School friends Dominic Carpenter, 13, Freya Plant, 14, Olivia Dacal, 14, Yemi Maitri, 13 at Victoria College of the Arts Secondary School in Melbourne, stand above the protesters on Collins Street shouting this:

Ember Henninger, 9, in Sydney is homeschooled and is protesting “against global warming, which will make the planet burn”.

We spoke to the children at the heart of the protest.

A16-year-old Swedish schoolgirl called Greta Thunberg started a global campaign for student action that led to today's worldwide protests against inaction on climate change. Children and teenagers in Australia have taken to the streets to add their voices to calls for change. As Finnish educator Pasi Sahlberg, who now lives in Sydney, said today, “Look at the streets. That’s what democracy looks like.”

“When I grow up, I’m going to be an inventor,” says Syd Madden, 6, in Melbourne, “so I can make an invention that goes on water and transforms into an aeroplane and sucks up all the rubbish around the town and sea.”

Yemi adds: “There are no schools on a dead planet. We’re running out of time. Start listening to the people who care.”

“We’re here because we know there won’t be any future to prepare for,” says Olivia.

The students clap together as they cheer on the crowd below.

“What do we want? Climate change! When do we want it? Now!”

Charlotte, 13, third from left above, is protesting to “fight for our future and make sure the government makes sure they need to uphold the Paris agreement”.

Charlotte, 13 (third from left), and Annie, 14, (fourth from left) in Sydney. Credit:Laura Chung

Leo's father, Geoff Marks, says his son is “very passionate” and he supports his decision to protest. “It’s great to see so many young people here,” says Mr Marks. “It’s the start of something big – it won’t go away.”

Leo Marks-Bradford, 13, is at the Sydney protest “so I have a future where the big cities aren’t flooding. There isn’t enough attention and stuff being done. It’s gonna have such a big impact.”

Liam, with the yellow sign, says: “This sign says Don’t Panic. We crossed out the Don’t cause we need to take action. It’s time to panic.”

Luci, Liam and Thomas are striking from Wesley College in Prahan in Melbourne along with 15 other students – “from our year at least”, says Luci.

From left to right, Luci Matthews Wood, Liam Burnett and Thomas Cath-Fawcett, all 13, in Melbourne. Credit:Charlotte Grieve

Abby, 6, and Owen, 7, protested in Sydney. Abby says: “I am here because I want to save the planet and the Government won’t listen to kids and people that disagree with them.”

Annie, 14, fourth left, says, “I’m here for my future” – but on the way to the protest “someone told me I’m doing something wrong”.

“They are responsible for our future but aren’t taking responsibility so I’m making my voice heard.”

Aaliyah Samuel-Gaskin, 15 , from Willoughby Girls High School, is “furious, like many other people in my generation, that the people in power aren’t doing enough.

Liam says: “A big part of why these animals are going extinct is the climate and over-deforestation – if that’s a word. We don’t seem to be doing much.”

Thomas, with the orange sign, says: “I want my children to be able to see tigers. Not just in the history books as some mythical extinct creature. And elephants!”

Harriet Fallaw, 15, and Lyra Hackett, 14. Credit:Charlotte Grieve

Harriet Fallaw, 15, and Lyra Hackett, 14, have travelled two hours from their Phillip Island home to Melbourne's CBD for their first protest today. They both are regular hikers and love the environment but feel the government isn’t listening to their calls for change.

Both year 10 students at New Haven, Fallaw says the school “wasn’t not” supportive of their strike.

“Change needs to come about. We need to stop Adani and get rid of fossil fuels. More needs to be done to protect our planet. I don’t think the politicians are listening to the youth.”

Hackett says, “I want to improve the environment we live in and show the government that we need to do something to fight global warming.”

Baby Teva, 11 weeks, and mum Marnie Slonin-Densham in Melbourne. Credit:Charlotte Grieve

Baby Teva, 11 weeks, and her mum, Marnie Slonin-Densham, 31, protested in Melbourne. “First and foremost we’re here stop Adani," says Marnie. “His future depends on it.”

Marnie is a doctor at the Royal Women’s Hospital and her husband is in education. As a family, they compost and never use plastic.

“And Teva is wearing non-disposable nappies right now.”

Elvie and Iggie Thirwall. Credit:Charlotte Grieve

Elvie and Iggie Thirlwall are siblings in grades 4 and 6 in Thornbury in Melbourne. They got up early this morning to write their placards with messages of their choice.

Elvie is passionate about animals and loves her cat, Heather. Her message for Prime Minister Scott Morrison is “look after our animals”.

“Our animals are dying and we wanted to fight for the climate,” she says.

