Extinction Rebellion NYC Declares, “City Hall, What’s the Plan?”

Photo credit: Nikki Dodd

“We Demand a Future,” activists cry, while chaining themselves to City Hall gates.

Yesterday, Extinction Rebellion NYC defended the youth, whom inaction on climate change has imperiled. The organization called out the political establishment and sharply criticized local politicians, including Mayor de Blasio and the City Council, for failing to take adequate action.

At City Hall, at about 4:00 P.M., members of the movement chained themselves to both the east and west gates while, at the east gate, other members sat on the ground and locked arms in a protective semicircle around a young girl carrying a globe. The symbolism was clear: community members coming together to demand a livable future.The globe stood for the planet, endangered by human-caused global warming and the girl represented the young people who would bear the consequences of this worldwide catastrophe if politicians continued to stall..

The group pointed out that resolution 864, declaring a climate emergency and the need for immediate mobilization, was passed by the city council over a year ago. Yet no coherent plan for dealing with the emergency has been forthcoming, either from the mayor or the Office of Emergency Management.

“It’s almost as if our politicians believe that declaring the emergency solves the problem,” said Jack Baldwin, a spokesperson for the group. “We’re here to remind them that their decision to pass the resolution was the beginning, not the end, of a long process to make this city a model of sustainability. And we want them to know that, although the number of people gathered together outside City Hall to lock arms, chant and sing is small, we represent many people who are watching them and will not be satisfied with inaction or excuses.”

At the end of the action, the people chained to the east and west gates were forcibly removed by the police and arrested, to the cheers and shouts of gratitude of the group. 

The action marked the culmination of Extinction Rebellion NYC’s September Rebellion, a month of events and actions intended to compel government to change the systems at the root of climate breakdown, COVID-19 and racial injustice and return decision-making power to communities. While the September rebellion has come to a close, Extinction Rebellion will continue with further actions until its four demands are met.  

For photos of the action, click here.
For additional details about the September Rebellion, see the website here.
View our demands here.