Hundreds rally in Bend, demand action on climate change

Hundreds of people turned out in downtown Bend Friday afternoon to join the worldwide demonstration and demand government action against climate change.

More than 800 protesters stood at the intersection of Wall Street and Newport Avenue with signs, gave speeches and shouted chants for change.

Some demands supporters have for the state of Oregon include moving to become a renewable state by 2025, implementing the cap and trade plan and making Oregon carbon-neutral by 2030.

One former high school teacher and local business owner said she joined Friday’s protest for the future of her grandchildren.

” I’m here to support all those young people who stand up and say, ‘It is our future, and you can not mess with it,’ ” Martina Muller said.

Earlier in the afternoon, students from Cascades Academy in Bend left school early with protest signs in the downtown Bend area. Students chanted, ” We want a future! Stop climate change! ”

NewsChannel 21 spoke with one student organizer.

” Climate change is going to affect our generation, ” said seventh-grader Lola Hollander. ” People keep saying it’s going to affect the next generation, but it is going to affect us. We don’t want to admit that, and we don’t realize that. ”

The United Nations will hold a climate change forum in New York next week to further the conversation on how to better help the environment.