Worldwide — Over the weekend, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets around the world to demand action on climate change on the eve of the UN Climate Summit in New York. From the crowded streets of New Delhi to London to Lagos to Rio, people in more than 156 countries joined 2,646 events and rallies. [1]
“People around the world are tired of waiting for our politicians to act,” said Payal Parekh, Global Campaigns Director for 350.org, one of the organisations coordinating the global weekend of events. “From the islands of the Pacific to the streets of New York City, we’re demanding action, not words. We’re showing what real leadership looks like.”
“People’s Climate” actions took place across continents, from rural villages to major metropolises. At rallies large and small, people from all walks of life were united in their demand for world leaders to make ambitious commitments to tackle the climate crisis. In addition, at last count, 2,097,372 people around the world signed onto a petition calling for bold action at the UN Climate Summit.
Photos from events will feature on jumbotrons in New York City, where the major march of the weekend will take place with over 100,000 people in the streets of the city. [2] Labour unions, environmentalists, social justice groups, migrant communities, students, people of faith, and more all took part in the march in New York, making it not only the largest, but most diverse demonstration on climate change in US history.
“The days when climate change can be ignored as a side issue are over,” said May Boeve, 350.org Executive Director. “Public opinion has reached a tipping a point and the demand for action will only grow. This march is just the beginning. Today we marched, tomorrow we organise.”
The global mobilisation drew the support of over 1,574 partner organisations and dozens of celebrities, politicians and notable public figures. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon joined the march in New York City, along with diplomats, US Senators, and celebrities including Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Rock, Emma Thompson and more.
“This is surely a moment that demands unprecedented collective action,” said Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu. “We can no longer tinker about the edges. We can no longer continue feeding our addiction to fossil fuels as if there is no tomorrow. For there will be no tomorrow. We are on the cusp of a global transition to a new safe energy economy, a transition that unites people in common purpose, advances collective well-being and ensures the survival of our species.”
Archbishop Tutu has been a vocal supporter of fossil fuel divestment, which emerged as one of the central themes of the day in many places across Europe and North America. Over the last two-years, the divestment movement has spread to over 500 universities, churches, and other public institutions. On Monday, the Divest-Invest coalition will announce a major new set of divestment commitments.
Divestment is only one of the many campaigns that will continue after this weekend’s mobilisation. From local fossil fuel fights to the push for a new international climate treaty, the climate movement around the world is gaining in size and intensity.
“We’re not waiting for politicians to move,” said Seia Mikaele Maiava, Pacific Climate Warrior from Tokelau. “This is a matter of survival for us. We’re not drowning, we’re standing up and fighting for our homes.”
Organisers see the mobilisation as just the beginning of a series of actions in the months to come that will continue to increase pressure for global action. From Pacific warriors planning to blockade a coal port in Australia, to fracking activists organising a global day of action in October, to a massive people’s march in Lima during the next UN climate summit this December, activists plan to take to the streets, and seas, many more times.
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PHOTOS from events worldwide are available here. A selection of high-res photos is available here.
CONTACT: Melanie Mattauch, 350.org Europe Communications Coordinator, melanie@350.org, +49 151 5812 0184
ADDITIONAL QUOTES:
Ricken Patel, executive director of the global civic organisation Avaaz:“With hundreds of thousands marching in more than 2,500 protests worldwide, this is by a long way the largest climate mobilisation in history. It’s a wake up call to politicians that climate change is not a green issue anymore, it’s an everybody issue. The public has heard our scientists that everything we love is under threat, and we’re prepared to fight for the only solution — a world powered by 100% safe, clean, sustainable energy.”
NOTE TO EDITORS:
[1] Global highlights include:
More than 2,500 people hit the streets of New Delhi on Saturday, making the march the nation’s strongest ever call for climate action.
In Jakarta, thousands of people marched to send an urgent demand to the newly elected President for a commitment to build an economy that is powered by renewable energy. Other events in Asia include Seoul, Taiwan and Manila among others.
In the Pacific Islands, from Tonga to Tuvalu to Tokelau, people rallied calling for Action, Not Words, to protect the Pacific Islands. In rural Papua New Guinea students from a primary school marched to a nearby lighthouse, which has recently become semi-submerged due to rising sea levels. People all across the Pacific are also preparing to send 30 Pacific Climate Warriors to Australia to block the world’s largest coal port with their canoes in October.
In Australia, More than 30,000 marched through the streets of Melbourne and more than 100 other cities and regional towns. Locals went on a 50 km beach march on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, and a 700 km march from Melbourne to Canberra.
In Tanzania, the Maasai marched across their traditional lands to call for action to protect their homelands in the Serengeti from the impacts of climate change. Simultaneous events took place across Africa including Johannesburg, Togo, Niger, The Ivory Coast, and Benin as well as a march planned in Africa’s largest city Lagos, taking place on Monday.
On the US / Canada border, thousands of marchers from First Nations groups and local organisations will make the trip from Vancouver and Seattle to join hands in a truly international event, showing that “climate change knows no borders”.
In Istanbul, close to 3,000 people marched through Istanbul’s Taksim Square, with impacted communities from across Turkey at the forefront.
In Berlin three parallel marches will combine forces in a colourful festival on Sunday.
In Paris, local groups created the “Paris Marche pour le Climat,” with parades, marches, and bicycle rides across the bridges of the Seine. In Gonesse, near the site where COP 21 will take place, the grassroots movement Alternatiba organised a weekend-long event of marches, debates and workshops. The event called for local solutions to climate change showing the transition is possible.
In London, the bells of The Church of London will ring out across the city as environment organisations and faith groups combine forces to create an historic march to the steps of Parliament. A ‘Fossil Free Bloc’ at the People’s Climate March London chased giant ‘carbon bubbles’ through the streets demanding divestment from fossil fuels and the end of the industry’s interference in politics.
Numerous other events were held across Europe in Stockholm, Amsterdam, Helsinki, Venice to name a few.
In Rio, thousands are marching on the beaches of Ipanema, after images were broadcast on the statue of Christ the Redeemer for the last week building up to the march.
[2] The exact number of people in attendance at the largest climate march taking place in NY will be made available on Sunday, 21 September at 7PM CET