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Friend,
In the time since we last sent this newsletter, the world stood up for climate in one of the biggest mobilizations in history. And of course, we were part of it. Dive in our newsletter for September and learn more about what we’ve been up to.
Puerto Rico no se vende!
We marched for the 2nd anniversary of Hurricane Maria on Sept.20th, we partnered up with the Climate Organizers and combined the day for the Global Climate Strike and Puerto Rico day of action. We started the day with a press conference in front of Santander Bank, who happens to be one of the institutions that underwrote a great deal of the debt of Puerto Rico and made billions in interest off these deals. Our press conference was started off by one of our youngest climate activist Marisol Rivera also a Hurricane Sandy survivor followed by other speakers after the speeches we marched and chanted inside of Santander Bank. We then joined the youth climate strike march, where Marisol was the first speaker on stage and she spoke about her experience during Hurricane Sandy and how Hurricane Maria devastated her family and friends home in Puerto Rico. We paid tribute to the lives lost during Hurricane Maria with a moment of silence.
Nailing Biden, #ClimateStrike and Winning on Williams
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When Joe Biden lied during the CNN climate forum about not taking fossil fuel industry money, we decided to bust him on it. We rounded up climate allies, figured out the time and place (don’t ask how), and descended on his fundraiser with a lively protest, which generated a great story in The New York Times (plus coverage in other outlets). There was the climate strike, detailed above in our Puerto Rico report. That was bumping! Oh, and we defeated the Williams fracked gas pipeline, presumably for good, when Governor Cuomo in public declared he himself opposes the climate-destroying project. That effectively puts an end to the utilities and Williams’ push. (we also did 6 other events we don’t have space to detail) What a month!
Fair Elections now!
On September 5th, as part of the statewide launch of the new Fight for Fair Elections, NYCC members in Flatbush collected letters from residents calling on the Public Financing Commission and Cuomo to pass strong campaign finance laws to take big money out of politics
The Public Financing Commission’s first hearing was in NYC on Sept 10th at BMCC where NYCC members rallied with activists and elected officials to demand strong reforms similar to the already existing 6-1 match in NYC. Public Advocate Jumaane Williams told his story of how he would have never won his council seat if not for that in NYC. NYCC members testified including Elzora Cleveland who called out the sham that is the inclusion of Fusion voting as part of the commission.
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ICE actions in DC
As part of the Center for Popular Democracy’s Welcome Back Congress week of action, NYCC members traveled to DC to demand an end to the Trump Deportation Machine and to Defund ICE. NYCC members joined others in doing a rally outside of the DC ICE office with photos of those who have died in ICE custody along with leaving flowers to represent them as well.
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After NYCC members went to the Kalaroma neighborhood of DC and took to the streets and took over the front of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ home, the largest private house in DC, demanding Amazon cut all its ties with ICE and to stop the exploitation of their workers.
Together, we can build a movement. Help low-income and middle-income communities in New York stay strong. Become an NYCC sustainer.
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New York Communities for Change (NYCC) is a coalition of working families in low and moderate income communities fighting for social and economic justice throughout the New York State. We are people fighting to make a difference. For more information please visit us at www.nycommunities.orgor email us at [email protected]
