San Juan, Puerto Rico — As millions of people around the world gear up for tomorrow’s Global Climate Strikes, communities from Puerto Rico to New York and beyond will join the mobilization to commemorate the second anniversary of Hurricane Maria, and demand transformative action to protect and prioritize people on the frontlines of the climate crisis.
“Two years after Hurricane Maria, the effects of the storm are still seen physically in homes and buildings, and felt through the trauma remaining in the memories of families lost or separated,” said Amira Odeh, Puerto Rican activist and 350.org Caribbean & Florida organizer. “As we continue to recover and rebuild, we are taking action to fight the climate crisis, achieving real solutions like community-owned renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, good employment opportunities, and more. Puerto Ricans are taking part in the Global Climate Strikes demanding elected officials put our communities’ health and safety above fossil fuel profit and greed. Polluters — not ordinary Puerto Ricans — should pay the costs of climate destruction.”
There are at least a dozen Climate Strikes taking place across Puerto Rico, including a strike in San Juan in front of the Capitol, schools demanding local Mayors for climate action, and coastal communities raising awareness about the effects of sea level rise. This comes as the 2019 Atlantic Hurricane Season already sees its 10th named storm.
“I am striking on Friday because of how my life changed after Hurricane Sandy; a disaster fueled by climate change,” said Marisol Rivera, 13 year-old Sandy Survivor, New York Communities for Change. “I know there are people around the world who are suffering and are going through what I went through 7 years ago. I am striking to do what’s right for all of us. We can’t leave people suffering, we all deserve to live free of fossil fuels and have a better life. I am thankful that now I can tell my survival story, but this is not always the case. This can happen to the people we know and care for. We need to fight before is too late.”
The New York City Climate Strike will feature key speakers representing Puerto Rican communities, as well as have a contingent of multigenerational Puerto Rican-New Yorkers helping to lead the massive march. Ahead of the march kick-off, New York Communities for Change and the Center for Popular Democracy will hold an action outside Santander Bank.
Global Climate Strikes will take place in more than 130 countries and over 1000 communities across the U.S.
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Contact: Lindsay Meiman, [email protected], (347) 460-9082
For more on tomorrow’s New York City Climate Strike, visit climatestrikenyc.net and explore this media pack.