Solidarity Is How We Win a Livable Future

I thought I would be more afraid the first time I was arrested. But as I stood with the other dozens of activists being detained on the steps of the Colorado State Capitol, I felt a complete and unwavering sense of unity.

On January 9, 2020, Sunrise Movement went to the Capitol to once again ask Governor Polis to fight for our futures and declare a Climate Emergency. During the State of the State address, we sang in community, asking our governor to account for the poisoning of Colorado neighborhoods at the hands of fossil fuel executives and corrupt politicians. Our governor has signed new fracking permits at an extremely high rate, and meanwhile, children are suffering from nosebleeds, headaches, and asthma because they live so close to these drilling sites. We wanted to get support from our governor, but so far our cries have been ignored.

We were swiftly escorted out of the Capitol building and detained. There was a visceral sense of both fear and determination. It was not fear of the officers, but fear for our collective lives and everything that is on the line if we do not address the climate emergency at the scale it requires.

Standing shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand, we sang to one another and waited for what was to come. It was scary, surreal, and triumphant all at once. Our Democratic governor claims he is bold on climate, yet he is afraid of the pressure we are putting on him to take a stand for climate justice for all. We believe that our representatives should use their power to fight for their constituents, not for the profits of fossil fuel executives. Our collective voice calling for an equal world is louder than the voices of corrupt politicians who seek to silence us.

Even in our holding cells, we could not be silenced. Initially we were held together, and we sang, shared stories, and reminded each other that unity is what keeps our movement strong. We were thirsty, confused, and cold (they took our sweaters), but we kept our spirits up and smiled to each other through the glass. Next, we spent 10+ hours getting processed into the “criminal” “justice” system. This process was harsh and scary, and we were all so tired and thirsty. Still, we comforted each other and never let go of our hope. The bonds that we made with one another gave us a window into the future we are working to create; one where our government finally recognizes that we are all part of a community of shared fate.

I think the worst part was waiting as three names were called at a time, and our people were taken to jail cells. I waved goodbye to each of them, mouthed “I love you”, and tried to take a breath until it was my turn.

I lost track of time in my jail cell. I couldn’t sleep, and I thought of every other activist that must have been lying in their cells feeling the same surreal sense of unease. But we stayed strong because we felt each other’s presence through those cement walls. In our jumpsuits, with our one brief call from a loved one, we held onto one another’s hearts and waited until the moment we could all reunite on the outside again.

Jails are filled with people that are stuck in an unjust system and lack the support needed to break out of a cycle of oppression. I thought I would be afraid, but instead I felt a great deal of warmth amongst the inmates. I stared up at the writing on my bunk and thought about the hundreds of lives that have lain here before me at the hands of a system that has repeatedly failed them. “Boss up and change your life”, “My name is Sarah, I was here, (wrote her number down) call me, I’ll come”. These cells were haunted by the tears of scared and forgotten people, but were painted in words of support and courage. And here I was, lying in the same place and thinking about how determined we will be to fight even harder for a better world once we are free.

I cried when I saw my dad through the thirty minute “visitation video call”. He told me he was proud of me, but still I could see the concern in his eyes. I thought about how I have dedicated myself to fighting for this state and its people, and still, it was the state that put me in this place for over 24 hours.

January 9th was the day our government showed their fear of our revolution. We know that what we are fighting for is so much bigger than the state patrol’s violent acts of intimidation. We are fighting for system change. We will know that we have won when our government commits to protect the values of dignity, justice, and equality. Throughout this harrowing journey, all of us modeled these values, and took heart in our unshakable solidarity.

We are strongest when we stand together. So I ask you, join us as we mobilize thousands of young people to demand a better world for all. Our planet is burning and our system protects the profits of fossil fuel executives over the safety of children. We cannot stand back and watch our world implode. Stand shoulder to shoulder with us. Help us achieve a livable world, a just world, and a world that prioritizes human lives and our shared fate.

In Love and Solidarity,

Michele Weindling, 25

Colorado Sunrise Movement