero, Paso Robles and Templeton took part in the strike.
Another Global Climate Strike will take place Friday, Sept. 27 outside the San Luis Obispo County Courthouse.