Young people across Tayside and Fife took to the streets on Friday to call on world leaders to take instant action on climate change.
Pupils in Perth, Dundee and St Andrews took part in global strike action, inspired by climate activist Greta Thunberg.
Scottish Youth Climate Strike (SYCY) representatives from Kinross High School orchestrated a placard and banner-wielding crowd in Perth calling for a stop to fossil fuel extraction.
Fifteen-year-old Aisla Marama, from Glenfarg, has been among the Kinross pupils travelling to Holyrood around twice a month since March to participate in strikes.
She said: “We want to see more funding towards better public transport and to make dealing with the climate emergency a priority in education and politics because it is a life or death situation.”
Perth and Kinross Council say attendance procedures for children and young people apply during term time and is a parental responsibility.
In Fife, a large group of youths from Bell Baxter High in Cupar joined activists to march through St Andrews to the West Sands.
Protesters chanted “the oceans are rising and so are we” as they marched through the streets of the town.
Organiser Lea Weimam, from environmental conservation organisation Climate Action St Andrews, said she was particularly pleased to see so many young people involved.
“It’s such an important issue and people need to have their voices heard,” she said.
Unlike in Dundee, pupils taking part will not have their absence recorded as unauthorised.
Fife Council’s head of education and children’s services, Shelagh Mclean, said decisions about taking time out of school lay with families.
“Parents may want to discuss related aspects of this issue with their child’s school,” she said.
“On an individual basis, we would respect decisions made by young people and, of course, their parents and carers.”
In defiance of the Dundee council’s stance, youths took to City Square with banners urging change, despite being told it will be classed as an unauthorised absence.
To wrap up the day’s strike, the campaigners – with members of the Extinction Rebellion (ER) Dundee – took to the Overgate Centre for a “die in”.
A small group lay on the floor, partly blocking the walkway on Black Friday, one of the busiest shopping days of the year.
Stuart Bretherton, of ER Dundee, said: “We don’t want people to think they are wrong for shopping, but we want to encourage people to think about the climate crisis.
“It’s good to see so many pupils take the day off even if it isn’t authorised.”
A Dundee City Council spokesman said: “Any absence from school for subsequent climate protests during school session 2019/20 will be treated by the school as unauthorised, even when parental permission is given.”
Further rallies were taking places in cities including Sydney, Washington, London, Berlin and Madrid.
Swedish teenage activist Greta Thunberg, who is travelling across the Atlantic by sailboat to attend the climate talks next week, sent a message of support to protesters.
“Everyone’s needed. Everyone’s welcome. Join us,” she said on Twitter.
