Extinction Rebellion Moves to NYC’s Streets to Fight Climate Change

•• All photographs by Anna Conkling ••

On Saturday, climate protesters marched uptown from Washington Square Park with the message: “We will not be bystanders.”

The protest was led by the New York chapter of Extinction Rebellion, a global climate activism group that uses “nonviolent civil disobedience and rebellion” to demand climate change action, According to its website. Saturday’s protest stretched more than 17 blocks, from Fifth Avenue to Madison Square Park, where an event was held on day 3 of a 10-day demonstration, with the mission of saving the planet. Extinction Rebellion seeks to draw attention to They have specific demandsThese are designed to force politicians, governments and the finance industry to address the climate crisis and make changes to prevent dangerous warming trends. The group’s first demand is “Tell the truth,” explained on the website as “And the truth is, we’re in the middle of a climate and ecological breakdown. The collapse of social and economic systems across the globe has begun. Only by committing to science and truth, no matter how hard, can we address this emergency head-on.” 

This protest, entitled “We Will Not Be Bystanders,” addressed the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report that said to limit global warming The greenhouse gas emissions must peak by 2025. At the earliest, and by 43% by 2030. “The government is gaslighting us by acting as if the climate and ecological crisis is years away instead of right now,” Extinction Rebellion NYC stated in a press release. “This is not about politics, and this is not about differences. The ship is sinking and we have two options. Either we watch it sink or we try to stop it. No one is coming to save us—it’s on us to create a liveable future.”

Extinction Rebellion New York has also taken on the task of implementing changes in the city. New York City is not the only city that needs change. This was the first U.S. City with more than one million residents to declare an emergency due to climate change. activists say it isn’t enough. Extinction Rebellion demands that the city reach net zero carbon emissionsThe group believes that 2025 is the right goal. Although it sounds extreme, they believe it is necessary. “What we’re looking for is change. Let the people decide what is needed. We’re looking for action, said Laura Cole, Extinction Rebellion NYC organizer, as she sat in Washington Square Park waiting for other protesters to arrive. “We refuse to sit by and watch our future be taken away from us.” 

Eventually the crowd grew larger: What began as 10 protesters became dozens, some dressed in red and black, the theme for the protest, which signified a “code red” emergency. As the crowd moved out of the park, protesters waved large flags with the Extinction Rebellion logo, and chanted, “We are unstoppable. Another world is possible” and “Listen to the IPCC, this is a climate emergency.” At times, the battle cries were led by 19-year-old climate activist Gigi Weinberg, a freshman at New York University. “I’m here to show the student support for what is happening,” said Weinberg. “We have a lot of power as people being out in the streets. Get up and let’s go!”

Another group was dressed in long red headdresses and cloaks, with black masks and faces painted ghostly-white, and silently drifted past. They were holding onto one another, showing signs and grief, and then falling back into each other. They are part of the Red Rebels. This is a group that performs activism.Roup Created in response to the global environment crisis That draws attention to facts such the UN estimation 80% of those affected by the climate crisis were forced to flee their homes. include girls and women. “Our message about the climate crisis is: We are all in this together. We need to empower each other, grieve the losses, and rise up against the powers that put profits over the possibility of the planet,” said Red Rebel member Yana Landowne. 

Madison Square Park was the final destination for the protesters. They had set up microphones and speakers for community activists to voice concerns about climate change. Hoka Wicasa from Minnesota, an indigenous water protector, was one of the activists who spoke. Wicasa, a water protector fights for clean water on all reservations in the country. “My main message is that the destruction of earth has got to stop,” said Wicasa. “What it comes down to is, it’s not about hearing me. It’s already in your own homes. The hand that’s been oppressing us has now touched everyone here on earth. Now what you let happen on the reservations is happening here.” 

Protesters stood side-by-side as activists spoke at a crosswalk in the park. After the light changed to green, the protesters refused the urge to move and stood firm despite the fact that the light was turning green. VoiceEstimates to be around 25 NYPD officers telling protesters to move on. Officers began to arrest protesters one at a while and then placed them in two police cars. One of the women was arrested Alice, is a part of the activist group “Raging Grannies,” a group of older women who attend human rights protests to demand global change. On Saturday, Raging Grannies joined in to voice their concerns regarding a warming planet, and what it means for their families. “Alice gets arrested as much as you blink,” said Raging Granny Judith Ackerman. The Grannies claimed that Alice plans on being arrested next weekend. 

The crowd began to disperse and some people walked away without their friends. There was a sense that there was unity and a passion for continuing the fight against climate change. “We are scared for our future,” said Christina See, a spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion NYC. “Watching the earth be destroyed for corporate profits over a viable future is what is driving so many people onto the streets to demand government action. The time is now to treat the climate crisis for what it is, if we want to have any chance of averting the worst of climate change.”  ❖