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| Climate Strike N.Y.C.: Crowds Gather, With Greta Thunberg to Speak | Climate Strike N.Y.C.: Crowds Gather, With Greta Thunberg to Speak |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| [Read more live coverage of the climate strikes.] | [Read more live coverage of the climate strikes.] |
| New Yorkers did not wait for the scheduled noon start time of the city’s global youth climate strike on Friday. Hours before climate activists were to begin their march through Lower Manhattan, schoolchildren walked through their neighborhoods instead of going to class. | New Yorkers did not wait for the scheduled noon start time of the city’s global youth climate strike on Friday. Hours before climate activists were to begin their march through Lower Manhattan, schoolchildren walked through their neighborhoods instead of going to class. |
| In all five boroughs, young organizers were gathering placards and arranging to meet friends to head to the official march, which starts in Foley Square near City Hall and ends at the Battery, or to other gatherings across the city. | In all five boroughs, young organizers were gathering placards and arranging to meet friends to head to the official march, which starts in Foley Square near City Hall and ends at the Battery, or to other gatherings across the city. |
| At Beacon High School in Manhattan, some 1,000 students — two-thirds of the student body — were planning to attend the main rally. | At Beacon High School in Manhattan, some 1,000 students — two-thirds of the student body — were planning to attend the main rally. |
| The protests are being held across the world three days ahead of a summit on climate change at United Nations. One of the youngest student organizers of the New York event is Marisol Rivera, 13, who attends school in the Bronx. Hurricane Sandy damaged her home and she has relatives in Puerto Rico who were lives were upended by Hurricane Maria. | The protests are being held across the world three days ahead of a summit on climate change at United Nations. One of the youngest student organizers of the New York event is Marisol Rivera, 13, who attends school in the Bronx. Hurricane Sandy damaged her home and she has relatives in Puerto Rico who were lives were upended by Hurricane Maria. |
| Preparing to speak near City Hall, she was full of excitement; like other young activists, she had already seen videos of huge protests from Australia, Asia and Europe. | Preparing to speak near City Hall, she was full of excitement; like other young activists, she had already seen videos of huge protests from Australia, Asia and Europe. |
| “I am very excited to be here and even a little bit overwhelmed,” she said. “But ultimately I feel hopeful seeing the power of all these people here today, calling to end fossil fuels and build a better future for us.” | “I am very excited to be here and even a little bit overwhelmed,” she said. “But ultimately I feel hopeful seeing the power of all these people here today, calling to end fossil fuels and build a better future for us.” |
| Environmental advocates were thrilled by New York City’s decision this week to allow its 1.1 million public school students to be excused from class and attend the protests if they had their parents’ permission. | Environmental advocates were thrilled by New York City’s decision this week to allow its 1.1 million public school students to be excused from class and attend the protests if they had their parents’ permission. |
| But teachers and other school employees were told they could not go because the Education Department determined that it would violate rules ensuring a “politically neutral learning environment,” as would classrooms that staged their own climate-action walkouts on school property. | But teachers and other school employees were told they could not go because the Education Department determined that it would violate rules ensuring a “politically neutral learning environment,” as would classrooms that staged their own climate-action walkouts on school property. |
| [Teachers in New York City were barred from attending protests.] | [Teachers in New York City were barred from attending protests.] |
| Yet at the usual morning drop-off time, elementary school students appeared to be staging rallies led by parents or the students themselves. | Yet at the usual morning drop-off time, elementary school students appeared to be staging rallies led by parents or the students themselves. |
| “P.S. 10 kids wouldn’t take no for an answer,” said Elizabeth Meister, whose fifth-grader at the school in Park Slope, Brooklyn, helped organize a demonstration in which children waved signs and sat down in their schoolyard for 15 minutes instead of filing in for class. | “P.S. 10 kids wouldn’t take no for an answer,” said Elizabeth Meister, whose fifth-grader at the school in Park Slope, Brooklyn, helped organize a demonstration in which children waved signs and sat down in their schoolyard for 15 minutes instead of filing in for class. |
| A planned field trip to a protest nearby had been canceled. | A planned field trip to a protest nearby had been canceled. |
| The decision to prohibit school staff members from participating in demonstrations underscored the difficulties in separating the politics of climate change from teaching the science about it, even in liberal-leaning New York, and even in a school system that some experts consider a national leader in taking climate issues into the classroom. | The decision to prohibit school staff members from participating in demonstrations underscored the difficulties in separating the politics of climate change from teaching the science about it, even in liberal-leaning New York, and even in a school system that some experts consider a national leader in taking climate issues into the classroom. |
| Many critics — ranging from climate-change deniers to people who argue for a different way to deal with climate change — maintained that Mayor Bill de Blasio was using classroom attendance to promote a political aim. The New York Post’s editorial board called the decision “out-and-out government sponsorship of a particular point of view.” | Many critics — ranging from climate-change deniers to people who argue for a different way to deal with climate change — maintained that Mayor Bill de Blasio was using classroom attendance to promote a political aim. The New York Post’s editorial board called the decision “out-and-out government sponsorship of a particular point of view.” |
| The protests were inspired by Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old Swedish activist, who sailed to New York in an emissions-free yacht last month. Demonstrators as young as 9 turned up to greet her when she arrived last month. | The protests were inspired by Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old Swedish activist, who sailed to New York in an emissions-free yacht last month. Demonstrators as young as 9 turned up to greet her when she arrived last month. |
| Ms. Thunberg is scheduled to speak near the end of Friday’s event. | |
| Andrea Salcedo contributed reporting. | Andrea Salcedo contributed reporting. |