'Game-Changing March for Climate' as Californians Rise Up Against Fracking
Thousands kick off protest to demand Governor Jerry Brown halt toxic drilling in state
Thousands of people from across California kicked off a march through Oakland on Saturday to demand that Governor Jerry Brown show "real climate leadership" by halting all fracking and shifting to 100 percent renewable energy in the state.
The demonstration brought together more than 100 grassroots groups, from labor to indigenous to environmental justice organizations, and is being billed as a a "game-changing moment for the climate movement in California." Ahead of the protest, organizers estimated it would exceed 10,000 people.
The mobilization comes just a day after protesters blockaded the California State Office Building in downtown San Francisco to demand a state-wide ban on toxic drilling.
The mounting protests are inspired by New York's recent prohibition on fracking, which was won through grassroots pressure, and they come amid growing public anger that the fossil fuel industry continues to drill near schools, farms, and homes in the state, using and polluting water despite California's historic drought.
Organizers say Saturday's mobilization, which takes place in the governor's hometown, goes beyond a mere protest to include programming, education, and strategizing sessions.
Pennie Opal Plant, organizer with the San Francisco - Bay Area chapter of Idle No More, told Common Dreams that the indigenous block of the protest kicked off with a ceremony to honor the land of the Ohlone people, where the march commenced. Native Americans, First Nations, and Pacific Islander people are leading the march, alongside others from the front-lines of the climate crisis, she explained.
"Indigenous people around the world were the first people to experience environmental injustice and the poisoning of water, soil, and air," said Pennie Opal Plant.
The march includes a children's contingent, complete with story telling, teach-ins, puppet shows, and seed planting. "The plan is to have a bunch of activities where kids can learn in an age-appropriate way about the issue," Carolyn Norr, organizer with Families Against Fossil Fuels, told Common Dreams. "Without overwhelming or scaring them, we are talking with children about how water is for plants and people and not hurting the earth."
"They're going to be dealing with the issue of climate change their whole lives," Norr continued, "so we're starting them early, teaching them they can be a part of the solution and a source of hope."
More than 25 labor unions and worker justice organizations are participating in the march, to "show that the tide is turning in the labor movement away from support for fracking and other forms of extreme energy and toward community-controlled, local clean energy," according to a press statement.
"For labor, especially unions that organize low-wage workers, it is our communities that are being affected," Veronica Garcia, organizer with labor union UNITE HERE, told Common Dreams. "Fracking wells are coming up in working class neighborhoods."
Protesters are bringing messages of racial and global justice in the face of a climate crisis that disproportionately affects people of color, poor communities, and the global south.
The march, which was still ongoing at the time of publication, can be followed on Twitter:
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Thousands of people from across California kicked off a march through Oakland on Saturday to demand that Governor Jerry Brown show "real climate leadership" by halting all fracking and shifting to 100 percent renewable energy in the state.
The demonstration brought together more than 100 grassroots groups, from labor to indigenous to environmental justice organizations, and is being billed as a a "game-changing moment for the climate movement in California." Ahead of the protest, organizers estimated it would exceed 10,000 people.
The mobilization comes just a day after protesters blockaded the California State Office Building in downtown San Francisco to demand a state-wide ban on toxic drilling.
The mounting protests are inspired by New York's recent prohibition on fracking, which was won through grassroots pressure, and they come amid growing public anger that the fossil fuel industry continues to drill near schools, farms, and homes in the state, using and polluting water despite California's historic drought.
Organizers say Saturday's mobilization, which takes place in the governor's hometown, goes beyond a mere protest to include programming, education, and strategizing sessions.
Pennie Opal Plant, organizer with the San Francisco - Bay Area chapter of Idle No More, told Common Dreams that the indigenous block of the protest kicked off with a ceremony to honor the land of the Ohlone people, where the march commenced. Native Americans, First Nations, and Pacific Islander people are leading the march, alongside others from the front-lines of the climate crisis, she explained.
"Indigenous people around the world were the first people to experience environmental injustice and the poisoning of water, soil, and air," said Pennie Opal Plant.
The march includes a children's contingent, complete with story telling, teach-ins, puppet shows, and seed planting. "The plan is to have a bunch of activities where kids can learn in an age-appropriate way about the issue," Carolyn Norr, organizer with Families Against Fossil Fuels, told Common Dreams. "Without overwhelming or scaring them, we are talking with children about how water is for plants and people and not hurting the earth."
"They're going to be dealing with the issue of climate change their whole lives," Norr continued, "so we're starting them early, teaching them they can be a part of the solution and a source of hope."
More than 25 labor unions and worker justice organizations are participating in the march, to "show that the tide is turning in the labor movement away from support for fracking and other forms of extreme energy and toward community-controlled, local clean energy," according to a press statement.
"For labor, especially unions that organize low-wage workers, it is our communities that are being affected," Veronica Garcia, organizer with labor union UNITE HERE, told Common Dreams. "Fracking wells are coming up in working class neighborhoods."
Protesters are bringing messages of racial and global justice in the face of a climate crisis that disproportionately affects people of color, poor communities, and the global south.
The march, which was still ongoing at the time of publication, can be followed on Twitter:
Thousands of people from across California kicked off a march through Oakland on Saturday to demand that Governor Jerry Brown show "real climate leadership" by halting all fracking and shifting to 100 percent renewable energy in the state.
The demonstration brought together more than 100 grassroots groups, from labor to indigenous to environmental justice organizations, and is being billed as a a "game-changing moment for the climate movement in California." Ahead of the protest, organizers estimated it would exceed 10,000 people.
The mobilization comes just a day after protesters blockaded the California State Office Building in downtown San Francisco to demand a state-wide ban on toxic drilling.
The mounting protests are inspired by New York's recent prohibition on fracking, which was won through grassroots pressure, and they come amid growing public anger that the fossil fuel industry continues to drill near schools, farms, and homes in the state, using and polluting water despite California's historic drought.
Organizers say Saturday's mobilization, which takes place in the governor's hometown, goes beyond a mere protest to include programming, education, and strategizing sessions.
Pennie Opal Plant, organizer with the San Francisco - Bay Area chapter of Idle No More, told Common Dreams that the indigenous block of the protest kicked off with a ceremony to honor the land of the Ohlone people, where the march commenced. Native Americans, First Nations, and Pacific Islander people are leading the march, alongside others from the front-lines of the climate crisis, she explained.
"Indigenous people around the world were the first people to experience environmental injustice and the poisoning of water, soil, and air," said Pennie Opal Plant.
The march includes a children's contingent, complete with story telling, teach-ins, puppet shows, and seed planting. "The plan is to have a bunch of activities where kids can learn in an age-appropriate way about the issue," Carolyn Norr, organizer with Families Against Fossil Fuels, told Common Dreams. "Without overwhelming or scaring them, we are talking with children about how water is for plants and people and not hurting the earth."
"They're going to be dealing with the issue of climate change their whole lives," Norr continued, "so we're starting them early, teaching them they can be a part of the solution and a source of hope."
More than 25 labor unions and worker justice organizations are participating in the march, to "show that the tide is turning in the labor movement away from support for fracking and other forms of extreme energy and toward community-controlled, local clean energy," according to a press statement.
"For labor, especially unions that organize low-wage workers, it is our communities that are being affected," Veronica Garcia, organizer with labor union UNITE HERE, told Common Dreams. "Fracking wells are coming up in working class neighborhoods."
Protesters are bringing messages of racial and global justice in the face of a climate crisis that disproportionately affects people of color, poor communities, and the global south.
The march, which was still ongoing at the time of publication, can be followed on Twitter: