Metro DC DSA Helps #ShutDownDC for Climate Justice

Metro DC DSA joined dozens of environmental, racial, and economic justice organizations in shutting down DC for climate justice on September 23.

Youth climate activists called for a global week of action to coincide with UN climate talks in New York. And they invited everyone, regardless of age, to speak out. In response, the Shut Down DC coalition blocked dozens of city intersections during Monday morning rush hour.

Our goal was to bring business as usual to a standstill—and we succeeded. Blockades crippled large parts of the downtown area where many of the world’s most egregious climate criminals have offices.  The action drew sympathetic media coverage and centered public attention on the need for urgent action to address the climate crisis.

Police arrested nearly three dozen people—including college students and Black Lives Matter activists—before releasing them later that day.

Among the participating groups were Extinction Rebellion DC, 350 DC, Black Lives Matter DMV, Labor Network for Sustainability, Rising Tide, Werk for Peace, Code Pink, Chesapeake Climate Action Network Action Fund, Sunrise Movement DC, and Friends of the Earth Action.

Metro DC DSA and labor movement allies held an intersection near Amazon’s DC lobbying headquarters and joined other coalition partners in blocking traffic at the American Petroleum Institute, also known as the fossil fuel lobby.

The DSA-Labor group appeared in Al Jazeera, CBS News, and the New York Times. A senior Trump administration official took time out of his busy schedule terrorizing climate refugees to complain about our giant red “capitalism is killing the planet” banner.

The Shut Down DC Coalition adopted the five demands put forward by youth climate activists, namely: Protection for indigenous lands; Green New Deal; a just transition into a green energy economy; protection of biodiversity; and sustainable agriculture.

We’re helping build a movement to fight the fossil fuel billionaires and reinvent our economy through massive investment in green energy. To join us, email the Metro DC DSA ecosocialist caucus at ecosocialism@mdcdsa.org and visit strikedc.org.

Get Involved!

If you’re looking for ways to get involved in progressive politics, we welcome you! We’re looking for people to join our working groups to advance our fight for social, economic and racial justice both nationally and locally in Washington, DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia.

You can also learn more about democratic socialism and the issues we support here. And you can find information specifically about our local chapter here.

What Is Democratic Socialism?

Democratic socialists advocate for a radical restructuring of our economic and political systems to value people over profits. Rather than our current economy, which is controlled by the wealthy few for their own benefit, we envision an economy that is democratically controlled by all Americans. By working toward progressive change that empowers workers, people of color, women, the LGBTQ community and other marginalized Americans, we believe that we can create a free, democratic, humane society.

Check out our Committees and Campaigns to see what we’re working on. If you’re interested in learning more about our national structure and the broader democratic socialist movement in the United States, please visit the national DSA website, dsausa.org.