Coming Together in Mass Nonviolent Protest

 Post NYC Climate March, the effects of symbolic movement and what happens next.

by Mercedes Mack

About 400,000 people marched in the largest Climate March in history on Sunday September 21, 2014 in New York and other locations around the world, in a collective call to action as world leaders converged for the UN Climate Summit. As a strategy employed in nonviolence, mass marches serve as an important function for several reasons. At a very basic level, it creates solidarity within the community, or in this Climate March’s case, the global community. It highlights that there is an issue that needs to be addressed. Mass protests can also be used in part of an obstructive program to initiate civil disobedience and apply pressure for change.

Mass protests can also expand the influence of a nonviolent movement. When used strategically as part of an ongoing nonviolent movement, as the Salt March was employed during the movement for India’s independence, it can be a significant push towards success. Gandhi pursued the Salt March with intention of implementing specific mechanisms that made it impossible for Britain to keep ruling India. His march drew in millions of Indian supporters, and as a strategically employed method of civil disobedience, it became a defining moment in swaying Britain’s attitude towards India’s eventual independence.

While incorporating the use of nonviolent mass protest, the Climate March as per their purpose, seeks to make the collective desire for climate change highly visible in order to create a platform for discussion on the topic; in this way it can be recognized as a symbolic movement. In the Climate March, the circular nature of environmental degradation was highlighted through the diversity of participants and the concerns raised. Labor unions marched in protest of the dangers to public health caused by climate change. The Philippine Movement for Climate Justice marched to protest the increase of typhoons caused by climate change. The Union Theological Seminary marched to recognize climate change as a social justice issue. When stepping back and looking at the protest as a whole, we can see underlying currents of shared values in the global community can be seen.

The platform has been created, but now what?

Coinciding with the Climate March, several corporations, namely Google, Facebook, Yum! Brands, Rockefeller Brother’s Fund, as well as churches of various faiths have responded to public support and joined the divestment movement away from fossil fuels and companies that do not have sustainable practices. After the march, protestors organized in a Flood Wall Street protest outside of Wall Street in New York to protest capitalism and call attention to Wall Street’s role as a key institution in the climate crisis.

The 400,000 people marching the streets of New York Sunday make it clear that obstructive and constructive programs are needed and will be supported by the global community. What kind of steps can we take, collectively and individually to create changes that support environmental sustainability? Creating or joining alternative systems that support our environmental agenda is a very effective form of constructive program. As constructive programs grow and replace key areas in the system or injustice, they can also function as an obstructive program. Withdrawing participation and support in detrimental institutions will apply pressure to those institutions to change. By no longer engaging in systems or behaviors we don’t like, and creating new ones that promote our community values, we intentionally make an unsupportive system obsolete.

For more information on the Climate March and the organizations involved, please see the Climate March’s website.

Newsweek Magazine photo op: Photos: NYC Climate Change March Rallies

Listen to this episode of Clearing the FOG radio with PopularResistance.org organizers, Zeese and Flowers on the next steps in solving the climate crisis.