Action Galleries
Check out what we’ve done.
December 6, 2019 — Global Climate Strike
After months of planning, Sunrise joined partner organizations to close out 2019 leading the third global climate strike of the year. Over a million protestors stormed the streets and offices of our politicians, demanding that they stop selling out the futures of younger generations to a wealthy few. This mass mobilization brings us one step closer to climate justice in 2020 and ushers in the decade of the Green New Deal.
September 20, 2019 — Global Climate Strike
On September 20th, Sunrise participated in the Global Climate Strike, the largest day of action for climate justice in world history. Over 3 million people chose to #StrikeWithUs at over 4,000 events in 150 countries. The generation of the Green New Deal took over in the U.S., and young and old strikers alike voiced demand for serious climate action across the globe.
June 2019 — DNC Headquarters Climate Debate Sit-In
Washington, D.C.
Sunrise brought the demand for a Climate Debate to the front steps of the Democratic National Headquarters in Washington, D.C., blocking the locked entrance to the building with a sit-in for three days. We pushed DNC Chair Tom Perez to give voters what they deserve; an opportunity to hear each candidate’s plan to address the biggest existential threat we face. Armed with pizza, sleeping bags, and signs, Sunrisers refused to leave the steps of the DNC until they scheduled a vote for a Climate Debate at their August meeting.
April 2019 — Road to a Green New Deal Tour
1,400 people packed into a sold-out Strand Theatre in Boston to launch the Road to a Green New Deal Tour, in what was the largest Sunrise event to date. Speakers included Senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren (via video), Representative Ayanna Pressley, Sunrise co-founder Varshini Prakash, and community and union leaders, including Reverend Mariama White-Hammond and the students who led the Boston Youth Climate Strike. After eight cities across the country and over 200 town halls in 46 states, the tour concluded in Washington, D.C. in a sold-out theater at Howard University. Senator Bernie Sanders, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, author and journalist Naomi Klein, and executive director of Justice Democrats Alex Rojas were among the speakers who brought the Road to a Green New Deal Tour home to the capital.
February 25, 2019 — Washington, D.C.
For a week in February 2019, young Kentuckians walked out of school and showed up outside Mitch McConnell’s office every day, asking him to look them in the eyes and tell them that the $1.9 million he’s received from oil and gas CEOs is more important than our generation’s future. When he refused to meet with them, they came to DC and joined hundreds of Sunrisers to challenge him and put all Senators on notice: If you stand with #OilMoneyMitch and the fossil fuel billionaires, we’ll come for you at the ballot box.
December 10, 2018 — Washington, D.C.
1000 people from across the country dropped everything and flocked to Washington, DC to keep the pressure on our elected officials. We visited Congress a second time, sharing our stories with lawmakers and urging them to back the select committee for a Green New Deal. Our efforts led to lawmakers such as Rep. Jim McGovern (MA-02) to sign on that day. The idea of a Green New Deal has since been shared with millions thanks to coverage of our action by major publications and television outlets.
November 13, 2018 — Washington, D.C.
A week following the 2018 midterm elections, during which we helped elect the youngest, most diverse congress this country has ever seen, 250 young people descended on our country’s capital to demand a Green New Deal instead of settling for Pelosi’s lackluster research committee. We were joined by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the youngest congresswoman ever elected, who came with a more robust proposal for a select committee on climate change, including calling for a Green New Deal with a just transition to 100% renewable energy in the US. Her support proved that young people everywhere understand the severity of climate change, and that we won’t settle for the same all-talk, no-action plans anymore. The action put the Green New Deal in the spotlight of the mainstream media.
August 2018 — Nationwide #HeatWeek
For a week in August, young people organized mass distributed actions of civil disobedience to put pressure on politicians corrupted by the influence of the fossil fuel industry. From New York to Sacramento, Lancaster to Lansing, we visited our local representatives to talk about the issues that hit closest to home. In NYC, pressure mounted as eight people were arrested in protesting Gov. Cuomo’s acceptance of over $450,000 from fossil fuel billionaires.
