Extinction Rebellion NYC Declares, “OUR PLANET IS ON FIRE,” Decrying Political Inaction on Climate Change Leading to West Coast Wildfires
Climate activists marched through Lower Manhattan Sunday, occasionally obstructing traffic, to call for an immediate and dramatic response to the climate emergency.
“Climate change is genocide!” So said members of Extinction Rebellion NYC, with their co-host 350 NYC as well as allies from other groups such as the Sunrise Movement, as they marched yesterday throughout Lower Manhattan to condemn the political inaction that has doomed the U.S. west coast to a season of unprecedented and devastating wildfires. The marchers chose the downtown area because that is the part of the city most vulnerable to rising sea levels, an inevitable result of climate change.
“Fires, floods, hurricanes, droughts / Scientists know what this is about / Climate crisis, climate crisis!” the crowd chanted. Beginning at Battery Park, over a hundred activists – an impressive number, given the current pandemic – marched north through the financial district, then through the Chinatown area and into the West Village, ending at Union Square Park, while carrying an enormous banner containing the words “OUR HOUSE IS ON FIRE” and Extinction Rebellion’s distinctive hourglass logo. The group declared solidarity not only with the people of the west coast, but with those in other countries experiencing out-of-control fires, such as Brazil, Greece, Bulgaria and Indonesia, as well as other disasters caused by climate chaos.
The protesters halted at various places along the route, including outside City Hall, to momentarily obstruct traffic, as speaker after speaker condemned politicians who fail to act, thus putting profits over the lives of people, plants and animals. The speakers pointed out that the climate emergency – like the pandemic and police violence – unfairly targets people of color and the Indigenous. The event was thus consistent with the theme of Extinction Rebellion NYC’s current September Rebellion: We Want to Live!
“We’re here in front of City Council to get our local government’s attention,” said Sophie Shepherd of Extinction Rebellion, as she stood outside City Hall yesterday. “We are running out of time. California, Oregon and Washington are on f_____ fire! It’s raining ash. The air is toxic. I read that in some places, you can hear the trees exploding… and this isn’t even the peak of wildfire season. We declare a state of emergency, and a need for climate and ecological justice now!”
For video of yesterday’s action, click here. For photos of the action, click here. For additional details about the September Rebellion, see the website here.
About Extinction Rebellion
Extinction Rebellion believes it is a citizen’s duty to rebel, using peaceful civil disobedience, when faced with criminal inactivity by their Government.
Extinction Rebellion’s key demands are:
1. Government must tell the truth by declaring a climate and ecological emergency, working with other institutions to communicate the urgency for change.
2. Government must act now to halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025.
3. Government must create and be led by the decisions of a Citizens’ Assembly on climate and ecological justice.
4. Government must commit to a just transition in order to maintain a livable, just planet for all.