Thousands of Scottish students to be allowed to miss school to join climate protests

Four councils in cities across Scotland say they will allow an authorized absence so thousands of students can attend widespread climate change protests throughout the country, The Times reports.

Glasgow, Edinburgh, Highland and Fife councils issued statements saying students who choose to skip class Friday will be allowed the absence. Other councils said students who choose to participate will be marked truant. Some councils said they would permit the absence only on this one occasion and that students must provide a permission slip from their parents.

The planned protest is part of the international Fridays For Future movement started by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who has been striking from school weekly since last year to protest in front of Sweden’s parliament.{mosads}

The protest in Scotland on Friday includes students demonstrating outside Scotland’s parliament as well as Extinction Rebellion Edinburgh. Organizers of the event told The Times the demonstration will become a weekly event. 

In February, an estimated 10,000 students skipped school for a climate protest in the United Kingdom, with video footage of the march showing over a thousand people gathered in Parliament Square.

And in Belgium in January, 12,000 students joined climate protests inspired by Thunberg. 

Youth activists in recent days have more vocally called for action to address climate change. 

Last month, a group of young climate activists confronted California Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) asking for her to support the Green New Deal.