Photo from @sunrisemvmtgwu on Twitter
By Evie Schoenthal
Global warming became front-page news in the late 1980s when the past director of NASA’s Institute for Space Studies, Dr. James Hansen, was in front of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Hansen explained the effects that human exploitation of carbon sources on Earth had on climate and the direness the situation could hold if nothing changed. A mere 30 years later, this has grown into a climate crisis and young people across the nation have taken it upon themselves to fight for humanity’s future.
On September 20, 2021, George Washington University’s chapter of the Sunrise Movement made its way to Capitol Hill from Washington Circle. A student-led protest gathered more than 80 students from across the DMV area including protesters as young as six years old.
The protest was in support of Biden’s Build Back Better plan, a $3.5 trillion investment that surpasses the 1.5 trillion that is already invested in infrastructure. The plan is already a compromise amongst Democrats and Republicans but holds substantial support from the general public due to its large scope from investment in renewable resources to citizenship and public health care.
In order to prepare, a police liaison and leader of recruitment for Sunrise GW, Sophie Gengler, was trained on marshaling and passed down her experience concerning police activity when exercising her right to freedom of speech. The protest leaders were also briefed by a lawyer about what was within their legal rights to carry out. Tensions rose when students blocked the Senate building’s doors causing multiple arrests. Every action taken up until that point had been within their rights.
Early into the protest’s path, police began confining the protest, ultimately changing their route altogether to reach the Senate building. Heightened police activity was expected due to the Justice for J6 protest occurring just a few days prior, despite Sunrise GW never being involved in something as violent.
Although safety was their utmost priority, the hub coordinator for Sunrise GW, Sophia Halloran, stated that “we expected arrests to take place because we know it is an effective way to demonstrate moral authority and willingness to take the risk for our futures.” It served as a direct statement of how important Biden’s Build Back Plan and investment in the future of the climate crisis is to young people.
Sunrise GW sees the protest as a success through the statements made on Capitol Hill, exposure to major media outlets, and the fact politicians heard about their concerns directly. It sparked continuous action last week as Congress came upon the bipartisan Exxon plan vote on Thursday night which does not invest in renewable resources.
“We felt supported and hopeful with the new wave of incoming freshmen and sophomores excited to get involved in activism and utilize their voices in Washington D.C.,” Gengler said. Halloran added that she felt “empowered to be surrounded by dozens of young people coming together to demand the investment we know we need.”
Although no future events are planned currently, those looking to get involved can go to @sunrisemvmtgw on Instagram and click the link in their bio to fill out the new member sign-up form. Anyone with any level of commitment is welcome to apply.
