Tens of thousands of protesters gared Friday at rallies around Australia as a day of worldwide demonstrations calling for action to guard against climate change began ahe of a U.N. summit in New York. Some of first rallies in what is being billed as a “global climate strike” kicked off in Australia’s largest city, Sydney, and national capital, Canberra. Australian demonstrators called for ir nation, which is world’s largest exporter of coal and liquid natural gas, to take more drastic action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

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Protests std in 110 towns and cities 

Global Strike 4 Climate said protests were std in 110 towns and cities across Australia on Friday, with organizers demanding government and business committed to a target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. Similar rallies were planned Friday in cities around globe. In United States, more than 800 events were planned Friday, while in Germany more than 400 rallies were expected. A similar coordinated protest in March that drew crowds around world.  protests are partly inspired by activism of Swedish teenr Greta Thunberg, who has std weekly demonstrations under heing “Fridays for Future” over past year, calling on world leers to step up ir efforts against climate change. Many who have followed her le are students, but movement has since spre to civil society groups. 

Some companies are encouraging ir employees to join climate strike. Australian Council of Tre Unions, which represents labour unions, said it supported employees taking time off work to protest. council said in a statement that it “must take a stand for our future when our government will t.”

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Students across Australia join  protests

Australian universities have said y will t penalize students for attending Friday’s rallies, while Australian schools vary on what action if any, y take against children who skip classes to attend demonstrations. Siobhan Sutton, a 15-year-old student at Perth Modern School, said she would fail a math exam by attending a protest in west coast city of Perth. 
“I have basically been told that because it is t a valid reason to be missing school — it is t a medical reason or anything — I am going to get a zero on test if I don’t actually sit it,” she said. “Even though we ourselves aren’t sick, planet which we live on is, and we are protesting and fighting for it,” she ded. Siobhan said her math teacher h given her option to sit exam before Friday, but she was unable to do so because of her commitments as one of protest organizers. 

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'I think it is just a disruption': Acting PM McCormack

Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack said students should be in school. “se sorts of rallies should be held on a weekend where it doesn’t actually disrupt business, it doesn’t disrupt schools, it doesn’t disrupt universities,” McCormack told reporters in Melbourne. “I think it is just a disruption,” he ded. Government lawmaker Craig Kelly on Thursday told students who planned to join Friday’s climate strike that “you are being used and manipulated and everything you are told is a lie.” “ facts are, re is link between climate change and drought; polar bears are increasing in number,” Kelly told Parliament. “Today’s generation is safer from extreme wear than at any time in human history,” he ded. 

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demonstrations come as Australia’s centre-left opposition mulls abandoning its policy, rejected at May elections, of reducing Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions by 45% below 2005 levels by 2030. Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s conservative coalition won a surprise third term with a commitment to reduce emissions by a more modest 26% to 28% in same time frame. Morrison is in U.S. for a state dinner with President Donald Trump on Friday and has been criticized for failing to include in his New York itinerary U.N. climate summit on Monday when leers will present ir long-term plans for curbing greenhouse gas emissions. 

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