In an act of civil disobedience, activists from Extinction Rebellion NYC disrupted traffic on 8th Avenue between 40th and 41st Streets in Manhattan staging a die-in in front of the New York Times building and a peaceful sit-in on 8th Avenue and West 40th Street.
Three activists climbed on the awning of the Times building where they unfurled an Extinction Rebellion flag and a banner that suggested the use of the term “climate emergency” instead of “climate change.” At the same time, two activists scaled down from the Port Authority building across the street hanging up a Climate Emergency banner. Extinction Rebellion NYC is requesting a more serious and thorough reporting of the climate crisis and wants media outlets to prioritize the issue. They ask that print media declare a climate emergency, refrain from publishing statements by climate deniers, and to tell the truth about the climate crisis.
Shortly after, the second group, Extinction Rebellion Youth U.S. which had gathered in Bryant Park at Noon, marched over to 41st Street and 8th Avenue including Fridays For Future activist, Alexandria Villaseñor. The 14-year-old student has been protesting in front of the United Nations every Friday since December 2018 to raise awareness of the climate crisis that is going to gravely impact her generation if drastic measures aren’t taken immediately. In the meantime, police had blocked access to the Times’ building and closed off the area between 40th and 41st Streets to pedestrian traffic to gain control of the situation. According to the New York City Police Department (NYPD), 70 protestors were arrested.
Extinction Rebellion and Fridays for Future have been gaining momentum globally as it is becoming more apparent how dire the climate situation is. Recently, a team of scientists shared their discovery that permafrost in the Canadian Arctic is thawing 70 years earlier than predicted. It is an indication that the global climate crisis is accelerating faster than scientists had feared and that the climate is warmer than at any time in the last 5,000 plus years.
The Group’s next action is this coming Monday, June 24, 2019, at Noon on the steps of N.Y. City Hall, supporting Resolution 0864-2019 which would declare a climate emergency and call for an immediate emergency mobilization to restore a safe climate if passed. A City Council hearing is scheduled for 1 p.m. the same day.
