People's Climate Has One Final Question: Are You In?

The international climate justice movement says the march in New York and mobilizations worldwide will be historic, but that these events are just the beginning

by

Jon Queally, staff writer

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This weekend is not singular,' say organizers. 'By joining this People’s Climate Mobilization you will be standing alongside thousands, perhaps millions of others around the globe at a critical moment.' (Image: peoplesclimate.org)

Just days away from what's been billed as the "the largest climate mobilization in world history," organizers behind the People's Climate March & Mobilization are putting the final details in place while asking people across the planet the simple question: Are you in?
On Sunday, September 21, just two days before a United Nations Climate Summit, a mass march is being planned for New York City that is expected to attract tens of thousands (possibly hundreds of thousands) of people. On the same day, for people not in proximity to Manhattan, a global mobilization will see coordinated actions in thousands of locations across the globe where people and communities will voice their call for immediate and aggressive action to tackle the threat of a warming planet and the destruction stemming from humanity's fossil fuel addiction.
According to 350.org, one of the lead organizers for the march and global mobilization, at least 2,500 events have been confirmed in more than 155 countries, offering opportunities for millions of people to plug into the message and participate. (To see the event/action(s) closest to you, check out this page.)
"It is true that this one day will not be all it takes to get our governments to act at the scale that science and justice demand," admitted 350 campaigner Eduardo Santaela in a message to the group's members on Wednesday. "No single action or mobilisation is enough for that. But this weekend is not singular. By joining this People’s Climate Mobilization you will be standing alongside thousands, perhaps millions of others around the globe at a critical moment."
For the march in New York City on Sunday, the schedule and route details follow:

Assembly Location: Central Park West, between 65^th and 86^th streets.

•Marchers may enter on 65^th, 72^nd, 77^th, 81^st, or 86^th street.

March Start:

•The march will begin at 11:30 am.
•March down Central Park West and go east on 59^th Street
•Turn onto 6^th Ave. and go south to 42^nd Street
•Turn right onto 42^nd Street and go west to 11^th Ave
•Turn left on 11^th Ave. and go south to 34^th Street

End Location: 11^th Ave. in the streets between 34^th Street and 38^th St

The march has been endorsed by thousands of local, national, and international groups, including environmental organizations, social and economic justice campaigners, Indigenous groups and First Nations, organized labor, and many others.
As Naomi Klein—activist and author of the new book on climate change, This Changes Everything—stated in an open invitation to the march:

“To change everything, we need everyone,” goes one of the slogans of the People’s Climate March, and that is absolutely right: our movements and solutions must be as varied and numerous as the depth and scope that this crisis demands. We need everyone in the climate fight—the labour movement, health care workers, teachers, farmers, everyone defending the public sector and community values and solidarity where they live. We’re not there yet, but powerful glimpses of the kind of deep and diverse movement we need are starting to appear.
That is what this march is about for me: it is an expression of how profoundly the climate movement has changed since the days of elite summit hopping and the inside-game of beltway cap-and-trade fights. Indeed the People’s March is the physical convergence of many new and resurgent climate movements, united in their firm belief that the time to confront the climate criminals in now.

All members of the organizing committee of the march have also —with the stated purpose of creating an inclusive, family-friendly, and safe environment for all—agreed to the following set of guiding principles for the march:

• We will use no violence (physical or verbal) towards any person.
• We will not destroy or damage property.
• We will promote a tone of respect, honesty, transparency, and accountability in our actions.
• We will not carry anything that can be construed as a weapon, nor possess (or consume) any alcohol or drugs.
• We will all hold each other accountable to respecting these agreements.

The organizers encourage people to march as individuals, with friends and families, or to gather with those marching under specific banners or contingents, listings of which can be found here.
In addition, the march itself will been organized into six sections, or themes, all of which present a particular viewpoint, or message, related to the climate crisis. The sections include: Frontlines of Crisis, Forefront of Change; We Can Build the Future; We Have Solutions; We Know Who Is Responsible; The Debate Is Over; and To Change Everything, We Need Everybody—and will be organized according to this map:

In addition to Sunday's events in New York and around the globe, there are numerous events planned both before and after September 21. On Saturday, for example, an all-day climate convergence is planned for student and youth climate activists. Also, on Monday, a large-scale direct action will take place in the financial district under a call to 'Flood Wall Street.' For a full listing of events and activities throughout the week, go here.
And on Twitter, the #peoplesclimate hashtag is being used to share info, updates, and emerging developments surrounding the events both in New York and