A secure future - rather than a day off school - motivated dozens of Shoalhaven students to take part in the global school climate strike.
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Many of them said they had not previously taken part in politics or protests, but felt the lack of action on climate change from the Australian Goverment compelled them to act.
Student Gemma Thomson said the day of the week the rally was held on made no difference to her desire to be there.
"(The government) is not doing anything, and we want to grab their attention," she said.
"It's our future, and if no one does anything about it, there's going to be no future. If people don't listen, what's going to happen?"
Mother Allison Cooper said she respected her son Ryan's decision to take part in the strike.
"I didn't force him to be here today, I gave him a choice and he decided to be here today," she said.
"It's his future. I won't be here in 50 years time, he will be here much longer than I will."
Swedish teen activist Greta Thunberg,16, sparked the movement.
Thunberg has been staging a Friday strike since last year, boycotting 42 days of classes since she began.