I was at Greta’s speech in Bristol – she’s inspiring me and a generation of young climate activists

‘Activism works, so I’m telling you to act’ – these words from the Swedish teenager will stay with me and 30,000 other young people forever, writes Rachel Trippier

The crowd roared for her to come on to the stage, then fell pin-drop silent when she started to speak (Reuters)

Greta Thunberg’s name always prompts mixed reactions. For some, she is a hero; for others, a kid who should go back to school. As a climate-conscious teenager involved in my own school strike movement, I’m firmly in the first category.

I’ve been part of the Youth Strike movement – coordinated by the UK Student Climate Network and separate from Extinction Rebellion – for just under a year: it was Greta who inspired me.

Greta knew that she could make a change as an individual, and I found this incredibly motivating. Before she rightly gained recognition, Greta would strike weekly from school.