The Global Climate Strike for Future was held on Mar. 15. The founder of the movement reasons, "Why bother going to school when there is no hope in the future?" action was taken in 10 places around Taiwan. Sixth grader Yang Tzu-ching, for example, took a day off from his Taichung private school and stood outside the Presidential Office with a sign calling for the realization of a nuclear-free homeland as soon as possible. A teacher from National Taichung Special Education School also brought his students to the gate of the school and staged a peaceful sit-in in the hopes that adults can stop harming the climate and accelerate global warming.


Accompanied by his parents and younger brother, sixth grader Yang Tzu-ching stages a peaceful sit-in outside the Presidential Office. Yang excused himself from school for the day to take part in the Global Climate Strike for Future. He says he hopes Taiwan can become nuclear-free as soon as possible.

The slogan for "Fridays for Future" is "Why bother going to school to secure your future when those with political and economic power are currently acting to dismantle that future?" (What are you most worried about?) Nuclear power, because even though it is considered safe, it should not be developed in Taiwan. Taiwan is located in a fault zone and an earthquake could turn Taiwan into (Fukushima).

Yang says he is worried about Taiwan's frequent earthquakes and nuclear waste disposal problems, and the Tsai administration needs to aggressively develop renewable energy sources. As the area outside the Presidential Office is a restricted zone, Yang and his younger brother were immediately surrounded by police upon their arrival. His terrified brother ran straight into their mother's arms.
My younger son was terrified to tears. He just said something to me. He said, "Aren't we just here for a peaceful sit-in to make President Tsai Ing-wen aware of the problem? Why is it so complicated?"

The "Fridays for Future" movement was started by then-15-year-old Greta Thunberg of Sweden. Every Friday, she skipped school and staged a peaceful sit-in outside the Swedish parliament. She inspired other youths around the world to do the same. Students from 10 schools around Taiwan, including Keelung's Er Xin High School, Taoyuan Senior High School, National Chang-Hua Senior High School and National Taichung Special Education School, took part on the 15th.

We have around 14 children participating today. They understand what they are doing. They are getting a real opportunity to take a stand on a social issue. I've talked about it with them. They want to be like Greta and make a real difference. They want adults to join them in their fight.

To educate parents and society as a whole, most movement events in Taiwan include soapbox presentations or videos. Youths hope their actions will raise public and government awareness on climate change and the importance of environmental protection.



在總統府前舉牌，小學六年級生楊子慶，向台中的私立學校請假，並在父母、弟弟的陪同下，響應「315全球氣候罷課」行動，在府前靜坐，期許台灣盡快落實非核家園。

315全球氣候罷課行動響應者 楊子慶表示：「（口號是)「FRIDAYS FOR FUTURE」，「沒有未來何必上課?」（你最憂心的地方在哪裡？) 核電的部分，因為核電雖然算是安全，可是我們不該在台灣發展，因為台灣在斷層帶，地震的時候會像廣島一樣。」

楊子慶認為台灣地震頻繁，也沒有合適的地方存放核廢料，因此希望蔡政府能更積極發展再生能源。然而總統府前是集會遊行管制區域，楊子慶和小學四年級的弟弟，一抵達總統府就被警察團團包圍，一度受到驚嚇、撲向媽媽懷裡。

315全球氣候罷課行動家長 張淑芬表示：「剛剛弟弟嚇哭，他剛才私底下跟我講一句話，他跟我說不就是靜坐一下，告訴蔡英文總統嗎？怎麼這麼複雜。」

「315全球氣候罷課」源自於16歲瑞典少女格雷塔．桑伯格推動的青年氣候運動，她每週五會在議會前，罷課靜坐抗議，而這場行動全球遍地開花，台灣則有10個行動響應，包含基隆二信高中、桃園高中、彰化高中、台中特殊學校等，都有倡議活動。

台中特殊教育學校高三教師 岳祥文表示：「大概今天有14位孩子一起來參與，他們非常清楚，今天他們自己來幹嘛，讓孩子實際有一個參與社會議題的空間，所以會希望他們，也跟他們談過，他們覺得也像跟格雷塔這樣子，真的能實際造成一些影響，讓更多大人一起加入。」

不過考量到家長與社會觀感，台灣響應活動，幾乎都會搭配肥皂箱宣講或影片放映等等，期待喚起民眾與政府對氣候變遷與環境的重視。