*Anyone organizing a rally at a townhall, a strike at a school, or planning for a school to attend any of the rallies is encouraged to register their group's participation on this map.*

What is happening on the 15 March?

Greta Thunberg, the 16 year-old Swedish climate activist, whose lone weekly climate strike has become a global movement, has called on everyone to join a global climate strike on Friday 15^th March. The protests are being led by students striking from school to call for #ClimateActionNow to meet the tempertature goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement . Many others, young and old, intend coming out in solidarity with the children and students.

What's happening in Ireland?

1pm on Friday 15th March is the central moment in Ireland.

Students, and those who support their call for #ClimateActionNow, are being encouraged to gather wherever they can, take a photograph and share in on social media with the hashtags #SchoolStrike4Climate, #FridaysForFuture and #ClimateStrike.

In many cases something will be organized in schools or at school gates. Where possible people will gather outside townhalls.

There are marches and rallies planned in Dublin and Cork, with many other rallies around the country.

Dublin:
12:00 – Gather at St. Stephen’s Green (at Stephen Court - map link)
12:30 – March via Dawson Street to Molesworth Street
13:00 – Rally outside the Dáil (on Molesworth Street)

Cork:
11:00 – Gather in front of the Opera House
11:30 – March via Patrick’s Street, Grand Parade and the Mall to City hall
12:00 – Rally outside City Hall

Anyone organizing a rally at a townhall, a strike at a school, or planning for a school to attend any of the rallies is encouraged to register their group's participation on this map.

Where do I find out more about what's being organized?

The climate strike in Ireland is being organized in a bottom-up way in by grassroots groups that are emerging organically and coodinating as best they can.

There are two autonoumous student-led groups that are collaborating closely:
School Strikes 4 Climate and Fridays for Future

http://schoolstrikes4climate.ie/                     https://twitter.com/SchoolStrikesIE

https://www.fridaysforfuture.ie/strikes         https://twitter.com/SchoolStrikesIE

There is a teacher-supported, student-driven schools climate action network

https://www.facebook.com/SchoolStrike4ClimateIreland
schoolstrike4climateIreland@gmail.com
https://twitter.com/pullthebrakes?lang=en

As a student or a teacher you can register with this network here.

And there's a Parent-facilitated Fridays for Future group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ClimateStrikeIreland/

Third-level student organizations have also come out in solidarity

Fossil Free TCD
The All-Ireland Student Activist Network
The Union of Students in Ireland (USI)

Why are people protesting?

The protests across the world and in Ireland are to draw attention to the fact that urgent action is now needed by governments to tackle climate change and ecological collapse. Unless policies are enacted now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, global temperatures will rise to unsustainable levels by the end of this century. There is only one decade left to prevent this from happening.

But here, listen to one of the students involved in organizing the Irish strike explain it to TDs and Senators: 

What are the students demanding?

The students involved in the Schools Climate Action Network have developed the following demands:

1. The Government ensures all fossil fuels are left in the ground and should not allow any new fossil fuel infrastructure to be built and that Ireland uses 100% renewable electricity by 2030.

2. The Government declares a climate emergency, communicates the severity of the ecological crisis to the general public and reforms the primary and post-primary educations systems to address the need for ecological literacy. The government must prioritise the protection of life on Earth, taking active steps to achieve climate justice.

3. The Government makes transitioning to a CO2-neutral Ireland socially fair. We demand of the government that it takes its responsibility seriously and avoids having regular citizens carry all the burden towards transitioning to a sustainable society.

4. The Government implements all the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on Climate Change. As this is a climate emergency, we demand that the recommendations be implemented immediately.

5. The Government creates and enforces stronger regulations on corporations that are causing the climate crisis and ensure a transformation to reduce emissions from agriculture in Ireland.

6. The Government implements a Green New Deal and ensures that after leaving school, all young people in Ireland can have livelihoods that don't damage the Earth.

These demands will continue to evolve as the network grows and more students get involved in deciding which demands to prioritise. Students have called on fellow students to complete a short survey to help begin a discussion about prioritising which climate action demands they feel are most important. The survey can be found here https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TTHH67C

How are schools supporting it?

It depends on the schools. Some schools have given full support, including Board of Management approval, and intend bringing large groups of students to the marches, supported by their teachers and parents. Other schools have yet to make up their minds, taking various factors into consideration.

Some schools have chosen to facilitate local protests either on school grounds or close by in a public place, in lieu of attending a major protest march.

The Teachers Union of Ireland have given their support to teachers wishing to participate and facilitate their pupils to attend the protests.

Health and safety is of primary concern and this remains the responsibility of the schools bringing students to attend any public event.

What do Irish politicians make of it?

An Taoiseach Leo Varardkar says he is "inspired and enthused" by students taking action:

Not everybody is ready to take him at his word though, here's another one of the student organizers speaking to TDs and Senators on 6th March:

We'll keep updating this page as best we can to give our supporters and the public the latest info on how to take part in the Global Strike on 15th March.

But for now we will give the last word to the 16 year old who started it all, Greta:

 The website for the global #FridaysForFuture movement sparked by Greta is here.