Hundreds of LA students march for action on climate change

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Hundreds of students took to the streets in downtown Los Angeles Friday, joining thousands around the globe to ask world leaders for action on climate change.

A group of Santa Monica High School students hoping to make a small difference got a surprising and warm welcome when they arrived to City Hall.

Noa Goldsmith and Sarah Ogata of EcoPac with Santa Monica High School helped organize 60 of their peers.

"We anticipated it to be us and probably six other people," Goldsmith said.

Hundreds strong, students in downtown L.A. joined thousands around the world to ask for action.

Students from Manzanita School and Institute in Topanga, Luke and Stella, also joined the march.

"I know that we have, like, all the materials to stop it, and we have the knowledge to stop it and do what is right and change all of that, but we just don't do it," Luke said.

"We need to change. We need to stop this and we need to do it now," Stella said.

Drivers supported demonstrators, cheering them on with honking as the group rallied to the L.A. Department of Water and Power, then back to City Hall to send a loud message to governments around the world.

"I think it's sad that we have to make this a political issue and that in the government, this has become a political football. I think that this should not be at all political. This is science and this is something that needs to be done," Ogata said.

Students said they supported the Green New Deal, which calls for the U.S. economy to depend solely on renewable energy by 2030. These young future voters said they will be closely watching the 2020 election candidates to see who backed this initiative.