Bloomington, IU Students Walk Out Of School As Part Of Climate Strike

Students walked out of class and work Friday morning to demand action on climate change during a rally at Indiana University’s Dunn Meadow.

Many other communities are also taking part in the Global Climate Strike. 

IU sophomore Eliza Dowd helped organize the Bloomington event. She says the protest is about bringing attention to global and local ways to fight climate change. 

“Today is a very important day in history,” she says. “Today millions of people are walking out of their workplaces, out of their schools and are striking and rallying and saying ‘No more.’”

Dowd says that it’s important to reach communities most affected by climate catastrophes and events like the walkout will bring attention to those areas. 

Those participating in the strike made a series of climate-related demands they presented to Indiana University and Bloomington’s mayor; they want IU to divest its money from fossil fuels, increase tree coverage on campus and reach net zero emissions in Bloomington.

Today is the first global walkout, and Dowd says the event will recur every Friday as part of the movement labeled #FridaysForFuture, spearheaded by young climate activist Greta Thunberg.