Lincoln High School student Ava Stevenson, 16, center, chants with thousands of area youth climate activists and supporters as she takes part in a youth-led climate mobilization demanding city leaders take meaningful action on climate change, May 20, 2022 in Portland.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Thousands of area students and supporters marched through the streets of Portland on Friday, taking part in a Youth Climate Strike, and calling on city leaders and businesses to take action on climate change.
According to organizers, the youth-led event is just the first of what they described as “a spring and summer of bold climate actions.”
Organizers of the event identified four local “climate villains” that they feel contribute to climate change: NW Natural, Oregon Department of Transportation, Zenith, and the Portland Business Alliance.
Surrounded by signs like “our future is burning” and “the planet is hotter than my imaginary girlfriend,” Grant High School student Adah Crandall, 16, took the microphone. Crandall, lead organizer for the strike, demanded accountability from businesses and city leaders. She named each of the local climate villains and the crowd responded with jeers and boos.
“Right now, our leaders have a choice to make. They can either continue to side with the climate villains that are destroying our planet, or they can side with the young people who are gathered here today, fighting for our future,” says Crandall.
Following the gathering at City Hall, the group marched through the streets of Portland, crossing Burnside Bridge, planning to join the climate festival taking place at Revolution Hall.
Thousands of area youth climate activists and supporters marched through downtown Portland, May 20, 2022, as part of a youth-led climate mobilization demanding city leaders take meaningful action on climate change.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Thousands of area youth climate activists and supporters marched through downtown Portland, May 20, 2022, as part of a youth-led climate mobilization demanding city leaders take meaningful action on climate change.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Thousands of area youth climate activists and supporters marched through downtown Portland, May 20, 2022, as part of a youth-led climate mobilization demanding city leaders take meaningful action on climate change.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Thousands of area youth climate activists and supporters marched through downtown Portland, May 20, 2022, as part of a youth-led climate mobilization demanding city leaders take meaningful action on climate change.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Thousands of area youth climate activists and supporters marched through downtown Portland, May 20, 2022, as part of a youth-led climate mobilization demanding city leaders take meaningful action on climate change.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Thousands of area youth climate activists and supporters marched through downtown Portland, May 20, 2022, as part of a youth-led climate mobilization demanding city leaders take meaningful action on climate change.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
(Left to right) Maya Malka, 17, JJ Klein-Wolf, 15, and Dana Savage, 15, lead thousands of area youth climate activists and supporters on a march through downtown Portland, May 20, 2022, as part of a youth-led climate mobilization demanding city leaders take meaningful action on climate change.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Mac McCarter, 15, a student at Ida B. Wells High School, chants with thousands of area youth climate activists and supporters as she takes part in a youth-led climate mobilization demanding city leaders take meaningful action on climate change, May 20, 2022 in Portland.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Ida B. Wells High School student JJ Klein-Wolf, 15, dances as she leads thousands of area youth climate activists and supporters on a march through downtown Portland, May 20, 2022, as part of a youth-led climate mobilization demanding city leaders take meaningful action on climate change.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Thousands of area youth climate activists and supporters marched through downtown Portland, May 20, 2022, as part of a youth-led climate mobilization demanding city leaders take meaningful action on climate change.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Thousands of area youth climate activists and supporters marched through downtown Portland, May 20, 2022, as part of a youth-led climate mobilization demanding city leaders take meaningful action on climate change.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Thousands of area youth climate activists and supporters marched through downtown Portland, May 20, 2022, as part of a youth-led climate mobilization demanding city leaders take meaningful action on climate change.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Eliza Martinez, 6, of Tigard, rides on an electric bike as she joins thousands of area youth climate activists and supporters as part of a youth-led climate mobilization demanding city leaders take meaningful action on climate change, May 20, 2022.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Youth climate activists call NW Natural one of the “climate villains” and call on them to stop the expansion of new gas infrastructure. Thousands of area youth climate activists and supporters marched through downtown Portland, May 20, 2022, as part of a youth-led climate mobilization demanding city leaders take meaningful action on climate change.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Thousands of area youth climate activists and supporters marched through downtown Portland, May 20, 2022, as part of a youth-led climate mobilization demanding city leaders take meaningful action on climate change.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Oregon state representative Maxine Dexter, left, and Multnomah County Commissioner Sharon Meiran, raise their hands to signify they have signed a pledge to support mobilizing against climate change during a rally led by youth climate activists in Portland, May 20, 2022.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Thousands of area youth climate activists and supporters marched through downtown Portland, May 20, 2022, as part of a youth-led climate mobilization demanding city leaders take meaningful action on climate change.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Thousands of area youth climate activists and supporters marched through downtown Portland, May 20, 2022, as part of a youth-led climate mobilization demanding city leaders take meaningful action on climate change.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Thousands of area youth climate activists and supporters marched through downtown Portland, May 20, 2022, as part of a youth-led climate mobilization demanding city leaders take meaningful action on climate change.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Laura Nash of Portland, a volunteer with 350PDX, joined thousands of area youth climate activists and supporters as part of a youth-led climate mobilization demanding city leaders take meaningful action on climate change, May 20, 2022.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Thousands of area youth climate activists and supporters marched through downtown Portland, May 20, 2022, as part of a youth-led climate mobilization demanding city leaders take meaningful action on climate change.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Thousands of area youth climate activists and supporters marched through downtown Portland, May 20, 2022, as part of a youth-led climate mobilization demanding city leaders take meaningful action on climate change.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Thousands of area youth climate activists and supporters marched through downtown Portland, May 20, 2022, as part of a youth-led climate mobilization demanding city leaders take meaningful action on climate change.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB