Greta Thunberg makes her last school strike for the climate at the end of high school

The Swedish activist Greta Thunberg has announced this Friday that today has been her last "school strike for the climate", given that she has just graduated from high school. The young woman, 20, has published on her account on the social network Twitter a photo in which she poses with other young people wearing the traditional hat that Scandinavians receive at the end of high school. "School strike, week 251. Today I graduated, which means I will no longer be able to strike school for climate. This is the last school strike for me," he said.

School strike week 251. Today, I graduate from school, which means I'll no longer be able to school strike for the climate. This is then the last school strike for me, so I guess I have to write something on this day.
Thread🧵 pic.twitter.com/KX8hHFDyNG

— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) June 9, 2023

Thunberg has assured that she will continue to attend these protests, but has clarified: "It can no longer be called a school strike. We simply have no choice but to do everything we can. The fight has only just begun."

In September 2018 and with only 15 years, the ecologist began a weekly protest in front of the Swedish Parliament to demand firm action against climate change. The then-teenager decided to sit in front of the institution, with a handmade banner that read: "School strike for climate." Meanwhile, her father, Svante, watched her from afar. The initiative spread like wildfire through social networks while growing its fame. In just over a year, he managed to gather four million people in the largest climate protest in history, on September 20, 2019. This strike was then followed by people around the world and gave rise to the global Fridays for Future movement.

The initiative moved to COP26, held in the Scottish city of Glasgow, where the Swede denounced the immobility of politicians with a resounding phrase: "The climate summit has become a two-week festival to wash your conscience, where everything remains the same and everything is blah, blah, blah." The next morning the Scottish capital woke up papered with posters that read: "Climate Action so far: Blah, Blah, Blah". Among the thousands of young people who joined this movement were representatives of indigenous peoples from the Amazon, Latin America, Asia and different African countries.

The activist has maintained for years a ban on air travel due to the enormous environmental impact generated by flights, moves by bicycle through her city, follows a vegan diet, and also does not buy new clothes, but second-hand. Thunberg champions these daily acts that are an example for many. The young woman confessed that she would never have imagined that her initiative would lead to anything and has denounced that the world continues to move in the "wrong" direction.

A global phenomenon

The Swede has become a global phenomenon with millions of followers on social networks, has been chosen as person of the year by Time magazine and nominated several times for the Nobel Peace Prize. In addition, he has managed to meet with all kinds of world figures – from Pope Francis to former US President Barack Obama – and give speeches at the UN and at major climate summits.

Leading the protests to mitigate the climate crisis has also earned her strong criticism from some immobilist sectors – especially the extreme right – who accuse her of seeking a setback for society. She has always remained steadfast: "It just shows how fragile some people are who don't want to be lectured, especially if a young woman does," Thunberg explained in an interview with this newspaper.

You can follow CLIMA Y MEDIO AMBIENTE on Facebook and Twitter, or sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter