Global Climate Strike: Reportback from Seattle

Here in Seattle, our rally and march were modest in size, sort of like our city. But we did, in fact, show up! Photo by Andy Freeman/Liberation News

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2019: Climate Strikers of the world, we in Seattle salute you! Our rally and march were far from the largest; then again, our city is far from the largest, and our weather can be a bit dodgy. But our modest turnout made up for its small size (and the fact that the Seattle School System refused to excuse student strikers) with plenty of enthusiasm, passion, fear, anger, and lots of creative energy. I am extremely proud of all who were there, and all who stood with the strike from a distance--including our governor, Jay Inslee, who almost singlehandedly brought Climate Change to the forefront of Election 2020 during his brief campaign for the presidency.

Now, I'll have to beg your forgiveness and indulgence for the fact that I did not stay to join the march to City Hall. For one thing, my cellphone battery was just about dead, after nearly two hours of recording clips and photos from the rally. Sadder, though, was the fact that my physical energy level was nearly down to zero. I have the mind and heart of a 20-year-old, but my body just turned 55 the beginning of this month; and I realize now that I must do more stretching, walking, fitness swimming, and cardiovascular exercise generally in order to avoid running out of steam prematurely. With age comes wisdom; but with age also comes a frustrating tendency towards quick fatigue, and that part really sucks. But I digress.

We had artwork everywhere. For those who hadn't created signs before striking, there were whole stations devoted to sign preparation. There was a Native American weaving wall, where students attempted to create a two-sided tapestry of the "Turtle Island" that represents North America. There was at least one representative of the original Earth Day marches who brought the same Earth Day flag he marched with nearly fifty years ago. There were workshops stretching across the field of Cal Anderson Park, including one conducted by an activist who specializes in regenerative agriculture. There were stations for voter registration for students who have, or will be, turning 18 in the next year. There was a contingent from Refuse Fascism, announcing a national meeting in D.C. to plan mass sustained protest against the Trump Administration. There were a handful of anarchists from somewhere, who, fortunately, didn't cause trouble beyond pointing out and branding random individuals "white supremacists" (you can't miss those guys; they dress all in black, with black caps and black bandanas or masks over their faces; and they walk around in groups, yelling things like "Die, Nazi scum!"). And there were plenty of youth speakers, some as young as twelve, assertively explaining why they were there, instead of being at school that day, and why they were perfectly happy to face the consequences of skipping school, rather than disregarding issues that caused them great concern and discontent. One thing that struck me about these speakers was the degree of fear that so many of them expressed. They said they are nearly as frightened as they are angry at the lack of political will and action taken on climate issues; as frightened as they are determined not to strike this one day, and then go back to business-as-usual ordinary life.

So, one person can't make a difference...?? Photo collage lifted from somewhere on Facebook.

So, how were the Climate Strikes over the rest of the world? I still have to process my video clips, while looking up reportbacks from other Strikes. The word is, there were at least four million people striking in over 150 countries; something like 250,000 turned out in Berlin alone. Why are so many people striking worldwide, and why are so many people determined to keep striking for Climate Action? Because government decision-makers around the world are either complacent with what they've done already; or else they're firmly in the pockets of the industrial sector and uber-rich corporate interests who have my nation's government and media bought and paid for. Because so-called "leaders" like Trump and Bolsonaro appear eager to play God and kill off the planet more quickly than it's already dying, for both big business and the apocalyptic religious far-right. There are, indeed, twisted ideologies in play here; but I'm heartened by the youth of the world who are fed up, and not having that shit. I salute you all, young Climate Strikers (who could have imagined that one fed-up Swedish kid, whom nobody had heard of a year ago, could mobilize millions of people worldwide in a matter of months, including the United Nations and multiple governments? Holy shit.); keep up your passion, anger, determination, and energy; and allow this 55-year-old lefty folksinger in Seattle to draw from it, to shed depression and health issues, and get rejuvenated and re-energized to keep the fight going in my corner of the world.

Together Across the World! I love and salute you all, you who are picking up the struggle that my generation blew off, at our peril! Now, let us get back to work; as a youth climate org wrote me by email on Saturday, this is just the Beginning! I hear tell another strike is on sometime in the next month or two...