Thousands of students walk out of the classroom protesting government's policy on climate change

Thousands of students have walked out of the classroom in Melbourne today, demanding politicians take swifter action to combat climate change and halt the controversial Adani coal mine.

Adani, which yesterday announced it had secured finance for its Queensland project, was the obvious target for many of the protestrs outside the Victorian parliament.

Protests have been held in every capital city and many regional centres around the country, with around 1,000 converging on Martin Place in Sydney.

Protest organiser, Harriet O’Shea Carre, 14, told 9News.com.au it was “amazing” how many students had joined the action on the steps of Spring Street.

Ms O’Shea, a year eight student from Castlemaine Steiner School, north-west of Melbourne, voiced her concerns “for the future,” demanding “immediate action on climate change by the government.”    

“It’s our futures and we want to continue living on this planet and we want to have children who can continue living on this planet,” she said.

Greens MP for Melbourne, Adam Bandt, told 9News.com.au he was “so proud of the students who have come out today,” attributing their engagement on climate issues to what they had learnt in school.

Bandt said that children didn’t want to see events like the current bushfires in Queensland becoming a “normal part of their lives.”