GEORGE Square was filled with the sound of hundreds of furious young voices as pupils walked out of class to join climate change protests.

Demanding 'Climate justice now', around 250 young people and their adult supporters called on Glasgow City Council to declare a state of climate emergency.

A strong contingent from Glasgow Gaelic School joined the protest in the civic hub with various ages represented.

According to sixth year pupils present at the event yesterday morning, the whole year group had either attended the protest or stayed off school in solidarity.

And younger pupils were also present. Tomas Dimbleby Weber, 11, said he had attended George Square after being inspired by Greta Thunberg, a Swedish teenager who protested last summer and sparked the idea for global 'strikes' by school pupils.

Tomas said: "People don't really take climate change seriously, they don't think it's an important issue when it should be a front page issue.

"[Greta] was really brave and strong and so that is where I have got my strength and courage from to leave school and come out today.

"I don't think I'll get into trouble at school. I'm sure my head teacher will understand why this is so important."

UK Youth Strike 4 Climate called for a UK-wide call to action involving 38 towns and cities.

Climate change group Extinction Rebellion helped organise the George Square protest, which was well attended by youngsters waving handmade placards and signs and speaking of their desire for change.

Megan Rose, 20, a student at Strathclyde University, is a member of Extinction Rebellion and organiser of yesterday's Glasgow event.

She said she was pleased with the numbers who had turned out to protest and said that, while Glasgow City Council is making positive decisions to tackle climate change, they are not moving fast enough.

Mum-of-four Angela Rowe brought her daughter Carys, nine, to the protest.

She said: "Carys is really engaged with the issues and knows a lot about the environment.

"It is just so obvious that we are living on a dying planet and we can feel the dying, we are all dying alongside the earth and not realising it.

"If the protests grow then next time I would bring my four children."

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, praised the strikes on Twitter, reading: "It's a cause for optimism, in an often dark world, that young people are taking a stand on climate change."

While she said the Scottish Government was a "world leader" in acting against climate change, the urgency of the issue meant "it is right that we are all challenged to do more and that we hear the voice of the next generation".

Scottish Green Party education spokesman Ross Greer, who was in George Square, urged education bosses to back pupils rather than punish them.

Mr Greer said: "I commend every young person in Scotland and across the world who is joining this growing movement and speaking out against this existential threat to their future."

He stressed the Curriculum for Excellence system in Scottish schools "is based on the idea that we support our young people to become responsible citizens".

Mr Greer added: "Every school student who takes action against the climate crisis on Friday is doing exactly that.

"They should know that they will not be punished for defending their own future.

"They have the Scottish Greens' support and I hope they will have the support of their teachers and education authorities."

A spokeswoman for Glasgow City Council repeated a message from earlier this week that if young people were not in school then they would be marked as truanting.