LEETON students are being encouraged to abandon their studies this week to demand action be taken on climate change.
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Young residents Zac Hanlon and Maria Tynan are organising a rally to be held on Friday as part of an international day of action being undertaken by school students from across the globe.
The mass day of action will take place on Friday. September 20, three days before the United Nations climate summit in New York.
In Leeton, the plan is for students to strike from school for two hours from 9am to 11am and attend a peaceful rally in Mountford Park.
"It's known as the School Strike for Climate," Maria said.
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"The goal of this is to try and mostly to just raise awareness in our community here in Leeton.
"We want people to know about climate change in the hope we can all do something about it.
"It's also to try and get people to push the government into acting on climate change.
"So, that means doing things like moving away from fossil fuels to 100 per cent renewables."
Students from all over the world will be participating in the strike action and it follows a similar event that was held in March this year.
The event in Leeton is primarily aimed at high school students, with both Maria and Mr Hanlon reiterating it will be a peaceful event.
The idea will be for the students to meet in Mountford Park from 9am to 11am, listen to the speakers and discuss the issue.
Maria has invited both Member for Farrer Sussan Ley and Member for Murray Helen Dalton to participate.
She said she had also contacted Leeton shire mayor Paul Maytom.
"Unfortunately the mayor already has other appointments on that day, but I believe he was thinking of writing us a letter of support to show he is behind what we are doing," Maria said.
"Anyone can come along, it's not just for students. Anyone that is interested."
Mr Hanlon has been assisting Maria prepare for the strike as climate change and having more action taken is something he has previously spoken out about in the past.
"I've just been doing my best to support them ... it helps having more people behind the cause," he said.
"It's a pretty gutsy thing they are doing. We know there will be people who will be opposed to it, but I guess this is what democracy is all about."
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