Many of the protesters who joined Wollongong's rally for climate action amid the bushfire crisis were angry, their feelings writ large across the home-made signs they carried to march through the city's streets on Saturday.
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Organisers estimated around 2000 people joined the rally, which was held - like others across the country this week - to demand action on climate change, funding for fire services and for Prime Minister Scott Morrison to be sacked.
"The country is burning and so is our anger", "Denial is not a policy" and "Our nation is on fire, sack the climate change denier" some of the more polite signs said.
Others used humour: "Don't be a fossil fool", "Make Australia cool again" and "Dinosaurs exist in our government".
But the most palpable emotions came from those who told personal stories through their placards.
For instance, 27-year-old Thirroul resident Sarah McKenzie's sign simply said: "My friend lost her house".
"I made this sign to show how personal this situation is. It feels really heartbreaking because it's so close to home and there's ripple effect of grief," she said. "I have a deep concern for the future, a sadness for the billion animals which have died and grave fears for the future of my nieces and nephews."
Concern for future generations was the reason many gave for their attendance, with babies, little kids, teenagers and university students packing out the crowd, along with parents, grandparents, unionists, firefighters and business owners.
For some, it was the fourth climate rally they'd attended since the School Strike in September, while for others it was the first time they'd been involved in protest action.
There with their kids, Sarah Marriott and Nicole Nicol, said they'd never been to a protest before.
"We feel a bit powerless, because of the current bushfire situation, you just feel a bit like a sitting duck and feel you want to do something to help change things," Ms Marriott said.
"We also want to show our kids, for their future, that it's ok to stand up if you're not happy with things or the way the government is doing things," Ms Nicol said.
Among the speakers was firefighter Darin Sullivan, who saved houses and lives in an Illawarra strike team during last Saturday's emergency in the Shoalhaven.
"For too long we've allow the wrong people to dominate this debate, we've allowed politicians to speak over science and we've allowed sceptics to speak over the rest of us, no more," he said. "The real heroes right now are all of you, everyone who had turned up today and everyone in the last week that's been at these rallies, all the kids that are here today are the real heroes ... as we stand here and demand change."