By Democracy Now, February 18, 2013
Introductory note: This
page urged our readers to join the thousands who were expected to participate
in the Forward on Climate Rallies in Washington D.C., San Francisco and other
cities. The rallies exceeded the expectations. In Washington D.C. some
50,000 people participated. Below please see Democracy Now coverages of the
rally. In San Francisco, about 5,000 participated in a two-hour rally that
began by circling the State Department office building and then assembling in
the 1 Market Plaza. The event was festive but determined. The demand to
stop the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline was central. However, other demands to
stop and reverse global warming were raised mostly by individuals and small
groups. Participants were of all age groups and many ethnicities. A
small group from Sebastopol, where I had come from, who were affiliated with
the Move On. Native Americans had a central presence and led the cultural
part of the rally. There were groups of local Green and Democratic Party
affiliates. However, the only presence of the traditional socialist parties I
came across was one woman passing out fliers for Bob Avakian 2003 video on
"Revolution" and a couple of men selling a black teeshirt with
inscription: "Stop bitching, start the revolution!" I will post
a video clip of the San Francisco rally here as soon as it is available.
--
KN
* * *
Below
see Democracy Now's report on the Washington. D.C. rally which was the main
event of the day:
We play highlights from the "Forward on Climate" rally
that drew tens of thousands to Washington D.C.’s National Mall Sunday.
Protesters from across the United States and Canada urged President Obama to
reject the proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, which would deliver tar
sands oil from Alberta to refineries along the Gulf Coast. Organizers described
Sunday’s protest as "the largest climate rally in history," and
Reverend Lennox Yearwood compared it to Martin Luther King’s 1963 March on
Washington for civil rights. We hear from speakers including Van Jones, Obama’s
former Green Jobs advisor, Canadian indigeous leader Chief Jacqueline Thomas of
the Saik’uz First Nation, and Bill McKibben of 350.org. [Includes rush
transcript]
GUESTS:
Van Jones, President Obama’s former Green Jobs Advisor.
Jacqueline Thomas, Chief of the Saik’uz First Nation from British Columbia, Canada.
Bill McKibben, longtime environmentalist and founder of 350.org.
Evangeline Lilly, Canadian actor.
Casey Camp, indigenous leader with the Ponca Nation of Oklahoma.
Postscrip: The following is from Jaime Henn of 350.org sent to its list by email on February 20, 2013
Dear Friends,
We were going to send you an inspiring video of last
weekend’s Forward on Climate rally, but breaking news just intervened:
Reporters this morning uncovered the fact that while
40,000 or more people were outside the White House asking for his attention
about Keystone XL, President Obama was playing golf with oil and pipeline
executives in Florida.
His staff didn't allow any pictures at the outing --
likely because it’s an embarrassing spectacle for a President who promised to “end
business as usual in Washington” and “respond to the threat of climate change,
knowing that failure to do so would betray our children and future generations.”
Listen: this weekend’s action exceeded all expectations
-- we made news in more than a dozen countries and on every major television
network. We’ve got lots of new momentum that we’re eager to put to work
stopping Keystone, pushing for fossil fuel divestment, and a whole host of
other next steps.
But President Obama still hasn't answered our
question: which side are you on - ours, or the fossil fuel industry's? With such a big, beautiful rally on
the Mall, he was certainly on the wrong side this weekend, but if he can get
off the links and into the trenches fighting this problem, that can change.
We need to show the White House they can't get away with
doing special favors for Big Oil. It’s fine to take a day off every now and
then, but it’s just plain wrong to play footsie with the oil industry.
Please click here to read and share the whole story, and make a call to the
President: act.350.org/call/obama-golf/
Thank you for being a part of this big movement,
P.S. -- We'll send out the video soon, too. We all
looked amazing standing together, and we shouldn't forget that.
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