Thousands of school children and adults across Britain have taken to the streets calling for climate change to be declared an emergency.
The national protest, called 'Youth Strike 4 Climate', is being led by a coalition of campaigners, and has led to many pupils missing lessons.
More than 30 towns and cities across the country, including Norwich and Cambridge, are taking part in the protest.
Hundreds of pupils, parents and other adults gathered at 9.30am today (February 15) outside Shire Hall, the home of Cambridgeshire's county council.
The ages of the children ranged from as low as four years old up to sixth-form students.
The crowd gathered by the entrance of the building, chanting ‘Hey ho, fossil fuels have got to go’.
Placards could be seen saying ‘Rebel for Life’, ‘Take back control of our future’, ‘We have no planet B’, and ‘Bankers bailed out by government, where’s our action climate change?’.
Numerous parents had come to march with their children.
Ros Hathorn, from Impington, Cambs., was at the march with daughter Poppy, eight, and son Felix, also eight.
She said: "Climate change is the most important issue that's going to affect their lives and we're really doing nowhere near what we need to be doing about it.
"I've never taken my kids out of school for anything before but this is more important than anything they could learn.
"I've almost stopped worrying about their education because I just think this is more important.
"I just don't know what the world's going to be like in 10 or 20 year's time."
Julian Gold, 54, was marching with his two daughters Alex, 13, and Sienna, aged 15.
He said: "My children are growing up in a world where the very obvious effects of climate change are there to see and it sickens me that nothing is being done.
"I'm here to support my kids to shout at the establishment because that's the only voice they have."
Mr Gold said his daughter's school had an inset day - a training day for teachers.
He added: "But it's meant to be a protest. It's the only voice they have. More important than anything else, it's the only way for them to cause some pain.
"A demonstration is not a demonstration if it doesn't cause some pain.
"But it's infinitesimal compared to the pain climate change is going to cause the planet."
Just before 10am, the protesters - now several hundred strong - left Shire Hall and marched towards the Guild Hall in the centre of Cambridge.
Police held up traffic as they streamed down towards the city centre, while a few students could be heard shouting 'We're skiving'.
Mother Kath McDonald, 46, was walking with her daughter Rowan McDonald, aged 14.
She said: "I brought my daughter. This was important 30 years ago when I was her age.
"I wanted to do something then, so I thought I would encourage her. I'm actually surprised at how many people are here."
Rowan, who attends Witchford Village College near Ely, Cambs., said: "I support the cause. I think everything needs to change."
Asked if she was missing school to attend the march, she said: "We've got a training day."
Kath added: "I would have encouraged her to come anyway, even if the school wasn't doing a training day."
As the line of protesters moved through the city towards the Guild Hall, they chanted 'Climate change is not a lie, please don't let our planet die'.
Once the marchers were gathered outside the city council's building, students began giving speeches to the crowd.
One girl, who looked around 12 years old, said: "We all know Santa Claus doesn't exist but he's getting more attention than climate change."
At one point, chants of 'Oh Jeremy Corbyn' broke out from the crowd.
George Venning, 16, said he was missing his A-level physics, maths, psychology and computing classes to attend the event.
The student at Saffron Walden County High School, Essex said: "It's important to recognise the fact that climate change is a cause worth fighting for.
"There are people who want to deny it exists and to disregard the evidence, which is simply wrong."
He added: "I don't have my school's permission to be here. It's a strike.
"The school have said no, but this is something that's affecting our entire planet.
"What our stance is and what we do now is going to have a much longer term effect than one day of education on the last day of term."
A day out in Cambridge
Several people at the protest were holding signs showing the logo of the Extinction Rebellion movement, a climate change campaign group that has hit the headlines recently for its direct action in London.
Jenny Langley, 63, was wearing the group's emblem and an apron with the slogan 'For my children's children's children's children's children's children's children', which she said was taken from American Indian philosophy.
She said: "This has been organised by the children. I have come in solidarity with them.
"Yes, missing school is important but missing most of their lives is important because we're facing extinction.
"We're going to have wars. We're going to have famine."
The protester, from Cambridge, added: "We're talking about insect life being dead by the end of the century. This is survival.
"What's the point in being educated if you're not going to be alive? I think it's great they're being active and standing up for their futures."
Her husband Derek Langley, who also said he was a member of Extinction Rebellion, said: "It's about priorities."
The 63-year-old said he had been arrested in November for "direct actions" in London undertaken with the group.
He added: "It's the thing I've done that I'm most proud of."
Writing about the protests, Jeremy Corbyn tweeted: "Climate change is the greatest threat that we all face but it is the school kids of today whose futures are most on the line.
"They are right to feel let down by the generation before them and it’s inspiring to see them making their voice heard today. #SchoolStrike4Climate."
However, Downing Street has criticised school children taking part in today’s climate change strike.
It said that while it was important for young people to engage with issues like climate change, the disruption to planned lesson time was damaging for pupils.
A No 10 spokeswoman said: “Everybody wants young people to be engaged in the issues that affect them most so that we can build a brighter future for all of us.
“But it is important to emphasise that disruption increases teachers’ workloads and wastes lesson time that teachers have carefully prepared for.
“That time is crucial for young people, precisely so that they can develop into the top scientists, engineers and advocates we need to help tackle this problem.”
