School walkouts spread to Cheltenham as children march through town centre
Pupils have descended on the Promenade
Conor GogartySenior Digital Reporter
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School walkouts protesting climate change have spread from Stroud to Cheltenham.
The Youth Strike 4 Climate event has seen pupils from Stroud High School, Marling High School and Archway School leave class today and march through Stroud town centre.
It is part of a UK campaign calling for more Government action on climate change.
Protesters in Cheltenham's Promenade
Now the event has seen a protest organised through social media to take place in Cheltenham town centre.
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Cassie Meakin-Tibenham, a 15-year-old pupil at Gloucester's Ribston Hall High School, is among those demonstrating in the Promenade.
She told Gloucestershire Live she will be marching with around 25 other schoolchildren from 12pm until 3pm.
Pupils protesting in Cheltenham, including Cassie Meakin-Tibenham, centre
Cassie has a placard - made from recycled cardboard - with a picture of the earth next to the word 'fragile'.
She is the only protester in Cheltenham from Ribston Hall High School, and believes the others are from schools across the spa town.
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Asked what inspired her to join the campaign, she said: "Climate change is not as much of a priority as it needs to be.
"Too much time is being spend on other issues when really this issue overrides all others."
Cassie wants the Government to take more action to make the UK carbon-neutral and would like to see more schemes like the charges for plastic bags.
You can follow the latest updates on this protest and the one in Stroud through this live blog, which also explains more of the background to the events.