Passion was omnipresent on Friday, Sept. 24, as many of Portland’s youth united to fight for a shared desire: climate justice. Several La Salle students shared their thoughts after participating in the organized strike, joining thousands in a march to City Hall. 

“I’m passionate about climate change, and I want to see change because I don’t think there’s been enough,” said senior Cameron Rast. 

Rast expressed that a feeling of unity and desire for change was strong at the strike. “Everybody is fighting for the same thing,” Rast said. 

The protest started at the Oregon Convention Center, where students made signs, learned chants, and showcased their support for the cause. The march itself, about 1.6 miles in length, lasted over an hour.

Senior Emma Olson said that she was eager to attend the strike because for years, climate justice has been a profound passion of hers. She described the atmosphere of the march as “peaceful yet energized,” she said.

“I was impressed by the students, and proud to be a part of the group,” Olson said.

Upon arriving at City Hall, multiple youth activists spoke in front of the crowd, each giving their own unique testimony emphasizing the dire need for climate action. One recounted her experience with the record temperatures this summer, and another presented a poem, which was concluded with a chant in effort to call Portland’s mayor, Ted Wheeler, out of his office to address the crowd.

Five chairs — four with the names of each city commissioner on them, plus one with Wheeler’s name — were set out in front of city hall while the youth speakers pleaded for the future of the planet.

The chairs remained empty throughout the entirety of the speeches.

Throughout the march, a common theme was consistent inaction of political leaders. 

“There were…colorful signs with demands for the city leaders to show up and make change,” Olson said. These signs consisted of phrases such as “system change not climate change” and “planet over profit.”

Yet, students also said that the effects of individualistic, climate-conscious habits cannot be underestimated. 

“I use reusable bags and containers for lunches, and reusable produce bags, reusable grocery bags — things like that just to reduce plastic,” said senior Kate Collins, who attended the strike on Friday. “I [also] make an effort to carpool or walk places instead of driving or all taking separate cars.”

Collins also touched on her effort to create conversation and establish small, environmentally conscious habits within her family and around her house.

“I think also just starting a dialogue in my house [can help] … so just kind of pointing out when [people in my family] do things that aren’t very sustainable,” she said.

Reflecting on her experience at the march, Collins said, “It’s empowering to know that so many people care.” 

Rast expressed similar thoughts after seeing the crowd of people attending the march. “I think just the amount of people showing up and being this passionate about it is pretty powerful,” he said.