This Friday, Sept. 20, a worldwide climate strike will be held in over 150 countries. The strike, led by climate activist Greta Thunberg, comes right three days before the UN Climate Summit in New York. Participants in the strike, specifically students & young people, will strike from sunrise to sunset, according to the Global Climate Strike website.

“On Friday, as the sun rises on the Pacific Ocean, the Global Climate Strike will begin,” the website said. “With so many actions happening, to cover them all would take writing a book.”

Thunberg, the leader of this and many other strikes, became an increasingly influential figure in the fight against climate change at the age of 15. In an interview with Teen Vogue, Thunberg said this strike is a chance for world leaders to follow through on their previous statements that young people are heard in world politics.

“We young people are building this up,” Thunberg said. “They always say they have listened to us, so this is a chance for them to prove it.”

There will definitely be opportunities for students to participate in Friday’s strike. Portland will host a strike beginning at the Portland city hall and ending at OMSI from 10:30-3:50. As for West Linn, a separate strike for students will be held, organized by Nikki Rudnick, senior. According to the Instagram profile created for the event, @west_linn_climate_strike, the strike will include students gathering outside of the school, walking to West Linn City Hall, and assembling to listen to speeches & presentations from students and other community members. 

“Countless young people across the world have walked out of their classes over the past year to demand real climate action,” the Instagram post read. “On Sept 20, we’re joining them in the streets as a part of a global Climate Strike.”

In the past year, there has been an increase in activism among young people across the country. West Linn alone has seen walkouts over gun control, climate change, and the health board curriculum standards. Thunberg says that if students should choose to participate in any type of activism, Friday’s strike should be the one they choose.

“If you can’t be in the strike, then, of course, you don’t have to,” Thunberg said. “But I think if there is one day you should join, this is the day.”