Thousands of climate activists march on the streets of New York with an appeal against ‘fossil fuels’

Thousands of climate activists took to the streets of New York City on Sunday (September 17), protesting against “fossil fuels” and demanding climate action. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez addressed the crowd, emphasizing the need for the climate movement to grow “too big and too radical to ignore.”

Progressive Democrats criticized the Biden administration for approving fossil fuel projects, including the controversial Willow project in Alaska, drawing cheers from the crowd. Ocasio-Cortez spoke at a rally near the UN headquarters, where world leaders were scheduled to meet that week. She declared, “We are all here for one reason: to end fossil fuels around the planet,” and stressed that global street protests were essential to create urgency.

She also highlighted that the United States continued to approve a record number of fossil fuel leases and called for a strong message to be sent. Despite record profits, she noted that support for the fossil fuel industry was “starting to buckle and crack.” Ocasio-Cortez argued that addressing climate change required a democratic restructuring of the country’s economy, cautioning against transitioning from oil barons to solar barons.

Organizers estimated that 50,000 to 75,000 people participated in the march in Manhattan, making it likely the largest climate march in the US in the past five years. Jean Su of the Center for Biological Diversity, one of the organizers, called it an “incredible moment” and emphasized that people were demanding climate action while criticizing President Biden’s expansion of fossil fuels.

Su highlighted that this march marked a significant climate protest in the country since the beginning of the pandemic and showcased the determination of youth and communities living in areas affected by fossil fuel violence to demand change for their future.

The march preceded a meeting of world leaders at the UN General Assembly and a UN climate ambition summit, described by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as a “no-nonsense” conference aimed at highlighting new climate commitments.