That's a really short way to say that Student Climate Culture, along with members of the UVM student body, an interfaith delegation and 2,000 (2,000!) other Vermonters made history this weekend by participating in the largest climate march in history.
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| The student section (photo courtesy of thedailyorange.com) |
An estimated 400,000 people in total marched in NYC September 21st, with tens of thousands around the world taking part in solidarity marches, from Bolivia to Australia. The march took place two days before today's UN climate summit, a massive show of support for worldwide climate action. What was incredible about the march was the energy--seeing so many people fired up about climate activism! The march brought together indigenous communities, food justice advocates, students and labor groups, children and families. Many of us from UVM marched with students from universities around the country, which naturally included OTHER DIVESTMENT GROUPS! Orange squares abounded.
It's hard to really explain how inspiring the march was. Maybe because it was the march finally showed a side of the environmental movement that we haven't seen much of yet-- a diverse group of activists, united around a common message, making the fight we face political and personal. Maybe the march at one point stretched for 4 miles in midtown Manhattan. Maybe because there were 400,000 protesters, and not a single reported arrest.
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| Protesters take Times Square! Photo courtesy of Wxxinews.org |
At 12:58, the entire crowd was silent to honor those who have died as a result of climate change, followed by a roar of outrage that came from the back of the march and built until we were all screaming and stamping. Us protesters might have returned to Burlington in the wee hours of the night, exhausted and with shredded vocal chords, but it was worth it to be a part of something so awesome.
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