School climate strike protests draw huge crowds; charges laid over Hillcrest jumping castle tragedy – as it happened

Thousands of students will be taking the streets later today for the School Strike 4 Climate.

Protests are being coordinated across Australia, with students planning actions in Sydney at environment minister Tanya Plibersek’s office, in Canberra at Labor senator Katy Gallagher’s office, at the Western Australian Energy Transition Conference at the Perth Convention Centre and in other urban and regional areas.

Let’s hear from some students about why they’re striking today:

Torres Strait Islander law student Chelsea Aniba has travelled from Saibai to Melbourne, where she will join the student protest to explain how her people are at the frontline of climate change.

It’s affecting our homes, our gardens, we can’t really grow our traditional foods like we used to any more.

The season that we usually get our geese, the seasons of our turtle and dugong they’re being affected as well.

And of course, the the main one, which is the sea levels are rising.

Min Park, 16, from Sydney, said she was striking because of Plibersek’s approval of new coal and gas projects:

She is listening to the fossil fuel lobby, instead of doing her job and taking responsibility to protect the health of the planet.

Anjali Beames, 17, has been striking from school all week, studying on the steps of Parliament House in Adelaide, alongside other students from the South Australian Youth Climate Alliance.

I am studying for my future, but I am worried that without real action on climate change my future will be bleak.

Charlotte Curtis, 16, said in her hometown of Port Hedland people were already feeling the impacts of climate change, with less rain and more extreme heatwaves.

I want my community to thrive, not suffer through more and more climate impacts.