Northlanders Participate in World Wide Climate Strike

Duluth youth host a climate protest at city hall.

DULUTH, Minn.- People in Duluth lined the steps of city hall Friday rallying against the climate crisis and striking against things they say are harmful to the planet.

The hundreds who picketed in downtown Duluth were just a handful of the thousands who skipped school or work across the globe to combat climate change.

Chants could be heard throughout the city.

Signs asking people to love their mother earth could be seen through the fog, all to make people more aware of how they’re using Earth’s resources.

The Duluth strike was organized by 5 young people, many high school students, who say that if things don’t change now, then some climate effects being felt could be irreversible within ten years.

“Today, teenagers line the streets with signs demanding the selfish adults in power change their minds so that in 60 years we don’t have grandchildren asking, ‘Why didn’t you do anything when you still had the time,'” 10th grade student Maria Freese said.

Speakers at the strike encouraged people to use renewable energy resources, protect the Earth’s fresh water and fight the Enbridge and Polymet proposals.

Since many of the speakers are not old enough to vote yet, they hope by raising their voices, those who can vote will listen and take action.

“I really want to see the city council of Duluth to see how many people care about this and take action by saying they don’t support Polymet, saying they don’t support the gas plant that’s proposed in superior. I want Minnesota Power gods above to her me speak and say, ‘wow, we are really messing up their future, we shouldn’t do that,'” 11th grade student and strike organizer Izzy Laderman said.

Despite being an open and anticipated rally over what many would consider a controversial topic, there were no counter protesters seen at the strike today.