The bustling streets of New York City saw a different kind of traffic on Sunday, Sept. 17, as thousands of climate change activists marched to make their voices heard.
The NYC March to End Fossil Fuels was organized by multiple collaborating organizations and international movements, including Fridays For Future. Drew students mobilized themselves in order to create a group to attend this biannual march, lead by student organizers Elizabeth Blank (’25), Elisabeth Sauerman (’24) and Sophia Geiger (’26). The event was sponsored and advertised by the Center for Civic Engagement, as well as a poster-making session in preparation for the march. Drew students gathered in front of the Ehinger Center to paint and draw these posters, featuring statements such as “Solution not Pollution” and “SOS.” They also recycled a banner used last year with the words “DrewU Students 4 Climate Justice” plastered on the front.
New York citizens both young and old took to the streets alongside activists from across America in preparation for the UN Climate-Ambition Summit hosted later that week. The march route was 1.3 miles long with spectators flanking either side of the protestors as they advanced into the heart of NYC. Two Drew students, Blank and Geiger, led with megaphones, chanting “Climate Change is not a lie, do not let our planet die,” and “The oceans are rising and so are we.” The streets became an amphitheater of energy and community as strangers came together to march for change.
Drew University was not the only school to attend, with students from schools as far away as Duke University and Yale University joining the fight. In total, over 75,000 people attended the march, including 20 Drew students.
After the march, there was a rally that the majority of the Drew students attended. Speakers included children from pipeline struggles and organization leaders. The headliner was Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who spoke passionately about the fight: “We are all here for one reason: to end fossil fuels around the planet… and the way we create urgency is to have people around the world in the streets.”
Geiger stated that “As college students, we have our whole lives ahead of us: lives that will be irreversibly damaged by the climate crisis and the inaction of our so-called ‘leaders.’ We are demanding a just transition to the world that we deserve–a future in which we can thrive, not just struggle to survive.”
When asked about how she felt after the march, Blank said “It is a powerful feeling to take part in a march this big. It is even more empowering to walk alongside my fellow Drew students and know we are all in this fight together. This fight can feel lonely at times, so having a community behind you is important.”
The student organizers plan to continue this annual tradition of bringing Drew students together and marching in the streets of NYC. The next march will take place during the Spring 2024 semester. For more information, keep a lookout for flyers, or contact Sophia Geiger (sgeiger1@drew.edu), Elizabeth Blank (eblank@drew.edu) or Elisabeth Sauerman (esauerman@drew.edu).
Elizabeth Blank is a junior majoring in history and minoring in environmental justice and teaching.
