School or Strike?
School or Strike?
Edited by Simon Huynh
Edited by Simon Huynh
Images and videos courtesy of Katie and Kris Asselin
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On September 20th, over 4 million students and adults went on strike around the world, demanding that politicians and leaders listen to their voices and do something about the current climate crisis.
On September 20th, over 4 million students and adults went on strike around the world, demanding that politicians and leaders listen to their voices and do something about the current climate crisis.
Everyone who hasn’t been living under a rock has heard something or other about the climate crisis: whether it’s about the Amazon fires, the hurricanes, the melting ice caps, or some girl skipping school every Friday. Being bombarded with a constant stream of news about the latest natural disaster can be disheartening, but what can anyone actually do to make a noticeable difference? Well, Friday, September 20, 2019 about 4 million people across the world participated in 2,500 events in 163 countries, on every continent. This includes ten thousand individuals striking in Boston alone.
Members of the Sunrise Westford hub at the rally
Protesters outside of the Boston statehouse
Yellow banner reads: Youth declare a climate emergency
I attended the strike in Boston with some of my friends. It was an amazing experience to be surrounded by so many young people (and some not-so-young people), all passionate about the same cause and willing to shout until their voices were heard. The group began to gather around 10am, many toting signs with angry or hopeful messages. For early-comers, there were tables with information about various organizations including CREW and The Sunrise Movement. There were also several booths where strikers could register and pre-register to vote. For the next hour, the crowd trickled into City Hall Plaza in Boston--many dressed in all black--listening to a live band, making signs, and chalking the ground. At 11am, the rally began, with explosive speeches from a variety of influential and impressive individuals, including Saya Ameli (eighteen year old climate activist from Brookline MA), Michelle Wu (the first Asian-American woman to serve on the Boston City Council), Mariama White-Hammond (a pastor and activist), Jeremy Ornstein (eighteen year old activist with the Sunrise Movement), Mahtowin Munro (Co-leader of United American Indians of New England), and Jean-Luc Pierite (President of the North American Indian Center of Boston).
After the rally, the group took to the streets of Boston on a powerful march to the statehouse. Along the way, they chanted things like, “Hey hey! Ho ho! Climate change has got to go!” while waving their signs at onlookers. The organizers of the event led both the march and the chants while holding a banner that read “Boston Climate Strike.” When the strikers reached the statehouse, they filed in slowly, lining the balconies and stairwells of the Great Hall. The group sang and chanted, shaking the building with their cries for Charlie Baker to declare a state of emergency for the climate crisis. Tobias Bluestein (16, Westford), one of the organizers of the strike, and a local 10 year old climate activist gave incredible speeches inside the statehouse. The crowd made a noisy exit from the statehouse, chanting until they were outside.
Check out these videos from inside of the statehouse:
IMG_7017.MOVIMG_7011.MOVOn the way to the strike I spoke with Chase Cambray and Anusha Parikh, both 16 and of Westford. Both Chase and Anusha are members of Sunrise Westford (more on that later) and found out about the strike through it. When asked why they decided to attend the strike, Chase said “I don’t want the world to die,” and Anusha said “It shows people with political power that a lot of people do care.” Both recommend joining the Sunrise Movement, calling representatives and senators, being aware of waste in your personal life, and practicing conscience shopping for those who want to get involved and help the environment. Anusha told me that they would like helping the climate to become more accessible. They think that people should be able to donate reusable bags and other sustainable products to those who want to be environmentally friendly but don’t have the financial resources. Chase told me that he wants to see more of a conversation surrounding climate change and have corporations listen; he would also like to see more people care and get involved as a result of the strike.
The Boston Climate Strike was entirely youth organized by about twenty individuals under the age of twenty. I interviewed one of the organizers of the event: Tobias Bluestein. Tobias is a part of Sunrise Boston and is the founder and hub coordinator of Sunrise Westford; this is the second and biggest climate strike he has helped organize. I asked Tobias what he would like people who couldn’t go to the strike to know about the cause and the goal and the strike and this was his response:
“The most important thing that people should know is that we really only have 11 years left to enact dramatic change to prevent the most catastrophic effects of the climate crisis. If we fail to meet this deadline, it is nowhere near as benign as the weather being a bit warmer from now on. One million species will go extinct, one of them being humans, and billions will die, starting with the “frontline and vulnerable communities.” Why go to school for a future that we don’t have? We want not only to stop this crisis, but to create a just transition to protect these communities and the life on this earth.”
“The most important thing that people should know is that we really only have 11 years left to enact dramatic change to prevent the most catastrophic effects of the climate crisis. If we fail to meet this deadline, it is nowhere near as benign as the weather being a bit warmer from now on. One million species will go extinct, one of them being humans, and billions will die, starting with the “frontline and vulnerable communities.” Why go to school for a future that we don’t have? We want not only to stop this crisis, but to create a just transition to protect these communities and the life on this earth.”
Sunrise Westford founder and Hub Coordinator Tobias Bluestein, pictured third from the right with the rest of the strike organizers
I also asked Tobias what the specific goals for the Boston Climate Strike were: “We went on strike for a just transition prioritizing workers and those in poverty who will be disproportionately affected, no more fossil fuels, and a declaration of climate and ecological emergency in Massachusetts, as well as respect for indigenous land and sovereignty, environmental justice, protection and restoration of biodiversity, and implementation of sustainable agriculture. We went on strike for a Green New Deal.”
I also asked Tobias what the specific goals for the Boston Climate Strike were: “We went on strike for a just transition prioritizing workers and those in poverty who will be disproportionately affected, no more fossil fuels, and a declaration of climate and ecological emergency in Massachusetts, as well as respect for indigenous land and sovereignty, environmental justice, protection and restoration of biodiversity, and implementation of sustainable agriculture. We went on strike for a Green New Deal.”
If you are interested in getting involved and fighting for climate justice, you should look into joining the Sunrise Movement. The Sunrise Movement is a youth led, national organization that is fighting for climate justice. There are a number of nearby hubs, including Sunrise Westford and Sunrise Acton. For more information about these you can find their Instagrams: @sunrisemvmtwestford, @sunriseacton, as well as @sunrisemvmt and @climatestrikema. Upcoming Sunrise supported events include Flood the Seaport (organized by Extinction Rebellion) in Boston on September 27th from 3:30-7:30pm, and a Westford Climate Action Now Rally (organized by Sunrise Westford) on October 17th at from 4-7pm.
Here are some additional images from the event:
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