A crowd gathered in Qualicum Beach on Friday (Sept. 20) on the first day of a global climate strike.

More than 150 countries are participating in the week-long strike that asks government to take action against the climate crisis and towards ending fossil fuel use.

READ MORE: Some Canadian schools, colleges move to accommodate climate strikes

In Qualicum Beach, participants marched around downtown holding handmade signs donning questions such as,”The climate is changing, why aren’t we?”

Climate March is starting up in Qualicum Beach! pic.twitter.com/7Iuzf2deVe — Cloe Logan (@CloeILogan) September 20, 2019

Lily Chesley, who goes to elementary school in Qualicum Beach and helped organize the event, said that “I and my friends care a lot about the environment and we just want to make a change and we need to make a change.”

The protests are occuring just before Monday’s UN Climate Summit, where world leaders will meet in New York City.

cloe.logan@pqbnews.com

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