March 19th Global Strike Recap
On March 19th, 2021, students from all over the world took to the streets and their computers to demand that those in power act on their promises and deliver climate action and justice. By in person actions and through live streams, sending emails, calling elected officials, and taking photos, they demanded a transition away from fossil fuels, carbon budgets, intersectional and public climate policy, and the recognition of ecocide as an international crime. They called on Governments, the fossil fuel industry, and banks to implement a Just Transition. After the 19th, they shared what they learned, the importance of climate justice, and why we must fight for a secure and livable future with fellow students, parents, and teachers.
More than 1000 places in more than 60 countries striked on this global day of action.
Let’s highlight some actions!
Toronto, Canada
While centering Indigenous voices, activists from Fridays for Features Toronto and their allies shut down a major intersection at Queen St. and Bay St. W, right in front of city hall for several hours, to demand that the city of Toronto act on their promises made during the climate emergency declaration of October 2019.
Fridays for Features Toronto organizer Ruby Swartzs emphasized that this demonstration “was part of international actions taking place of youth demanding that the government act on their promises and meet the promises that they’ve been making. Because we keep seeing the government make all these grand promises and no action or accountability.” She added that “it is really important, even during a pandemic, that we go to the streets and demand action because the reality is that the climate crisis is not happening independently of covid and we can’t recover from covid without taking action on the climate crisis.”
Canada
Climate Strike Canada, the Canadian Chapter of Fridays for Feature, hosted a #ActOnYourPromises online strike. Youth heard from grassroots groups and frontline activists about the future of climate justice and talked about what is holding us back from the end of the fossil fuel era. They demanded that the Canadian governments stop abandoning the promises they have made and work on a just transition. There were speakers from all across Canada covering everything from divestment, to intersectionality, to the climate movement in specific regions of the country. The livestream even featured spoken word poetry!
Mymoon Bhuiyan, an organizer with Divest Canada and one of the speakers said his goals with being involved with Climate Strike Canada were to “push youth organizations’ agenda around the climate change problem, accurately explain what fossil fuel divestment is, and communicate with this group of young and fearless protestors.” He described how “this day of action started when a 15-year-old protested her government and led to this massive movement worldwide. We are banding together, people from all walks of life, all countries, and all backgrounds, to fight, for one thing, the survival of our species.” When it comes to divestment, Mymoon thinks that it is “something students have a lot of say in. Our education institutions should be obligated to listen to our opinions, and they should try to enact them. Students need to push the envelope while their students, and removing the social license of fossil fuel companies is one of the best ways to do it.”
Pittsburgh, USA
Pittsburgh’s chapter of the Sunrise Movement organized in-person and online actions all day. Students learned about the fossil fuel divestment movement and gathered to demand that schools divest from fossil fuels, the government give the youth a seat at the table, and that the fossil fuel industry either cleans up or shuts down.
Sunrise Pittsburgh said that they are “committed to confronting the climate crisis today. Not in ‘ten years’. Not ‘maybe’. TODAY. The Climate Strike is just our next step in organizing with other groups here in town for climate, racial, and social justice for everyone in Pittsburgh.”
Bogotá, Colombia
Fridays for Future Bogotá gathered to fight for the ratification of an important agreement, the Escazu Agreement, that would protect biodiversity in Colombia. The same government that legalized fracking does not want to ratify Escazu. They also demanded justice for environmental leaders who have faced violence and been killed.
A activist from Bogotá, Maria Juliana Duque explained that “this manifestation is just one of the many ways we have been trying and will continue to express our disagreement with the way the government is handling the climate crisis and being negligent towards it. We want accountability from them not only in environmental terms, but also regarding all the social leaders and activists murdered. This is our call for the government to stop ignoring us and take real action.”
Minneapolis and Cooper City, USA
Earth Uprising’s Minneapolis and Cooper City’s chapters held a joint global climate strike panel where they discussed climate policy, eco-anxiety, and the impact on the youth movement of the global climate crisis with American climate activists including Alexandria Villasenor, Isaias Hernandez, and Jamie Margolin.
Earth Uprising Cooper City Coordinator Nikki Nadler was looking forward to this panel because she “hoped it to be insightful for all of our panelists and guests. Niki and other organizers have “found education and enrichment to be our most effective method of being change makers.”
Kenya
In Kenya, there were multitudes of covid-safe in-person strikes in Nairobi, Voi, and Mombasa. They reached the maximum number of people for physical actions and as such were joined by more people in the digital strike. Kenyan youth came together and raised their voices against fossil fuel investments and the lack of action from their leaders. Their main focus was to demand a complete stop to all fossil fuel investments and the Standard Chartered Bank, but they also are fighting for climate policies to take note of vulnerable workers who are affected by climate change, that ecocide is made an international crime, that global heating is kept below 1.5 degrees, and that a safe space is created to ensure grassroots voices are heard.
Kevin Mtai, an organizer from Kenya said that “The Bank has been bankrolling the climate crisis.” He explained that “in the face of a climate emergency, there is no longer a place for the Standard Chartered Bank operating as it had for decades resulting in the poverty of millions, environmental plunder, displacement of communities, systematic violations of human rights and climate change. Not only has the Standard Chartered Bank been a detriment to countries MAPA Countries, it remains a hazard to humanity’s survival by continuing to finance climate-change-inducing projects like coal plants. We must not allow the Standard Chartered Bank to reduce our future to a mere business proposition in favour of fossil fuels. The Standard Chartered Bank should stay out of climate and our future!”
Turkey
Activists from Fridays For Future Turkey gathered to demand climate action from their leaders. They are fighting for their government to sign the Paris Agreement.
Youth for Climate Turkey held livestreams covering different aspects of the climate crisis. Climate education is still one of their main missions for the strike because spreading the message is now more important than ever. The speakers covered a variety of topics including bringing sustainability together with culture and technology, veganism and breaking the stigma around it. They also focused on why climate education matters,the ways to enable climate education for everyone, and Earth Overshoot Day. Aslı Jackson, a sustainable fashion artist, also brought her art to the streets for a socially distanced talk with members and an art performance.
A member of Youth for Climate Turkey, Ela Naz Birdal said that “every single promise that has been made by the government turned out to be empty thus far. We need our decision-makers to stop pretending to make a difference and start solving the huge crisis we are facing along with the social injustices it creates. We expect a concrete change in policy before it is too late for us and our world. The first steps towards solving this crisis are ratifying the Paris Agreement in Parliament, declaring a climate emergency and creating policies to stop the crisis from growing bigger. If we don’t take steps in that direction a grim future is facing both Turkey and the World. Hear the scientists’ and activists’ call for action and justice. We, the youth, will be watching the adults make decisions about our future every step of the way.”
Author: Brooke Nelson Muzzatti
- Instagram: @brookenelsonmuzzatti
- Twitter: @brookenelsonm
- Email: brooke@earthuprising.org
Editor: Christine Leung
Earth Uprising is a global, youth-led non-profit organization focused on climate education, climate advocacy, and youth mobilization. Through its strong network of activists from all around the world, partnerships with groups, and local, national, and international campaigns and actions, it aims to bring attention to and spur action based on the latest science regarding the climate crisis. Earth Uprising provides the tools, resources, and connections young people need in order to take direct action in their own communities. Learn more at earthuprising.org and instagram.com/earth_uprising
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