On Sept. 15 through Sept., 17, there was a large march in downtown Manhattan orchestrated against the danger of fossil fuels that could heat the earth in climate change.
These people were gathered to protest right ahead of meetings President Joe Biden had that week with the United Nations to make sure their voices were heard. They largely were protesting against the increase in permitting oil and gas drilling that Biden approved, saying fossil fuels must be stopped, and it has permitted him to lose many of his traditional supporters.
According to the New York Times, many of Biden’s supporters are considering not voting for him in the second election he is running for in 2022, because it has “enraged them” and they want him to declare a “climate emergency and block any new fossil fuel production. This is an alarming to protesters because a big part of the President’s campaign was to promise a transition for the country to change to wind, solar, and other energy sources that are friendlier to the environment. At the protest, many of the protesters could be heard screaming out Biden should be “scared” and to “ban fossil fuels.”
Glen, a local who traveled from Long Island to go to the protest said, “It is extremely important and adamant that the United Nations does something quick” or “bad things will happen in this world.” Glen also said he thinks the world should start replacing fossil fuels with solar batteries, and that they are easy to make, just need to be affordable. He then went on to detail that 10,000 people just died in Libya after floods happened over there due to rain destroying damns that were holding together some of their cities.
He went into detail saying “If the floods over there happened, and dryness was enough to break their infrastructure after large amounts of rain just came, imagine what the rest of the earth would turn into in the future.”
Another protestor, David, came all the way from Philadelphia on a 2-hour bus ride just to be in midtown for the protest. David said, “We must combat climate change by eliminating fuels, but I don’t believe what Biden is selling.” He continued by saying that “We’re all disappointed in him but there’s no alternatives as it seems the other politicians seem to care even less.”
David demonstrated the dedication everyone who came from Philly who went to the protest took, as they got up at 6 a.m. in the morning on a Sunday just to catch an early bus ride to New York. He said it “meant the world” their voices were heard, and he hopes it saves the future of the planet.
While David doesn’t believe many politicians care, one who does was Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who was there to give a speech about what she thought “meant something” and that it “needed “urgency.” Ocasio-Cortez said we have to send a message that some of us will be living on this planet, 30, 40, 50 years from now and I am demanding change.”
She said the issue was the “biggest of our time” and the change is far too big to be ignored for all these years. Her powerful words had the crowd of tens of thousands of people riled up, as it spread across nearly 8 blocks from 51st to 58th street in midtown in Eastern Manhattan.
It was largely seen as a success, as over 75,00 people are reported to have marched over the three days of the organized protesting, but it remains unclear whether Biden will make any types of changes. This upcoming election will be a big decider of the future, as many of the Republican candidates have debunked the issue, saying it does not need to be solved, and President Biden has avoided it, even after saying he would like to try and solve it. Last year a Whitehouse spokesperson had said
“President Biden has treated climate change like an emergency, the existential threat of our time” which was debunked by many people there who say he needs to take “action.”
