Istanbul’s People March For Climate

Prior to the UN Climate Summit 2014 on Wednesday in NYC, hundreds of Istanbulites rallied around a “People’s Climate March” in order to give a message to world leaders: “Enough said, now it is time for action!"

Initiating a march from Istanbul’s Tunnel Square, demonstrators urged world leaders to take concrete steps, saying that we shouldn’t “change the climate but the system”. 

The rally was attended within an appeal of Global Action Group (KEG) by several organizations who held banners including “Don’t change the climate, but the system”, “Global warming, don’t challenge our patience”, “End your crazy projects”, “Let the rivers run free” and “No to nuclear power”.

Holding props of polar bears and penguins, protestors chanted slogans including “Take hands off Sinop", “Oil and coal is enough", “Another world is possible" and “This is just the beginning, struggle will continue”.

Şahin: Climate struggle will triumph in the street

Environmental activist Ümit Şahin made one of the first speeches of the rally who said they are waiting thousands of people in the NYC summit. 

“We are on a tipping point right now. There will be another climate summit in Paris in December 2015. We have a last chance to do something after Kyoto Protocols. We have a deadline on December 2015. 

“Yeb Sano, chief negotiator from the Phillipines, once said: ‘A negotiator can do a lot to stop climate change but climate struggle will triumph in the street’. Either we will win this struggle or we will lose the planet. The choice is obvious.”

“Enough said, time for action now”

Reading the press statement, Nuran Yüce reminded that UN held climate summits for the past 20 years even though governments augmented their carbon emissions every year. 

She continued as follows:

“Politicians are now gathering one more time by the appeal of UN to take about climate change. It is obvious that experts say climate change will kill 250,000 people and rout out 1,000,000 people in 2030. We are calling to millions and politicians: Enough said, time for action now.” 

“UN General Secretary to attend the march in NYC”

Expected to be held in more than 3,000 cities across 150 countries, the biggest “People’s Climate March” will happen in NYC with the participation of UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon.

The following organizations supported the rally from Turkey:

350.org, Açık Radyo, Yeşil Düşünce Derneği, Yeryüzü Derneği, Su Hakkı Kampanyası, Antikapitalist Çalışanlar, Antikapitalist Öğrenciler, Velotopya, Slow Food Türkiye / Fikir Sahibi Damaklar, KADOS (Kadıköy Bilim, Kültür ve Sanat Dostları Derneği), Caferağa Dayanışması, Kafkasya Forumu, GOLA Kültür, Sanat ve Ekoloji Derneği, Helsinki Yurttaşlar Derneği, DAYKO VAKFI, Greenpeace Akdeniz - Türkiye, Hayata Destek Derneği /Support To Life, WWF Türkiye (Doğal Hayatı Koruma Vakfı),Yesilist, Yeldeğirmeni Dayanışması, TEMA Vakfı, Eurosolar Türkiye, Çevre Hukuku Derneği, SNKP - Sinop Nükleer Karşıtı Platform, Küresel Barış ve Adalet Koalisyonu, Yeşil Gazete, Doğa Derneği, Sürdürülebilir Yaşam Kolektifi, ÇEKÜL, Kuzey Ormanları Savunması, Marksist.org,Kadınlarla Dayanışma Vakfı, Küresel Çevre Derneği (EA/BM)

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.