Guest essay: I was arrested at a climate protest. Maybe that's not for ... - Evanston RoundTable

Guest essay: I was arrested at a climate protest. Maybe that's not for you, but we all must act - Evanston RoundTable
Mark Peterson

By Rachel Rosner

On Sunday, Sept. 17, approximately 75,000 people gathered in the streets of New York City with a clear and singular message: End fossil fuels. I had the privilege of being there with my 21-year-old daughter, Bella, who was frequently tearing up, moved by the power of the collective energy of the crowd and a sense of relief from knowing that so many people are moved to action in the face of the climate emergency. We were struck by the number of indigenous activists, migrants and BIPOC communities who showed up in force.

The speeches there were powerful as well. Rep. Jamaal Bowman, of Georgia, crystallized the insanity of the fact that through our massive subsidies of the fossil fuel industry, “The U.S. is subsidizing its own destruction.”

Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate spoke about the horrendous and unconscionable climate impacts on the African continent, so often disregarded by wealthy polluting nations like the U.S., and what must be done to ensure a just transition to renewable energy.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, of New York, said, “The way that we create urgency on the issue of climate is that we have people all across the world in the streets. In the streets! Showing up, demanding change and demanding a cessation of what is killing us. We have to send the message that some of us are going to be living on this planet 30, 40, 50 years from now and we will not take no for an answer!”

My greatest hope is that the march and related actions created a sense of urgency at the United Nations Climate Ambition Summit taking place in New York that week.

President Joe Biden was called out in many speeches, chants and signs at the event demanding that he stop new drilling and declare a climate emergency now. I’ve heard people say that this is not politically possible. And yet, given the gravity of the climate impacts we’re already seeing (which I shall not list here, because who needs to read that list?), what choice do we have but to come together and make demands for action that match the scale of the crisis?

Bella and I have been in the climate movement, separately and together, in various capacities, for some years now driven by our deep concern as we have become aware of the intensity and the horrible injustice of climate impacts on people and ecosystems in the global south and of projections of what the world Bella (and her possible kids?) will inherit if drastic action is not taken. We’ve had some wins and found community, but have also found the slowness of change to be excruciating at times when we feel so much urgency. So, last month’s action was a salve and a tonic for both of us.

The next day we engaged in an act of civil disobedience, knowing that we would be arrested. Bella is living in New York, and this summer when the skies were orange and people couldn’t go outside due to the smoke she said, “Mom, we have to do something bigger.” I attended a meeting where lawyers laid out the legal process and it all sounded reasonable to me (if not to my husband).

On Monday, Sept. 18, about a thousand of us marched from Zuccotti Park to Wall Street where those willing to be arrested blocked the doors of the Federal Reserve. Over 130 people – from college students to grandparents, from a wide variety of backgrounds – elected to be arrested. People were chanting “Arrest the real climate criminals!” As one activist wrote in a piece for Syracuse.com, “We were being arrested for trying to protect human life, while those whose actions lead to massive death and destruction not only walk free, but are handsomely rewarded.”

We were well aware of our privilege as we stood with our (friendly) officers in the rain for some hours before the van arrived to take us in. At the end, our arresting officer actually thanked us for using our First Amendment rights. He was from the Dominican Republic, the 11th most climate vulnerable country in the world due to flooding and hurricanes, according to US AID. He said everyone talks about climate change now, including his 6-year-old son.

In some ways putting this story out there is scarier for me than the arrest itself. But I got arrested in hopes of moving the dial on this conversation, and the way to do that is to share my story. Some question the efficacy of our choice. But as we saw more and more intense climate impacts in our own communities and in the world, we were moved to take action that would convey the urgency of the matter.

A reporter from The Associated Press interviewed me as I stood there in the rain. She asked how I feel about politicians not keeping their promises about climate policy, and I said, “I can’t imagine any parent or grandparent not doing everything in their power to address this crisis.”

Of course everything in one’s power varies greatly depending on life circumstances, and there are so many pressing issues, many intersecting with climate justice, pulling at people whose lives are invariably very full as it is. It can be hard for even the most resourced people to figure out their place in the movement. My deepest hope is that you find yours, and that together we can make the change that’s needed to protect the planet and our children’s future.

Maybe getting arrested or even taking to the streets is not for you. To help you find out what is, here’s a great piece by Katherine Wilkinson.

If you’re still not sure what to do, here are some of the most impactful actions according to experts such as Adam Aron of the University of San Diego:

1) Move your money out of banks that fund fossil fuel projects. I still have $90 at Chase but I’m close! (Chase is the No. 1 funder of fossil fuel projects in the U.S.)

2) Make sure your elected officials, from school board to U.S. president, know that climate justice and ending fossil fuels is a top priority for you. Write, call email, ring their doorbell – even those who are in favor of increased climate action need constituents to press them to make it a top priority.

3) If you are in a position to do so, electrify your home and move away from natural gas. People at Climate Action Evanston can guide you.

4) Join an organization. I’m a fan of 350.org and the Climate Reality Project, but there are lots of great organizations where you can learn, engage and find others who care.

Rachel Rosner is a lifelong Evanstonian and the former board president of Climate Action Evanston.