“It Made Me So Angry”: The 13-Year-Old Climate Activist Told To Move On By Cops Speaks Out
"It was a peaceful protest," Izzy said of the clip. "And it just made me so angry and frustrated that the police would come in and shut it down in that way."
Last week, during protests against Scott Morrison and his inaction on climate change, a 13-year-old climate activist named Izzy was given the move-on orders by a police officer.
Though she was visibly upset by the interaction, Izzy stood strong, staring the officer right in the face and holding her protest sign aloft.
Quickly, Izzy’s bravery in the face of an impassive tool of the state went viral. A video of the interaction spread across social media, where it was shared thousands of times, along with messages of solidarity for Izzy and her climate change activism.
when I was ~this age I remember my dad telling me you can be scared and brave at the same time & this girl taking deep breaths through tears to throw a cops gaze right back at him is my fuuuucking hero https://t.co/EHdkJRJpLr
— Eleanor Gordon-Smith (@TheRealEGS) December 19, 2019
Now, the young climate hero has appeared on the Today show to explain her actions, and to outline the future of her cause.
And guess what? She’s still angry.
“It was a peaceful protest,” Izzy said of the reasons for her reaction in the viral clip. “And it just made me so angry and frustrated that the police would come in and shut it down in that way. It was just really intimidating. It made us feel powerless.
“Some of us compiled, but some of us did get arrested.”
From there, Izzy was asked about the response to the footage ever since it went viral.
“It’s been overwhelming,” the climate activist said. “The support from all across the globe. It’s just been really motivational and made me feel that I’m not alone.”
That feeling of being part of a powerful group has marked Izzy’s climate journey from the very outset. On Today, she noted that she first became part of the cause after attending the School Strike for Climate Protest in the Sydney CBD earlier this year, and that the movement has given her hope and connection.
“There were lots of very motivational speakers, and the language they used made me feel like we were all part of a team, like we were all doing this together.”
Finally, Izzy responded to claims that she had been “pushed” into climate activism.
“I’ve actually pushed my dad into taking me up to Kirribilli House,” Izzy said. “He’d probably want to go surfing.”
What a queen.
Watch the entire interview here: