[Dialogue] Fwd: GMCA Meets PCM: Sept. 19-22

[David Zahrt via Dialogue]

*SEP 19-22* *Montpelier, OH to NYC Peoples Climate March (and back)*



Our slogan for this extra trip for the GMCA was "The longest climate march
joins the largest climate march." We got on our hired bus at the Montpelier
Fairgrounds at 5pm *Friday Sep 19th*. The kitchen crew had made
burritos—meat; vegetarian, and vegan. Once the bus got underway they passed
them out for dinner. The bus driver stopped every 3 hours. That gave us a
chance to use the restroom and get some refreshments. It interrupted our
sleep. But the bus company couldn’t empty the bus’s restroom in NYC so they
didn’t want us using it. Saturday morning [*Sep 20*] we arrived at Penn
Station. From Penn Station we went to the first program. Our luggage was
taxied to the 2 churches in Brooklyn where most of us would be
‘camping-out’—sleeping on the floor in the auditorium. Kai helped me find
my way on the subway to the Children’s Magical Garden where Dave Finnegan
introduced his program *Climate Change Is Elementary.* I have been watching
his program because I hope to use it next year with local children.  For my
third program I walked over to Empire State College, *Organizing a Week of
Resistance to Fossil Fuel Infrastructure.* There were a variety of
presenters. It was in anticipation of our arrival in WDC. The entire
schedule is available at http://convergeforclimate.org/schedule.

Steve Norris, one of our Marchers, has had experience protesting. He gave
us an idea what to expect when we organize resistance. Izzy, my assigned
partner, was at this seminar.  When it was over we walked to Sara D.
Roosevelt Park to mingle with those who might consider joining our March or
becoming Virtual Marchers. We got something to eat and took the subway to W
64th St to attend the program *Global Climate Treaty: Why US Must Lead.*
Izzy planned to meet his daughter and her boyfriend at the park. I joined
the Marchers that were attending. It was from 6:30 to 9:30pm. There
representatives of NY City Council, and NY State. Those speaking also
represented many nations and cultures. It was 3 hours of sitting and
listening! Then we hopped the subway and went back to Brooklyn where we
were to stay in the 2 churches. I found my luggage and Jane, who was
handling all the practical enablement, ushered me to the other church where
I was assigned. By the time I got settled in it was 11pm, way past my
bedtime!

The next morning [*Sep 21-Sun*] we got up and made our own breakfast and
packed our lunch and headed for the Peoples Climate March. It was to start
near Central Park on 81st St. and we were to get there early so we arrived
at 8:30am. It was to start at 11:30am, but it didn’t start for over an
hour. The March didn’t start moving until 1pm. because there were too many
people. The police estimated 3-400 thousand, and they had planned for
100,000. Did you see news and photos of the mass of people?  It was huge
and yet very peaceful from what we could see.  At the end of the March we
went to the Park at 11th Ave between 34th and 38th Sts.  After mingling
with others for awhile, Izzy and I took the subway back to the church in
Brooklyn and went to bed. Between 'sleeping' on the bus ride across 4
states, then walking and attending programs on Saturday, and mostly
standing and waiting today, we were exhausted.

(*Sep 22-Mon)* Our GMCA was joining other groups to march on Wall St.  A
group of us took a Ferry from the Brooklyn churches to Battery Park, going
past the Statue of Liberty. We got to the park at 8:30am. Izzy brought his
guitar and started a little Sing-along. The park was filled with people.
There were speakers scheduled to make presentations from 9:30am to 11:30.
There was such a crowd around the platform/speakers that it was not
possible for me to crowd in and/or hear them. The actual March didn’t start
until 12:30pm. Izzy and I didn’t see the rest of our crew so we joined the
Flood Wall St. March by ourselves. When we reached Broadway the March
turned and headed for Wall Street. There were barricades at the bottom of
Broadway where it meets Wall St. The March stalled and some people just sat
down. Izzy and I jumped the barricades in case the police planned to arrest
the protesters. We went to a restaurant, ate lunch, and viewed the Flood
Wall St. March out the window. Izzy got a phone call from a woman that he
has been trying to connect with for 10 years. She asked where he was. He
answered her and discovered that she was across the street on the other
side of the March. He went and escorted her to our restaurant. They had a
good time getting acquainted person to person.
We watched the March for another hour. There were some who were sitting
down on Broadway in the March pathway. The police made no arrests that we
could see. We left and took the subway to the UN building thinking we would
attend the program *Women Leading Solutions on the Frontlines of Climate
Change.* We discovered that we had to have registered ahead of time and we
didn’t have a pass. While we were trying to decide what to do next, 5 women
from our March came out. We joined them and looked for a place to eat our
evening meal. It was interesting to hear what the women had to say because
they were very enthusiastic about the UN program. Izzy and his companion,
Julie, continued their meal. The rest of us walked to Penn Station where we
got on our bus and left NYC by 7:45pm. It was a long ride back to
Montpelier, OH. We arrived at 6am on Tue Sep 23.



-- 
Peace, David
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