Borders school pupils to strike over climate change tomorrow

Many will down their pencils from 10am to noon to rally outside Cornmill Court in Galashiels and in Market Square in Duns.

Francine Hardwick, one of the organisers of the event, said: “Borders school students are set to strike from school in solidarity with hundreds of thousands of other young people in the UK and around the world, staging a climate strike, and demanding that authorities legislate far more effectively to combat the ever-increasing damaging effects of climate change, which threaten everyone’s future.

“Denied the right to vote for the UK election in December, 16 and 17-year-olds in the Borders are using the climate strike event on Friday as a rallying call to voters and candidates standing for election to put policies that mitigate climate damage right up at the top of their list of priorities.

“The young organisers hope that others will join them to show support at both rallying points on Friday, in Galashiels at Cornmill Square, and in Duns at Market Square.”

Posters bearing slogans urging youngsters to “strike for your future”, “strike for your planet” and because there’s “no other way to have our voices heard” have been publicising the event across the region this week.

As part of their so-called Fridays for Future vigils, youngsters will also meet for peaceful protests tomorrow and are urging members of the public to support them.

You can do so outside Scottish Borders Council’s headquarters in Newtown from 8am to 11am, Hawick’s Tower Knowe between 4pm and 4.30pm, outside the former Royal Bank of Scotland in Melrose High Street from 5pm to 5.30pm and at the corner of Eastgate in Peebles at the same time.