RECAP: Shutdown the Capitol

On February 17, 2020, 150 middle and high school students from across the country shut down the United States Capitol Building in Washington D.C. as a push to demand a Green New Deal. The Sunrise Movement is a nationwide climate justice movement that utilizes the power of the youth to urge the Green New Deal in hopes of habitable and prosperous times to come. This weekend, the 150 students were flown in from as far as Puerto Rico to learn about climate justice in the modern age, build lasting allies, and disrupt the Capitol Building with cries for a livable future.

Chants in the form of “Which side are you on?,” “We demand a Green New Deal,” and “My friends. You do not walk alone. We will walk with you,” filled the halls of the Capitol Building around 10:30 am on President’s Day, surrounded by MAGA hat-wearing onlookers. We marched to the Library of Congress and passed through security, all the while hiding our Sunrise gear as to blend as a high school tour group. We swept our coalition through an underground tunnel that connects the Library of Congress with the Capitol Building. Excited murmurs filled the tunnel, wondering when the singing would begin and the impassioned activists could finally reveal their Green New Deal t-shirts.

The red team lined up along the stairwell with our banners quoting, “Senators, Step Up or Step Aside,” and “Generation Green New Deal.” Summer Kaltner, a sophomore at George Washington University, was a member of the banner drop team, beginning to sing “Which side are you on?” as soon as the signal was released. The students soon filed into two mighty groups as they held up signs marking certain senators as an “F- on climate action.”

The Capitol Police were quick to move on the young protestors and gave the three-strike warning within the span of two minutes. It was upon the marshals to usher the 150 non-arrestable students out of the building as fast as possible, as to avoid an excessive amount of minors being unjustly arrested. The group then congregated in front of Union Station to hear their fellow student speakers deliver empowering stories of climate justice.

The sense of solidarity and hope which arose from this passionate showcase was beyond inspiring. Throughout the day, students as young as 10 years old were telling me about their experiences as climate activists. Among the twenty students that were arrested, six of them were minors. This action was led by youth climate activists and carried out by the future that they are creating. The Era of the Green New Deal is tangibly in sight, fueled by the thousands of teenagers across the country committing their lives to advocacy. It is in the hands of the lawmakers to not just promise, but act upon, a livable future. The world is watching and the youth will hold you accountable. It is time to step up or step aside.