- [Crowd] Shut it down!
(crowd speaking drowns out speaker)
- [Crowd] Shut it down!
(crowd speaking drowns out speaker)
- [Crowd] Shut it down!
(intense violin music)
(lighthearted electronic music)
(intense violin music)
- [Sophie] Dad strike day! (laughs)
My name is Sophie Anderson,
and I am 16 years old.
- [Sophie] Revolution! - All right let's go.
- [Sophie] I live in Brooklyn,
and I am the national coordinator
of Extinction Rebellion Youth US.
(upbeat classical music)
- I'm Kiana Low.
I'm 17 years old.
Approximately half of my school,
around 200 kids,
we're gonna be leaving after third period.
I think that there's around
like 30,000 people that will show up.
So I'm very excited
to see what will come out of this.
- My name is Alessandro Dal Bon.
I'm 15 years old.
And I'm a high school student in New York.
Today I'm going to school,
then I'm gonna head down to Foley Square
where the march will begin.
- [Sophie] We in New York City
are gonna be marching
with Greta Thunberg and demand climate action.
I'm pretty overwhelmed.
But that's been kinda constant
over the last month.
To have this day
like finally be here
is so exciting.
All right we'll get a photo here.
- What do we want?
- Climate action!
- No, justice.
(laughs)
- [Sophie] I think the voice that we have as youth
is really distinctive.
It's really raw.
And it doesn't see through
a lot of the BS
that adults kinda get caught up in.
- [Alessandro] I'm happy about today
because I know I'm gonna get out there
I'm gonna be in the streets.
We're gonna be there,
we're gonna be striking
for what we believe in
and that we're gonna save our planet.
- [Kiana] You know, usually a lot of people think
that the individual can't make
a humongous difference.
But I actually think that you can.
It's always hard
to be the first person
to make that step.
Once you have an example it's inspiring
and it's easier to follow someone.
(melancholy music)
- If you want a future with blue skies,
if you want a future with a livable planet,
speak to the power.
Strike for our earth.
- [Alessandro] My family is actually
really happy with my activism
and with everything I'm doing.
Knowing that I have my parents' support
is really important for me.
They are learning about this
just the way I am.
- [Kiana] Yeah, yeah, it's crazy
and also all the Brooklyn schools are meeting up.
Growing up in this generation
people can kind of dismiss you.
Obviously, our country's extremely polarized right now.
And I think that,
especially on social media,
it's so hard to have a discussion.
But when you're face-to-face with someone
and you have those kinds of conversations
it's so much more productive.
(intense classical music) (crowd murmurs)
- We are at Foley Square
in Manhattan in New York City.
I'm gonna be one of the MC's here,
which means that I get to do first introductions.
Guys, there are people for miles
in every single direction.
Look what we have done!
(crowd cheers)
- It's pretty crazy
I mean look at all the people here.
(crowd talking drowns out speaker)
- Shut it down!
- I do think actions like these
force people to listen.
If there are so many people
involved in a movement
and so many people
who are striking for something they believe in
then the politicians and the billionaires
will be forced to listen.
- [Kiana] I'm just an average 17-year-old,
but there are thousands of other teenagers
just like me.
- [Sophie] I hope that this works.
The world is watching us
and we're using our voice
in a really powerful way.
- [Crowd] We are unstoppable
a better world is possible.
(intense violin music)