On Friday, an estimated 10,000 students, workers and families of all ages hit the streets of Perth for the Global Strike 4 Climate.

The Perth participants were among a historical 300,000 strikers nationwide and millions of others around the world as part of the international movement led by climate activist Greta Thunberg.

Starting off in Forrest Place with live music, a welcome to country and speeches from representatives of the Indigenous community, the Maritime Union of WA’s Danny Cain and City of Fremantle Councillor Sam Wainwright, the organisers had three demands.

• No new coal, oil and gas projects.
• 100 per cent renewable energy by 2030.
• A fair and just transition for all fossil-fuel industry workers and committees.

Thousands of peaceful demonstrators then marched down William St towards St George’s Terrace with provoking placards and voices to be heard.

High school activists from School Strike 4 Change led them through the streets, singing chants of action which the crowd echoed out into the city.

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

“Planet not profit, ScoMo get off it!”

They continued en masse down William St for roughly two hours, sitting in at the intersection of Williams St and St Georges Terrace and gathering at Elizabeth Quay to finish.

While strikers had planned to march on St Georges Tce, where the offices of many oil and gas companies were located, a police blockade prevented them from doing so.

Aleesha Haczakowski, one of the organisers, said they had communicated their route with the Perth Council and police.

“We chose Saint Georges Terrace very specifically because the climate criminals, the fossil fuel industry, they work there,” she said.

“At the end of the day, even though the police got in the way of what we were wanting to do, it was still so awesome to see all these people out for the climate.

Siobhan Sutton, 15, was one of the activists leading the strike.

“I definitely think in the past, there’s been quite a focus on youth, but with this one we really did encompass everyone calling for a global strike,” she said.