A Generation Is Learning How to Strike

Isra Hirsi

The US Youth Climate Strike is building a culture of resistance among young people that hasn’t been seen in this country in decades. Isra Hirsi — the daughter of Ilhan Omar — is at the center of it.

Students Walk Out Of School As Part Of Worldwide Youth Climate Strike

Students carry signs as they march during the Youth Climate Strike on March 15, 2019 in San Francisco, California. Justin Sullivan / Getty


Inspired by Greta Thunberg, the Swedish sixteen-year-old activist, young people worldwide have been going on strike from school each Friday to call attention to the climate crisis and demand that their governments take action. In the United States, the movement was slower to grow, but this spring it has attracted widespread participation. Isra Hirsi is a co-founder of US Youth Climate Strike — and, incidentally, Rep. Ilhan Omar’s daughter. She spoke with Jacobin’s Liza Featherstone about the strikes, her famous mom, and the obstacles to organizing young people in a country as punitive as the US.


Liza Featherstone

What were the major highlights of the May 3 youth climate strike? What stood out about it?

Isra Hirsi

I thought it was powerful. In Minnesota, we didn’t have any elected officials slotted to speak. And then we were there at the Capitol and a whole bunch came that were authoring green-friendly bills: renewable energy, and the Minnesota Green New Deal. And they came to show up and speak or at least support. And I thought that was really cool.

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