Climate Justice Committee marches for Earth Day and to oppose Hiawatha expansion
Minneapolis, MN – On Saturday, April 22, 200 people marched with the MN Climate Justice Committee and the many organizations that have been fighting the Hiawatha Expansion. The Earth Day march began and ended at the Roof Depot site.
The event featured speakers from organizations at the center of the fight, such as East Phillips Neighborhood Institute, the American Indian Movement and Little Earth Defenders, as well as groups that have been standing in solidarity and support of the struggle, including Minnesota Workers United and TCC4J.
April 22 is Earth Day. In the face of urgently needed climate action and climate injustice, too many would turn Earth Day into a consumer holiday, as ironic as that is.
Katherine Gould of the Climate Justice Committee said, “We are here to reclaim Earth Day. This means that we recognize Earth Day as something much bigger, more radical and more challenging than what it has become for many – an opportunity to market 'green' products for a few weeks of the year. Earth Day is a recognition that one's access to safe and clean environments shouldn't be dictated by your race, your income, or your immigration status. Earth Day calls us to dismantle systems that enrich those with power and privilege while endangering the lives of others.”
She continued, “This community's fight against the city of Minneapolis’ proposed Hiawatha Expansion project and for community control of the Roof Depot site embodies the revolutionary spirit of Earth Day. East Phillips and Little Earth residents are standing up against an environmentally racist project that would concentrate pollution generated by service to the whole city in just a few predominantly low-income and BIPOC neighborhoods. Fighting environmental injustice and the public health crisis of racism is what Earth Day is about. It's about holding polluters accountable and protecting vulnerable ecosystems. It's about fighting for air that's safe to breathe, water that's safe to drink, and land that sustains life for generations.”
Follow the MN Climate Justice Committee on social media and look for a video of the Earth Day protest on Instagram: @climatejusticeMN