Thirteen arrested in Extinction Rebellion protests in New York City
April 16, 2022
Contact: xrnyc_press@unitedrebellion.com
Thirteen arrested in Extinction Rebellion protests in New York City
New York, NY – Hundreds took part in Extinction Rebellion's "We Will Not Be Bystanders" climate action on April 16, thirteen of whom were arrested blocking a road near Madison Square Park.
Rebels marched from Washington Square Park uptown to 23rd St and 5th Ave, where a rally and speeches took place highlighting the failures of the government to adequately address the climate crisis.
Joshua Nolan, a metal worker said, "We're calling on governments to do their jobs! When governments continue to approve new fossil fuel projects while the world literally burns, they are putting all our lives in jeopardy. You wouldn’t ignore a hit and run, and we can’t ignore this."
President Joe Biden announced yesterday that the sale of leases for fossil fuel drilling in the United States will resume. This is in direct contradiction to his campaign promise to stop new drilling on federal lands.
Extinction Rebellion organizer, Presleigh Hayashida said, "We're here to tell those in power that we refuse to stand idly by as they fail to act on the greatest threat our species has ever faced. We refuse to be a bystander as floods, droughts, storms and fires all bring our society closer to the brink of collapse. The burning of fossil fuels directly causes climate change and ecological destruction, yet Biden is failing to uphold the Paris Climate Agreement."
The dangers of climate change are accelerating so quickly that we could soon miss our window to adapt, the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has concluded.
The science is unequivocal: climate change threatens the life of humans and of the planet. The IPCC's latest report says: "Any further delay in concerted anticipatory global action on adaptation and mitigation will miss a brief and rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all." We are taking that call to action seriously.
Saturday's event is day 4 of the Spring Rebellion in New York City, as Extinction Rebellion actions are taking place around the world.
Photos and videos of the event can be found here.
About Extinction Rebellion
Time has almost entirely run out to address the climate & ecological crisis, including the sixth mass extinction, global pollution, and abrupt, runaway climate change. Societal collapse and mass death are seen as inevitable by scientists and other credible voices if rapid action is not taken.
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:
Government must tell the truth by declaring a climate and ecological emergency, working with other institutions to communicate the urgency for change.
Government must act now to halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025.
Government must create and be led by the decisions of a Citizens’ Assembly on climate and ecological justice.
Government must commit to a just transition in order to maintain a livable, just planet for all.
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