Tayelyn and Elise Hill say no to fracking. Mom (Francine Hill) helps with sign holding.
For the second year in a row, we came together across the globe to put a stop to dangerous and dirty fracking.
The second annual Global Frackdown was a truly international affair, with actions taking place in over 100 countries on Saturday, October 19th.
Locally, we convened at Frank Ogawa Plaza in Oakland to send a message to Governor Brown, and to energy companies itching to get into the ground beneath our feet: we won’t let you frack with our future!
Sponsored by Food and Water Watch, 350.org, the Center for Biological Diversity and Global Exchange, the event featured a giant model fracking rig with warning tapes, a 10 ft Condor puppet declaring fracking a danger to the species.
Occupy San Francisco unfurled a one hundred foot banner detailing some of the chemicals found in frack fluid. The banner filled with threatening sounding chains of multi-syllabic words stretched the entire length of the stage: and it was the chemicals beginning with the letter ‘a!’
Speakers included:
- Mari Rose of the Asian Pacific Environmental Network, who reminded us of the victories we have been able to win against energy companies when we band together
- Jerome Waag from Berkeley’s premiere organic restaurant, Chez Panisse, spoke about our fragile water system, and the threat fracking poses to agricultural production in California.
- Steve Kinsey from the Coastal Commission inspired the crowd with the story of Marin’s success in passing a moratorium on fracking
- Andy Katz from East Bay Municipal Utility District
- Ken Jones from 350.org
- Rose Braz from the Center for Bioligical Diversity
Global Exchange’s message for the day was simple: the power to stop fracking is, and always has been, in our hands. That’s why we’re working with over 9 communities throughout California to assert local democracy and stop fracking in its tracks. It’s a message we’re happy to share as widely as we possibly can.
After the speakers finished, the crowd marched from Frank Ogawa plaza to the nearby State Building. There, we dipped our hands in oil (molasses) and placed oily handprints all over the concrete. We chanted. We left a voice mail for Jerry Brown, letting him know just how we feel about fracking. (Hint: We don’t like it)
The diverse crowd of over two hundred slowly dissipated, leaving behind drying handprints, and a call to action that was unmistakable. We won’t stand fracking. And we’re not going to stop until this monstrous practice is banned in every corner of the globe.
TAKE ACTION!
- Watch and Share this video about Fracking in California;