A large crowd of mostly high school students marched and gathered in downtown Eugene Friday to protest fossil fuels and their role in global warming.
“No more coal, no more oil, keep your carbon in the soil!” the demonstrators chanted. Many carried signs calling on officials to stop development of pipelines and other technology that use fossil fuels.
The students had walked out of school earlier during their lunch period, then made their way to the Wayne Morse Free Speech Plaza after stopping briefly at the Eugene Chamber of Commerce and Funk/Levis marketing firm. Both organizations supported NW Natural’s efforts to successfully petition against the City of Eugene’s ban on natural gas in new construction.
At the rallying site, speakers demanded that President Joe Biden and Governor Tina Kotek declare climate emergencies on the national and state level, while calling on the Eugene City Council to continue policies that aim to cut fossil fuel usage by at least 50% by 2030.
Eloise Parish Mueller is with Sunrise Eugene, one of the groups behind the event. She told KLCC that despite the city reversing its ban on natural gas after local opposition -and a recent California appeals court ruling - youth are still pressing for it.
“I know that the gas ban has gotten some bad press and people feeling it’s a negative thing or something being taken away, but actually this is a really positive opportunity to have more affordable, healthier, and better for the climate energy in our buildings,” she said.
Other involved groups with today’s walkout include the 4J Climate Justice Team, Fossil Free Eugene, and the Sierra Club.
There were similar events planned in Florence, Bend, Salem, and Portland on Friday.
