Extinction Rebellion New York City to Join in Weeklong Global Rebellion for Climate and Environmental Justice
Media Advisory
For Immediate Release
October 4, 2019
Extinction Rebellion New York City to Join in Week-Long
Global Rebellion for Climate and Environmental Justice
Who: Extinction Rebellion New York City, a member of Extinction Rebellion, an international movement engaged in nonviolent direct action to force governments to respond to climate change and environmental degradation
What: A rally in Battery Park, followed by a nonviolent direct action and the launching of Rebel Fest in Washington Square Park, which will carry over through the following four days, with additional actions
When: Monday, October 7, 2019 at 9:30 a.m. through Friday, October 11, 2019
Where: Battery Park in Lower Manhattan (beginning); Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village
Summary: The Global Rebellion, which will begin on Monday morning, October 7th, seeks to demonstrate to government at all levels that business as usual cannot go on. Actions by Extinction Rebellion are expected to take place in over 60 cities around the world. Extinction Rebellion’s logo, consisting of an hourglass within a circle, symbolizes our awareness that time is running out. We simply don’t have time for denial or incrementalism, because the crisis is now! Even in countries that call themselves democracies, conventional demonstrations and rallies are often simply ignored by those in power. So we intend to create a worldwide disruption that can’t be ignored.
The vehicle through which we are seeking to effect change is nonviolent direct action, a tactic frequently employed during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. The goal is disruption of the basic functioning of the system on many levels in order to force governments to address a crisis. This method has been shown to be the most effective means to bring about major change. And like the Civil Rights Movement, Extinction Rebellion’s actions come from a place of deep love for humanity, as well as for all other species that share the earth with us.
“For decades, activists have done everything they could think of within the system to try to get lawmakers to enact the changes necessary to deal with the greatest crisis humanity has ever faced,” said Dan Petty, spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion NYC. “The result has been that greenhouse gases, instead of decreasing drastically, are actually increasing. Over the past year, Extinction Rebellion in the UK has demonstrated that nonviolent direct action works in getting government to negotiate. And in New York, Extinction Rebellion NYC’s earlier actions, with the efforts of other climate organizations, were instrumental in getting the city to declare a climate and ecological emergency.”
Numerous actions will take place during the week of October 7th, focusing on institutions whose decisions greatly impact the climate crisis. Among the themes of these actions will be finance, media, education and culture. Traversing the city during Rebellion Week will be a mobile boat that Extinction Rebellion has christened “Vaquita.” It is named for an almost extinct porpoise, native to the northern part of the Gulf of California. The fact that the boat has been given the name of an endangered but not yet extinct animal symbolizes our message: that humanity is in trouble as a species, but there is still hope. The boat will be decorated with, among other things, the flags of nations whose populations are endangered by rising seas and other effects of climate change.
Beginning at 2:00 PM on October 7th at Washington Square Park, Extinction Rebellion will launch Rebel Fest, which exemplifies the importance of what we call Regenerative Culture. This has been defined as a way of life that is “resilient and healthy and can propel us into a new future and a different society to the toxic one we live in at the moment.” At Rebel Fest, Extinction Rebellion and its supporters will create the community we want to have and the world we want to see. This will involve, among other things, nonviolent direct action training, art-making, yoga, meditation and a “climate café.” On Wednesday, because children particularly require regeneration, given the psychological stress engendered by the climate emergency, there will be numerous family-friendly events and activities.
The four demands of Extinction Rebellion are:
Tell the Truth – Government must tell the truth by declaring a climate and ecological emergency, working with other institutions to communicate the urgency for change.
Act Now – Government must act now to halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025.
Beyond Politics – Government must create and be led by the decisions of a Citizen’s Assembly on climate and ecological justice.
Just Transition – We demand a just transition that prioritizes the most vulnerable people and establishes legal rights for ecosystems to thrive and regenerate in perpetuity, in order to maintain a livable, just planet for all.
Please see the attached images and other materials.
https://www.xrebellion.nyc/global-rebellion
https://facebook.com/events/684704261957207
https://www.instagram.com/xr_nyc/
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