Milwaukee, WI – Several hundred people gathered on the morning of December 6 in downtown Milwaukee at Zeidler Park to demand that the big banks like Wells Fargo, Chase and other corporations divest from the fossil fuel industry.

Several classrooms worth of children from local public schools attended the event in support of a safe and livable planet for their futures. The People’s Climate Coalition, consisting of local climate justice groups, put out the call and organized the event.

All representatives from the coalition and its allies were given an opportunity to speak. Each highlighted in different ways the pressing need for action against climate change. One line that could be traced through all the comments, though, was an indictment of corporations as the root cause of the climate crisis.

After the speeches, participants marched several blocks over to the Wells Fargo building where they joined nearly a dozen others who were occupying the lobby of the bank. The occupiers were leaders from several of the member groups of the coalition. The marchers on the outside took to chanting by the doors and windows.

With calls of “System change, not climate change!” and “Climate change is a war – of the rich upon the poor!” the marchers made sure that those on the inside knew they had support. The Milwaukee Police Department descended on the action and rounded up the activists in the building. Four police vans hauled them away while a dozen officers held back the crowd.

“This issue is a human crisis and if we don’t start making systemic change, then the effects will be irreversible,” said Erin Sankey, an organizer with the People’s Climate Coalition. “The movement must continue on a path where we target corporations and banks because they have gotten away with actions for too long.”

Sankey continued, “I just want to add that I am so proud of the movement and the engagement from everyone, especially the children, and I cannot wait to see where this takes us.”

This planned civil disobedience was just the opening action in what the coalition intends to be a broader offensive for climate justice in the city of Milwaukee.

#MilwaukeeWI #PeoplesStruggles #EnvironmentalJustice #climateStrike

St. Paul, MN – More than 8000 students, youth and their supporters marched to the State Capitol, September 20, joining the global Youth Climate Strike. As the protest poured onto the capitol grounds, they chanted, “Hey hey, ho ho, climate change has got to go,” and “There is no planet B!” They joined millions from around the world.

Daylon Prochaska, a Chaska High School student and member of the U.S. Youth Climate Strike who helped organize the Twin Cities school walkout, stated, “Never has there been such an incredible mobilization here and on international the scale or ever in the history of the world.”

After years and generations of witnessing world leaders turning a blind eye to the scientific research and all the evidence that the world’s climate is changing, the youth took charge. They know that if the ruling class continues this track, they will be the ones that will have to deal with the aftermath.

Prochaska continued, “That this walkout was organized by teenagers is greatly significant. The youth are developing an international consciousness that is based around mass movements and dismantling oppressive system. It’s important that everybody puts in effort to develop this consciousness by joining us in the streets!”

Many students who organized the walkouts represented local and international organizations, including U.S. Youth Climate Strike, Sunrise Movement, Friday’s for Future, Extinction Rebellion, and other groups.

There were a variety of student and youth speakers that emphasized the importance of this day and the continued work that must happen to protect the earth for many of generations to come.

Isra Hirsi, co-founder of U.S. Youth Climate Strike and daughter of U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar, talked about being a black Muslim in the environmental movement, “I am using her voice to uplift others. My existence in the climate justice movement in itself is an act of resistance.” She is concerned that groups are not addressing environmental issues that hit Black, brown and indigenous peoples the hardest.

Marco Hernandez, a student said, “Major fossil fuel companies are trying to protect their interests and assets by funding climate denying candidates into power. We have to deviate from the colonization ideology that we can ‘manipulate nature for our gain.’” He went on to quote Bertha Caceras, “'Let us wake up humankind, we are out of time. We must shake our consciousness free of the rapacious capitalism, racism and patriarchy that will only assure our own self-destruction.'”

Atquetzali Quiroz and the International Indigenous Youth Council – Twin Cities stated, “We are marching today for our four-legged relatives and plant relatives who are unable to speak for themselves. We are marching for our family, community and most of all, we are marching for the future generations. We must protect mother earth at all cost.”

The rally ended with a commitment to continue pressing politicians and corporations to take climate change seriously so we can fix it now and in the future.

#SaintPaulMN #PeoplesStruggles #EnvironmentalJustice #climateStrike

Milwaukee, WI – On the morning of September 20, more than 500 people gathered and marched in downtown Milwaukee to defend the planet. The crowd included a wide variety of people from all different backgrounds and of all different ages. The leaders were young, Black, and predominantly women.

After gathering strength at city hall, demonstrators were led on a nearly two mile march by a handful of students from North Division High School. The student activists are part of a group organized in their school called Youth Rising Up. For many of these young adults, it was their first experience protesting anything, and they made the most of the opportunity.

The march was determined and energetic, with all participants demonstrating their resolve to fight against corporations to save the future. Chants of “You can’t drink oil! Keep it in the soil!” and “Climate action now!” rang out as passersby snapped pictures, cheered or honked car hons.

The day of action was called by an organization called Youth Climate Action Team. One of the primary organizers is Ayanna Lee, a senior at Rufus King High School in Milwaukee. She said that politicians have failed to address the needs of people, specifically the oppressed nationality youth.

“Those in power have neglected to acknowledge their privilege on the issue [of climate change]. Marginalized communities – including my own in Milwaukee – have to forgo clean water,” Lee said. “Robin Vos and Scott Fitzgerald simply cannot relate to our struggles, which is why they refuse to recognize the existence of climate change,” referring to Wisconsin’s assembly speaker and the state senate majority leader.

The demonstration concluded with a massive rally at Lake Park near the shores of Lake Michigan. Those gathered were treated to a rousing speech from Lee about the role oppressed nationalities have played in the struggle for climate justice. A speaker who traveled to Milwaukee all the way from Germany shared news of hundreds of similar actions taking place all over his country, demonstrating the global character of the movement.

Representatives of the Coalition to March on the DNC in 2020 actively participated in the march and rally, helping to lead chants and excite the crowd. One of the Coalition’s points of unity is a demand for climate action now. The expectation is that many who attended or supported the climate strike will join the Coalition for its first organizing meeting which is being held at Dontre Hamilton (Red Arrow) Park on October 3 at 5 p.m.

If there’s one lesson to be learned from this action in Milwaukee and the thousands of similar ones all around the world, it’s that young people aren’t going to sit idly by any longer. They’re ready to take the offensive and battle the system at the root of the climate crisis.

#MilwaukeeWI #PeoplesStruggles #EnvironmentalJustice #ClimateChange #climateStrike