San Mateo students walk out for global climate strike

SAN MATEO, Calif. (KGO) -- San Mateo High School students walked out of class just before 10 a.m. Friday to join a nationwide effort to combat climate change.

The strike featured students speaking out against global warming as they called for lawmakers to take action.

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"We are pretty angry. It's really frustrating to us, especially as young individuals who are passionate about this, that people in our government are not taking action when what we really need is for people to pay attention to this issue," said senior Macy Patel who helped organize the rally.

They hung signs on the windows of the performing arts center about the issue. One read "Act now or swim later." Another said "Stop denying our earth dying."

"I am 17. It is predicted we will see all these changes in 2050 and that is well within my lifetime. I am very angry about our government. I think they aren't taking the proper actions to change. They're denying this is a real issue when it really is," said Eeshan Bhat, a senior who also helped organize the strike.

The students say they want to make the point that this will effect people locally, pointing out that Foster City residents will be the first to suffer from glacier melt.

"I want the youth to realize they're the ones that are going to get affected by this. They will be the most impacted. It's in their best interest to change," said Bhat.

Patel thinks they will make a difference today.

"My favorite way to combat climate change is to talk about it. If we have conversations about it with each other and our families about climate change and educate each other we are going to be able to spread more awareness on it and really make a difference," Patel said.

They headed back to class around 10:45 a.m. Students said they had the support of administrators.