Locked out of a Sept. 20 student demonstration demanding a faster response to climate change, like-minded adults nonetheless stayed near and soon those outside the fence at Port Townsend High School and those inside were chanting in unison.

It was part of a global week of student protests headlined by 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, who assailed inaction by the adult world. “‘You are failing us,” she told officials at the Sept. 23 United Nations Climate Action Summit in New York. After traveling there by sailboat, she unloaded on government leaders: “...young people are starting to understand your betrayal. The eyes of all future generations are upon you. And if you choose to fail us I say we will never forgive you.”

The Port Townsend action was organized by Students for Sustainability.

Before students congregated on the baseball field at the intersection of F and Fir streets, dozens of adults brandishing pasteboards and pickets arrived to cheer the students on, but were told by Port Townsend Police officers that only students would be allowed on the field.

Moreover, because police officers were concerned with safety issues stemming from the adult crowds spilling onto the road on Fir Street, the crowds had to pack themselves tightly onto the sidewalks lining the fences, with many of them literally cupping their ears as they struggled to hear what was being said.

Student activists gathered in a circle in the center of the field, encouraging responses ranging from more public transport to low-meat diets to reduce humanity’s net carbon footprint to as close to zero as possible.

Although Port Townsend Mayor Deborah Stinson was unable to attend, she sent a letter of support that was read aloud by the students, who in turn recognized the number of adults on the other side of the fence who were in attendance.

“It seems like the older folks don’t care about climate change, either because they don’t believe it or because they won’t be alive to see it happen,” one student said, provoking the adults to cry out, “We believe it!”

While representatives for the Students for Sustainability did not respond to requests for comment as of press time, PTHS Principal Carrie Ehrhardt explained how a representative of organizers had spoken with her earlier that week about their intentions to participate in the climate strike.

“Because PTHS does not sponsor or organize such actions, the students were responsible in determining how they would participate in a manner which would insure that they were not disruptive to the educational environment, while still expressing their voice,” Carrie Ehrhardt said. “Our school and school district strongly believes that students do not leave their civil rights at the door when entering our schools. Therefore, I fulfilled my duty as their principal to respond to their intent, by organizing my own available staff, with the assistance of our School Resource Officer Jeremy Vergin, to ensure the students had a safe environment on campus to hold their rally.”

Although organizers had expressed concerns about students getting in trouble for leaving class, Ehrhardt notified school staff of the students’ intent to gather, and even distributed special attendance sheets to teachers, so that students who left class at 10 a.m. could be tracked as leaving and then returning to class.

“The students had indicated that they intended to hold the rally for 30 minutes,” Ehrhardt said. “There was no penalty to students who chose to participate, as long as they returned to class at the conclusion of the rally.”

As for the students who did not participate, they remained in their classrooms, under the supervision of their teachers.

“While the school’s position is neutral on political issues, I’m very proud of our students for showing their maturity in how they organized, prepared, informed me of their plans, and conducted themselves in this student-led event,” Ehrhardt said.

“I did make the decision to have community move over behind the fence,” Ehrhardt said. “Our SRO, along with two other Port Townsend Police officers, assisted in escorting community members to the fence line, where they could observe the students.”

Ehrhardt thanked those members of the public for their patience and understanding when they were asked to move to the sidewalk, “so that students could take the center stage and hold their rally without adult influence.”