School Strike 4 Climate has changed the location of their Sydney rally from The Domain to Kirribilli House, which is being held this Friday at. 12:30.
The University of Sydney contingent, organized by the Environmental Collective, will still meet at 10:15 a.m. Friday outside Fisher Library. Students and staff will then march to the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), where they will join other student contingents.
Students will then travel to the Prime Minister’s residence in Kirribilli House to join union members, workers, primary and secondary students and First Nations communities.
USyd activists won the right for students and teachers to join the strike without punishment after collecting over 1,500 signatures. Usyds Chancellor Mark Scott assured the Environmental Collective in an email that this would be made public “through staff and student communication channels”, but did not mention whether the university would support the action.
The university notified students of the exemption method via email last Wednesday. The staff was first notified two weeks ago via the staff intranet and again last Thursday via staff emails.
But both executive orders say staff “discuss their proposed absence with their managers” and that they “must have approved leave … for the duration of their absence from work.”
Other universities such as The UTS has also adopted a fine-free approach, but has been louder in their support for the strike.
Strikers will march for a range of demands, including 100% public renewable energy by 2030; a fair transition, including guaranteed climate jobs for fossil fuel and land rights workers and Indigenous jobs; and no new coal and gas projects such as the Kurri Kurri gas plant and the Narrabri gas project.
Speakers on the day include Gomeroi activist Kyanah, MUA National Indigenous Officer Thomas Mayor, SS4C activist Bowral Beatrix Jones, Nurses and Midwives Federation Union member Michael Whaites, a speaker from the Pacific Climate Warriors and a family from the recently flooded Lismore.