Local Focus: Bay of Plenty students protest climate change inaction

About eighty students and parents from Mount Maunganui, Papamoa and Te Puke showed up this afternoon to protest a lack of action on climate change.

Mahrufa Cassin, a year 12 student from Papamoa College, said young people need to rise up.

"The fact that we have to walk out of school and miss out on some bio education, it's not fair. Taking one hour or one day to try and make a difference, we are committed to doing it."

A parent took his two children to the protest with signs which read "tautoko te rangatahi" or support the children.

"Rangatahi is the Māori word for youth but it's also the word we use for future. So, that's an important word. We're supporting our young people but we're also supporting our future."

Thousands of school students from across the country took to the streets today, as part of a worldwide protest against climate change inaction.

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