Students strike for climate action descends on US Capitol

HD video including two stirring musical performances from the stage 3 min 13 sec

On the 20th of September, thousands of students refused to show up for school, instead descending on the US Capitol to demand action against global climate chaos. This was just one of a global series of coordinated student strikes around the entire world with millions walking out.

The students here in DC at the US Capitol were supported by older activists, notably including Indigenous activists from several frontline communities. One of them was from Minnesota where Ojibwe activists are fighting to stop Enbridge's Line 3 pipeline. Speakers opened with a representative of the Piscataway Nation, upon whose territory the US Capitol and all of DC squat.

The original plan for the DC event was to march from the White House to the Capitol. That was replaced by a much shorter march from John Marshall park near the Newseum, which set out very quickly and was moving just 15 minutes after the announced start time of 11AM. According to one report from a protest attendee, Trump made sure the permit for Lafayette Park was cancelled. That park was in fact closed at noon. Another person claimed a march from the White House was "too long" but that sounds unlikely as this route is marched all the time, often with stopovers at Trump Hotel. Young students in particular would be unlikely to have trouble with a march of that length. Thus, interference from Trump sounds like the most likely explanation, and has happened before.

While there was a visit from the Ambassador of Australia scheduled, that would normally close Penn Ave at the most. Lafayette Park was open during the 2017 visit by the Ambassador of Turkey. That event was protested by the same YPG supporters who were beaten by the Turkish ambassador's residence later that same day. If Lafayette Park could be open while the Turkish Ambassador visited Trump in 2017, and stay open even as pro and anti-Erdogen forces protested each other, the park could certainly be open for a peaceful state visit from Australia. This too raises suspicions (though it is not proof) that Trump may indeed have intervened to deny the students a permit for Lafayette Park