Thousands of people marched through Midtown, Manhattan on Sunday in hopes of pushing President Joe Biden and other world leaders into taking action on climate change.
The message was loud and clear as a sea of humanity flooded from 56th Street and Broadway toward the United Nations, where the General Assembly will meet this week. Activists young and old implored Biden to enact a state of emergency in relation to climate change. Banging drums, raising fists, and lugging banners, marchers did all they could to ensure their voices were heard.
“Hey, ho, ho, fossil fuels have got to go,” chants rang out amidst the pounding of drums and screams.
Activists specifically called for American leaders to stop the use of oil and gas — said to be causing the most damage to the environment — by denying approvals for new drilling and fossil fuel-based projects.
Renowned actress and vocal climate activist Susan Sarandon joined protesters as they made their way to the United Nations, and championed the youth for leading the fight against climate change.
“All of this energy is what’s being brought, especially by the youth. Look at these kids,” Sarandon said. “Yes, give them a hand of applause because they have the energy. It is their future that’s on the line and they are not Democrats. They are not Republicans. They are independent people who go for what needs to be fixed and are not slaves to any party and are going to create the world that we need, and they know what’s going on much more than I did when I was getting arrested at your age,”
Ending at 51st Street and First Avenue, in the shadow of the United Nations, protesters gathered around a stage erected in the middle of the roadway that housed musical performances and speeches demanding immediate and decisive action.
Speakers included U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Vanessa Nakate, Founder of the Vessel Project Roishetta Ozane, Secretary Treasurer of Teamsters Local 808 Christophe Silvera, and others
“I’m so honored to be here today shoulder to shoulder with you all because we are all here for the same purpose to protect the planet, the people, and make sure that we end fossil fuels across the globe,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “Most importantly, I want to thank each and every one of you for being here and for showing up in force. It means something when people say, ‘Oh, we’re thinking 5,000 or 10,000 people are gonna be here,’ and 50,000 to 70,000 people show up.”
“We need urgency on this issue right now, right now,” AOC added. “And the way that we create urgency on the issue of climate is when we have people all across the world in the streets.”
The march — formally dubbed the 2023 Climate March in New York City — was organized by a coalition of national and local organizations with the same goal: fighting for climate justice. Participating organizations included the Center for Biological Diversity, Center for Popular Democracy, Climate Organizing Hub, Food & Water Watch, Fridays For Future USA & NYC, Earthworks, Greenfaith, Indigenous Environmental Network, New York Communities for Change, Oil Change International and Oil & Gas Action Network, and others.
Nobel Peace Prize winner Robert Croonquist, with the New York Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, declared that nuclear power as a renewable energy source is not the solution.
“From what we know, all of the new nuclear plants that are coming that they would like to bring, they still have the same problems,” Croonquist said. “Number one, their targets for terrorists. Number two, they still don’t know what to do with the waste. Number three, they’re incredibly expensive. And number four, they’re radioactive for many, many, many, many generations. “
