High school students across the planet are set to walk out of school Friday in a youth-led climate strike to demand immediate action to end climate change, and New York City students are joining the fight.
The NYC Climate Strike is set for Friday afternoon, and is expected to draw thousands of students out of the classroom and into the streets. In a show of support, New York City public schools plan to excuse all absenses of students participating in the climate strike.
“Students will need parental consent. Younger students can only leave school with a parent,” @NYCschools said on Twitter.
.@NYCschools will excuse absences of students participating in the #ClimateStrike on Friday 9/20. Students will need parental consent. Younger students can only leave school with a parent. https://t.co/hcBO1Cnb3m
— NYC Public Schools (@NYCSchools) September 12, 2019
Internationally-renowned climate change activist Greta Thunberg will be joining New Yorkers at Friday’s strike, alongwith community leaders, labor groups, businesses. The New York City strike is one of 500 climate events set to take place in the nation Friday. Additionally, there are over 2,500 climate strikes registered around the world.
The strike is being held three days before the United Nations Climate Summit in New York City. People from across New York City as well are the world are demanding action from politicians to tackle climate change.
Nationally, The Youth Climate Coalition demands are as follows: A Green New Deal, respect of indigenous land and sovereignty, environmental justice, protection and restoration of biodiversity and finally, implementation of sustainable agriculture.
But each participating city has its own unique demands for officials. New Yorkers are calling for the end of fossil fuels, and the transition to a 100 percent renewable economy. Local activists also want polluters to be held more accountable.
In New York City, climate changes activists will be joined by activists of the Puerto Rican Diáspora to commemorate over 4,000 lives lost from Hurricane Maria, which occurred two years ago on September 20. They will be asking the government to #CanceltheDebt that was intensified by the climate crisis and cooperations supporting the destruction.
The strike will be from noon. to 5 p.m. Before the climate change rally; there will be a 11 a.m. Puerto Rico rally which will be at Santander Bank, at 336 Broadway.
At noon, protestors will assemble at Foley Square, and will be marching to Battery Park. It will be there that speakers and performers will begin, at 3 p.m.
NYC Climate Strike route and map:
Image from Climatestrikenyc.net
NYC Climate Strike performers and speakers:
Vic Barrett, 20-year-old Juliana vs. US plaintiff, climate justice activist
Greta Thunberg, 16-year-old Swedish climate activist
Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, 19-year-old Indigenous Climate Activist, Youth Director Earth Guardians; Plaintiff, Juliana vs. U.S.
Julio López Varona, Co-director of Community Dignity Campaigns, Center For Popular Democracy
Jaden and Willow Smith, Musicians, Actors, Activists
Grace Goldstein, 17-year-old youth activist, US Climate Strike
Rebeca Sabnam, 16-year-old New York & Bangladeshi activist, Youth Advocate for Cafeteria Culture
Isabella Fallahi and Kevin Patel, Youth activists, Zero Hour
Artemisa Xakriabá, Indigenous Amazonian Youth Leader, Guardians of Forest
Marisol Rivera, 13-year-old Hurricane Sandy survivor, New York Communities for Change
Varshini Prakash, Executive Director, Sunrise Movement
Judy Sheridan Gonzalez, President, New York State Nurses Association
Dr. Ayana Johnson, Oceanographer, and Climate scientist
