This is a guest photo essay by Zach Roberts.
While peaceful climate change protesters were being hit with tear gas and pepper spray in Paris over the weekend, hundreds marched around New York City city hall in a quiet demonstration of solidarity. The People’s Climate Movement of New York organized the march in the Big Apple after French authorities banned the big climate march planned for Sunday November 29, the day before the UN COP21 Climate Talks kicked off.
“It is even more important that around the world our voices are heard,” the organizers said in announcing more than 2,300 climate actions in over 150 cities over the weekend.
Marchers circled New York City Hall and called on Mayor DeBlasio to step up the city’s climate change response efforts. Others called for Governor Andrew Cuomo to do the same on a state level. Representatives from a wide coalition of groups including the People’s Climate Movement (NYC), Columbia Divest for Climate Justice, and WE ACT tallied the numbers to a reported several thousand.
At the end of the march scientist Bill Nye rallied the marchers with a call and repeat: “Together we can go 100% renewable, jobs will be created locally, the longest journey begins with a single step, but together we can, dare I say it…CHANGE THE WORLD.”
All photos by Zach D. Roberts.
