Australia bushfires: Protesters wear 'sack ScoMo' shirts in marches for climate justice

Thousands of protesters have banded together across Australia to oppose Prime Minister Scott Morrison's lack of action on climate change.

The protests, which took place on Friday in Sydney and Melbourne, revealed the anger and frustration felt against Australia's government. 

"We're outraged about our government's criminal negligence about the bushfire crisis, exacerbated by climate change," said protest organisers Uni Students for Climate Justice.

New South Wales Police told CNN more than 30,000 people attended Sydney's protest.

Many demonstrators wore "sack ScoMo" shirts referring to Scott Morrison while chanting "ScoMo has got to go".

Others held up signs asking "what is it going to take?"

Climate justice protesters not only stood against the Australian government's lack of action on climate change but also its decision to allow coal mining company Adani to create new thermal coal mines. 

"They (the government) are backing the expansion of the fossil fuel industry at a time when we desperately need to move to renewable energy. They have been criminalising climate protests for the past year with anti-protest laws," the organisers posted to Facebook.

"It's state and federal governments around the country who have defunded fire-fighting services, funnelled wealth into fossil fuel subsidies and left rural health services deprived," they continued. 

The protest demanded the government meet five requirements; funding for firefighters, relief and aid for affected communities, land and water sovereignty for indigenous communities, immediate transition toward renewable energy, and a "just transition" for workers in the fossil fuel industry.

And the Australian bushfires have only exacerbated the public's outrage.

"I think that the government has been absolutely despicable and its lack of empathy and doing absolutely nothing for the bushfires and in its climate change policy, or lack thereof, the fact that we're at the bottom of the list of Western countries in dealing with climate change is ridiculous considering how affluent we are as a country," said one protester. 

Another person said: "It's not like we can say it's going to get better. There is no moisture in the ground, it's going to get a lot worse. And more people will die and more homes will be lost, what is it going to take?"

One protester was sick of the government entirely. 

"Generally get rid of the government that is denying everything, everything. They just only react when they have to. 

"Every decision is a political decision, it's never about the people basically. That's why I turned up."

As Australia's bushfires continue to burn and devastate the country, Morrison has been widely criticised for his response to the bushfires. 

On Thursday he outraged Kangaroo Island locals after incorrectly telling them he was thankful no one died, although two people died in the fires. 

"Thankfully, we've had no loss of life," he told a group of locals.

"Two," one person corrected the Australian Prime Minister. "We've had two."

The mass of individuals protesting against the Australian government may reflect the feelings of frustration felt by many.