Naomi Hayley with her dad, Kevin. Credit:Charlotte Grieve

Kevin and Naomi Hayley hold the poster Naomi made as they watch protesters chant down Collins Street in Melbourne. Naomi is shy and doesn’t speak as she holds her sign tight and sits on her father’s lap.

Kevin, a geophysicist, says people with power need to start taking climate change seriously.

“It’s time to think of everything that’s in your power to make a difference. Climate change happens on a scale that’s not completely perceivable on our day-to-day lives. When it comes to the Earth and geology, we're on the brink of a mass extinction.”

Sinem Saray, 17, and Mimi Mediouni, 17, in Melbourne. Credit:Charlotte Grieve

Sinem Saray and Mimi Mediouni, 17, from Pascoe Vale Girls College in Melbourne have come to the protest with seven other students but are sad that more did not join in today’s protest.

Saray moved to Australia less than a year ago from Tunisia, where she said there was a period where she was protesting weekly for education and equal rights.

No matter how insignificant you are, we can make a difference.

“We wouldn’t protest about climate change and it would never be this big so I’m so happy to be here.

“The more we come together the louder our voices will be. No matter how insignificant you are, we can make a difference.”

Sinem strives to live with zero waste.

“There need to be stricter fines when it comes to littering.”

Saray adds: “She complains all the time about plastic.”

Year 12 students Anna Rusjan and Alex Thompson. Credit:Charlotte Grieve

Anna Rusjan and Alex Thompson, are both 17 and in year 12 at Methodist Ladies' College in Melbourne. This is the second year they have attended the climate action protest; they say the school supports it as much as they can “within school policy”.

“It’s really frustrating when we can think of better ideas than the politicians,” says Alex.

“It’s all short-term economic gain for long-term environmental damage,” says Anna. “Bring back the carbon tax.”

Helen Vickers with Freya, 6, and Hermione, 3. Credit:Charlotte Grieve

Freya Brennand, 6, says her main passion is keeping the Earth clean and not throwing rubbish on the ground.

“Freya was inspired by the kids who started this protest who are also from Castlemaine so I brought them here to support that,” says mother Helen Vickers.

Helen helped Freya and her sister, Hermione, 3, make their placards. “I just want the politicians to enact policies that will make a difference,” she says.

Grace Shooter, 11. Credit:Charlotte Grieve

Grace Shooter, 11, was protesting on Spencer Street in Melbourne. “I just wanted to be a part of this.” Why? “I don’t really know.”

Frederick Van, Anouk Harada and Etienne La Rocca, 10, in Melbourne. Credit:Charlotte Grieve

Frederick Van, Anouk Harada and Etienne La Rocca, all 10, are students at Princes Hill Primary School in Melbourne. After some disagreement, they yell this:

“It was everyone's idea to come here today!”

“This summer was the hottest,” adds Etienne. “We were at the pool almost every day, had the fan on all the time. I don’t want to worry about it being 60 degrees in the future.”

Frederick says: “Climate change is happening in two ways, not just hotter. It can be snow storms too. We just want it to go back to normal.”

Anouk wants to be a soccer player when she’s older but if that fails, her fall back plan is a marine biologist.

Lily Hodder, Ada Duffy, Jack Murphy, and Amy O’Brien, all 16. Credit:Charlotte Grieve

A group of 16-year-olds from Princes Hill Secondary College in Melbourne made this sign together.

We can’t vote so this is our version of voting. It’s just slightly more chaotic.

“We want change,” says Ada Duffy. “People underestimate young people but we’re the ones who have to live with it.

“We can’t vote so this is our version of voting. It’s just slightly more chaotic.”

Phoenix Liggett, 10, in Melbourne. Credit:Charlotte Grieve

Aspiring painter Phoenix Liggett, 10, gets angry and sad after watching documentaries about the environment.

He has taken the day off from grade 5 to attend his first protest and his message for Scott Morrison is this: “Try top use less coal. And stop polluting.”

“I’ve always been concerned about pollution in the ocean and the air,” he says. “I think today is really good.”

Milou Albrecht and Harriet O'Shea Carre, 14. Credit:Charlotte Grieve

Milou Albrecht and Harriet O’Shea Carre, both 14, say they started the student protests in Australia and will be speaking on the steps of Parliament House in Melbourne today.

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“We started the student protests. It’s our tenth strike. We were the first followers of [Swedish student] Greta Thunberg. She’s amazing. She has such strong values and she’s so brave,” says Albrecht.

“It’s easy to feel like you’re the minority and no one cares and you can’t do anything because you’re a kid. We thought these protests would be a great way to empower the youth and get action now,” says O’Shea Carre.

Their message to children around the country: “It’s your future – you have the right to stand up.”

“We don’t have political power but we’re here, and together our group is strong and powerful. Climate change affects everyone and we deserve the right to a safe future,” says Albrecht.