SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS staged a protest near Leinster House this afternoon, asking voters to consider their futures tomorrow and choose parties that have solid climate change policies.

The ‘Climate Strike’ was organised by Fridays For Future Ireland, a movement inspired by Swedish teenage activist Greta Thunberg after she began protesting her government’s lack of action on the climate crisis.

Yesterday TheJournal.ie reported gardaí would not sanction the protest by the students because of concerns about health and safety. 

However the demonstration went ahead on Kildare Street, with students handing out leaflets asking voters to make climate action a priority when they go to the polls tomorrow.

Students chanted ‘we are unstoppable, another world is possible’, and some of the young speakers read out poetry they had written.

One speaker described politics in Ireland as “broken”. 

“The two party system of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil who have governed our nation since the inception of the state have failed us, time and time again,” he said. 

Michelle Hennessy / TheJournal.ie Michelle Hennessy / TheJournal.ie / TheJournal.ie

Ella Jones and Alannah Walsh, both 16, from St Joseph Cluny school in Killiney, spoke to TheJournal.ie about why they left school today to attend the demonstration.

“I just think it’s such an important cause,  it’s our future,” Jones said.

“We’re the ones who are going to have to suffer because of what’s done, I just think it’s important for us to stand up for what we believe is right,” Walsh said. 

Both girls are the youngest in their families and they have been encouraging parents and their older siblings around the dinner table to vote for candidates that have strong climate change policies.