With signs and chants calling attention to climate change concerns, dozens of students at La Jolla High School walked out of class Sept. 15 in protest.

The strike was organized by LJHS junior Emma Weibel, co-president of the school’s LJ Environmental Action Club.

“We are joining the whole nation in striking for climate action,” Emma said, noting she planned the event as part of the Global Day of Climate Action.

Several other San Diego Unified School District campuses, along with other schools across San Diego County, were also scheduled to participate.

About 75 LJHS students left their sixth-period classrooms, walking to the corner of Fay Avenue and Nautilus Street to garner attention.

Chanting lines like “Climate change is not a lie; do not let our planet die,” the students cheered when cars passing by honked in solidarity.

LJHS junior Elena Grilli participated in the protest to “bring attention to climate action and we want students to feel empowered to use their voices,” she said.

“I hope that we will get more students [to] know they can take action to address climate change and that their voices will be heard,” she added.

“We are doing this because people have ignored the climate crisis for far too long,” Emma said.

“If society and the status quo won’t work to fix it, then we have to rumble it up a bit.”

Emma Weibel, Junior at LJHS

Wanting to “teach students that they have a voice,” Emma added “the empowerment that comes from events like these is something not even a teacher in a classroom can teach.”

LJHS Principal Chuck Podhorsky told lajolla.ca “we respect and support the right of our students to advocate for causes that are important to them and welcome the opportunity to … discuss appropriate and creative ways to do so while at school.”

Two days before the strike, Podhorsky emailed the school community the same message.

Podhorsky also encouraged families to speak with their children about their thoughts on climate action issues and the importance of expressing themselves in appropriate ways at school.