Today I had the opportunity to join a number of other Kossacks for the biggest march against climate change the world has yet seen. The point of the march was to get our elected leaders and those from around the world to pay attention. Our planet is burning. We have a limited time to act or in about one hundred years our grand children and their children will not be able to functionally step outside. The time to act is now before it is to late.
Our group met up at around 10:30 on 69th street and central park west. The energy was high as the crowd looked upwards at over cast skies and towering buildings. Police barricades lined the sides of all the streets as police officers in civilian uniforms (a welcome change from their SWAT costumes) - organized marchers into blocks.
With a bit of luck and running since the 7 train was shut off for the weekend and I had to take a shuttle bus with my girlfriend into Manhattan and then wade through the throngs of people trying to get to Columbus Circle I saw the bright orange banner hanging in the sky. It was a welcome sight and her and I ducked under the police barricade as a cop grunted and said "Hey buddy those are there for a reason." I choose not to engage with him and merely pointed towards my group and met up first with Sidnora. There were a few more faces that I recognized from my travels to DC with mimi bursting out of the crowd and offering up a friendly hug and greeting. We were introduced to some lovely folks and patiently waited for the crowd to start moving.
It took another hour and a half before we started walking forward in earnest with the march moving at first at a snails pace. Listening to people talk about how many there was inspiring. Apparently there were people lined up almost to 100th street - so the idea that there were 300,000 + there is quite believable. It certainly seemed like a massive crowd that I had not experienced on that level since the Iraq war protests and the RNC convention protests.
The march was filled with students, activists, young, old, and with people from all walks of life trying to make a difference for the future. One of the most poignant moments during the march was when there was a moment of silence for thirty seconds and then suddenly a rush of cascading sound from the back that turned into a deafening roar. You could feel the energy.
I just got back from the march now and have to get ready for work - but below are some of the photos I took over the course of six hours. I know there are still people down there now as we speak. It was powerful that so many came together to denounce the path our planet is being forced down by greedy rich men. Inspiring as a word does the march an injustice.
It was people politics in action and I sure hope our leaders are paying attention because this planet is almost out of time.
7:27 PM PT: Added some more photos to the mix. Enjoy and please share your photos/experiences of the march.