Seasoned activists under the organizational umbrella Third Act NYC, along with many other environments groups — Extinction Rebellion NYC, Stop the Money Pipeline, Greenfaith, 350 NYC, Rise and Resist — rallied at Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza in New York City on the first day of spring, March 21, as part of National Day of Action.
The demonstration highlighted the financing by major banks of the fossil fuel industry and called for them to stop their financing. Over 100 events of this kind took place across the country.
Rev. Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir kept the rally focused and keynote speaker, Time Magazine’s Women of the Year climate activist Ayisha Siddiqa, spoke of the devastating floods in Pakistan.
The rally featured earth-threatened street theater, a Climate Clock, and demonstrators were urged to cut up their credit cards. Following the rally, to the beat of Batala Samba Drum Band, the assembly marched west on 47th street, gathering again at Chase Headquarters.
The National Day of Action took place a day after the latest climate report published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), showing the world is failing to limit global warming and by continuing to burn fossil fuels. Pledges have been collected by Third Act from bank customers to close their accounts and cut up their credit cards if the banks continue to fund fossil fuels.
