International Environmental Day of Struggle: Activities around the globe

Correspondences and reports

Paris:

In Paris more than 5000 students took part at the environmental day of action and 25 000 mostly young people demonstrated on the following day ”For social and climate justice“. In all of France there were 150 000 demonstrators. Positive atmosphere, music as well as many imaginative posters and costumes were characteristic for the student demonstration. Outdoor workshops that took place afterwards were marked by great earnestness.

Many and sometimes heated discussions also took place around the book stand of the UPML (Union Prolétarienne Marxiste-Leniniste) with an open microphone on Saturday, 21 September. A number of demonstrations took place on this day against the new attacks upon pensions, the climate march and – not least – the 45th demonstration of the yellow vests!

For days media had warned of riots and attempted to intimidate – entirely in the spirit of Macron. Thousands of police had been mobilized and the right to demonstrate was actually further curtailed. Whoever wore a yellow vest was hardly able to pass the controls. Provocations and tear gas in a number of city districts. The climate march was also dispersed after about an hour and groups of demonstrators went through the city everywhere, found together hours later and continued to demonstrate.

Fortunately, many yellow vests joined the climate march after their „Acte 45“. Their slogan: ”Fin du monde, fin du mois – même combat“ (“End of the world or end of the month – one and the same struggle“). They so condemn the Macron government as well as profit economy. Anti-capitalist positions were strongly represented at the climate march. Our flyer met with great interest. People informed themselves about the International Coordination of Revolutionary Parties and Organizations (ICOR) and the UPML and listened at the open microphone.

In the center stood the promotion of the book Catastrophe Alert (many showed interest) and the invitation to our discussion round. The increasing search for a societal alternative was very evident! We often met with agreement on our goal of a socialist society.

Philippines:

On 20 September some 600 mostly college students gathered at the College of Science amphitheater at the University of the Philippines-Diliman in Quezon City, led by 350.org, Youth Advocates for Climate Action in the Philippines (YACAP), Agham Youth (Agham = progressive association of scientists), Saribuhay, and Kalikasan People's Network for the Environmental.

The protesters highlighted the vulnerability of Filippino communities through mega-dam projects and destructive mining. In an earlier statement, Kalikasan People's Network for the Enviroment called on President Duterte to issue a “Climate Emergency Declaration”. (Source: Bulatlat, 22 September 2019, progressive online magazine)

USA:

Demonstrations and activities took place in all 50 states. The largest was in New York City with 250 000 participants. They marched to the UN. The city's 1.1 million students were allowed to be absent from school if their parents excused them. Greta Thunberg spoke at the rally: “Our house is on fire ... Why should we study for a future that is... being stolen for profit?... And if you belong to that small group of people who feel threatened by us, then we have some very bad news for you. Because this is only the beginning. Change is coming, whether they like it or not ...“

On Friday, 20 September, there was a strike of hundreds of employees at the Amazon headquarters in Seattle. They demanded more measures for climate protection by management. In the previous week they had also succeeded in getting Amazon to order 100 000 electric delivery trucks. They demanded that Amazon stops support for fossil fuel companies and to stop giving donations to politicians and groups that resist climate protection action. People in Houston, Texas, that had been hit by a hurricane, carried a banner: “Our streets are flooded and we are flooding the streets.“ Ten thousands took to the street in San Francisco.

Russia:

From Russia we received a report. „The movement for climate protection is also developing in Russia. But only slowly, because of the restrictive demonstration rights. Whoever wants to take to the streets for climate protection as here in St. Petersburg is only permitted to do this within the fenced-in space at the foot of the former leader of the revolution Lenin. There is no one here yet, but a demonstration that is allowed by the city shall begin here shortly. In several cities (at least 16) environmental activists have called for demonstrations for 20 September.