On July 21st, 2018, Zero Hour NYC took to the streets to call upon policymakers at every level of governance to separate themselves from the fossil fuel industry and support a transition to 100% renewable energy. Sister marches took place around the country and world.
Now, we're working to translate the energy and dedication we displayed on July 21st into a sustained youth-led movement for climate justice. That's why we're calling on YOU -- NYC and NYS students, adult allies, and organizational partners -- to join us our fight. Sign up at bit.ly/joinzerohournyc.
Now, we're working to translate the energy and dedication we displayed on July 21st into a sustained youth-led movement for climate justice. That's why we're calling on YOU -- NYC and NYS students, adult allies, and organizational partners -- to join us our fight. Sign up at bit.ly/joinzerohournyc.
March Day Photos
Photos taken by Erik McGregor and published in Erik McGregor Photography, under the title "NYC Students Organize Youth Climate March to Advocate for a Safe and Livable Future."
https://erikmcgregorphotography.blogspot.com
https://erikmcgregorphotography.blogspot.com
March Literature
Our Post-March Press Release
For immediate release: July 22nd, 2018
Zero Hour Organizes Largest Youth Climate March in History, Draws Crowds in NYC
NYC Sister March Demands Climate Justice Alongside Washington, D.C. Marchers
From left to right: Speaker Eric Stenzel, Co-Head Coordinator Amy Torres, and Co-Head Coordinator Ilana Cohen.
New York, NY -- On July 21st, in cities across the globe, thousands of youth and allies united within the Zero Hour movement to march for climate justice. The New York City chapter of Zero Hour, Zero Hour NYC, finished its day of activism with a rally near the U.N. headquarters. The rally featured an accomplished group of youth climate activist speakers who demanded political divestment from the fossil fuel industry and the improvement of current sustainable energy policy.
The rally, with a sound system powered by solar panels and a stage featuring a hand-painted mural, put forward a series of policy demands introduced by NYC Co-Head Coordinators Ilana Cohen and Amy Torres. Speaking to a crowd of 300, the two 2018 high school graduates called for New York State to transition completely to clean energy by 2040. They and other student speakers emphasized the essentiality of this goal in a world in which today’s youth will suffer the consequences of current lawmakers’ actions. 17-year-old international environmental activist Aryaana Khan and 18-year-old Sunrise fellow Izzi Graj spoke about their experiences lobbying Governor Cuomo to make responsible climate law decisions, and volunteers from YVote, YPPG, and NYPIRG registered voters after the rally.
“Our call is about more than protecting our planet—it’s about protecting all of its inhabitants,” said Cohen, addressing the marchers. Zero Hour believes that an essential element of climate advocacy is preventing corporations’ usage of dirty energy from harming indigenous populations, people of color, and residents of low-income neighborhoods. “Environmental justice is social justice.”
In the coming months, the national Zero Hour movement will continue to lobby politicians to enact environmental and social change. Zero Hour founder and president Jamie S. Margolin, along with other members of the national team, met with Senators Bernie Sanders and Tammy Duckworth in the days leading up to the marches. Margolin’s D.C. march -- the largest in the country -- used the national mall as its stage, speakers addressing their demands directly to Congress. The NYC chapter has partnered with People’s Climate Movement to grow the youth organization during a series of activism events this fall.
During the rally, the coordinators asked that all participants make the climate sign, a C-shaped hand gesture, and take a moment of silence to consider why climate justice is important to them. After the moment of silence, protesters cheered and raised their banners even higher than before. “What time is it?” prompted Cohen and Torres. The crowd chanted back, “Zero Hour!”
Zero Hour Organizes Largest Youth Climate March in History, Draws Crowds in NYC
NYC Sister March Demands Climate Justice Alongside Washington, D.C. Marchers
From left to right: Speaker Eric Stenzel, Co-Head Coordinator Amy Torres, and Co-Head Coordinator Ilana Cohen.
New York, NY -- On July 21st, in cities across the globe, thousands of youth and allies united within the Zero Hour movement to march for climate justice. The New York City chapter of Zero Hour, Zero Hour NYC, finished its day of activism with a rally near the U.N. headquarters. The rally featured an accomplished group of youth climate activist speakers who demanded political divestment from the fossil fuel industry and the improvement of current sustainable energy policy.
The rally, with a sound system powered by solar panels and a stage featuring a hand-painted mural, put forward a series of policy demands introduced by NYC Co-Head Coordinators Ilana Cohen and Amy Torres. Speaking to a crowd of 300, the two 2018 high school graduates called for New York State to transition completely to clean energy by 2040. They and other student speakers emphasized the essentiality of this goal in a world in which today’s youth will suffer the consequences of current lawmakers’ actions. 17-year-old international environmental activist Aryaana Khan and 18-year-old Sunrise fellow Izzi Graj spoke about their experiences lobbying Governor Cuomo to make responsible climate law decisions, and volunteers from YVote, YPPG, and NYPIRG registered voters after the rally.
“Our call is about more than protecting our planet—it’s about protecting all of its inhabitants,” said Cohen, addressing the marchers. Zero Hour believes that an essential element of climate advocacy is preventing corporations’ usage of dirty energy from harming indigenous populations, people of color, and residents of low-income neighborhoods. “Environmental justice is social justice.”
In the coming months, the national Zero Hour movement will continue to lobby politicians to enact environmental and social change. Zero Hour founder and president Jamie S. Margolin, along with other members of the national team, met with Senators Bernie Sanders and Tammy Duckworth in the days leading up to the marches. Margolin’s D.C. march -- the largest in the country -- used the national mall as its stage, speakers addressing their demands directly to Congress. The NYC chapter has partnered with People’s Climate Movement to grow the youth organization during a series of activism events this fall.
During the rally, the coordinators asked that all participants make the climate sign, a C-shaped hand gesture, and take a moment of silence to consider why climate justice is important to them. After the moment of silence, protesters cheered and raised their banners even higher than before. “What time is it?” prompted Cohen and Torres. The crowd chanted back, “Zero Hour!”
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