PETERSHAM — On Sept. 20 and 27, young people and adults will strike to demand transformative action be taken to address the climate crisis. Building on a historic surge of student protests and strikes for climate action, the Sept. 20 strike comes ahead of the United Nations Summit on Climate Change three days later, when world leaders will convene in New York with the goal of deepening climate ambition.
In more than 150 countries, people are already pledging to organize events on Sept. 20 and during the Week of Action that will follow it. The Sept. 20 Climate Strike is an intergenerational, intersectional effort which will result in a range of events taking place across the country. Led by the youth climate strikers, people will walk out of school and work to join mass marches and rallies, to music concerts, sit-ins and nonviolent direct action, connecting the climate movement to civic engagement.
Residents are leading the strikes in Petersham, demanding stark climate action be taken by local, national, and global politicians. “The September youth strikes are significant, because it shows the huge numbers of young people who feel that the climate crisis is taking away their hopes and dreams,” said Lynne Feldman, lead organizer of the local strikes. “Adults have an obligation to step forward and show their support for the striking students and their important message.”
Feldman said, “Young people know that we have a little over 10 years to drastically reduce greenhouse-gas emissions before the situation becomes irreversible and ever-worsening. It’s a threat to human society as we know it. The good news is, we have the money, technology, and knowledge to do so; we just lack the political will.”
Nationally coordinated by Future Coalition, the effort includes youth organizations such as Earth Uprising, Fridays for Future USA, Extinction Rebellion-Youth, the Sunrise Movement, US Youth Climate Strike, Zero Hour, Earth Guardians and International Indigenous Youth Council. The Youth Climate Strike Coalition is steering the national campaign, with the active support, participation and collaboration from an Adult Climate Strike Coalition, which includes leading national progressive organizations such as 350.org, Greenpeace, SEIU and March On.
Youth and adults, institutional and grassroots organizations, climate-focused and social justice groups, are coming together as a unified front to demand the change needed to protect the future.
Currently, the Youth Climate Strike Coalition is actively organizing in local communities, such as in the North Quabbin Region, across the country, working closely with other youth and adult allies, to build momentum for September.
All are welcome to attend the strikes on Sept. 20 at 8:30 a.m. and Sept. 27 at noon on the Petersham North Common.
Find out more about the national strikes at www.strikewithus.org