Varied Causes Unite Against Profits

Thousands of activists marched down Park Avenue and turned down Billionaires Row toward Trump Tower in New York City on Saturday to "Make Billionaires Pay"—in support of climate justice, democracy, free speech, gender equality, a stop to the Trump administration's immigration enforcement, and a ceasefire in Gaza. Their signs and reasons for taking to the streets were diverse, the AP reports, but many said the march highlighted a common theme behind the issues they stood for: that a small, elite class of the wealthy and powerful consistently prioritized profits over people's lives.

"I don't see them as movements. I don't see them as organizations. I just see humanity," said Mahaishuwea, whose name means Eagle Woman in the language of the Hidatsa tribe, which is based in North Dakota. Speaking about growing up on the Fort Berthold Indian reservation in front of investment management company Blackstone's headquarters, she connected the violent history of colonization and resource extraction on Indigenous lands to the present-day greed of the powerful, per the AP. "They have a sickness," she said.

Demonstrations have been planned around the world this week ahead of the UN General Assembly and New York Climate Week. Despite years of international conferences and treaties, countries have continued to increase their emissions of carbon dioxide and other planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions, fueling more frequent and intense extreme weather events. Last year was the hottest on record, and the Trump administration has been working to roll back foundational environmental rules. This has freed the way for oil and coal industries to pollute more while presenting more roadblocks to wind and solar energy development. Tamika Middleton of the Women's March said that although it can be challenging to bring together people who are passionate about different causes, the intersections seemed clearer this year. "The climate crisis, economic fights and immigrant fights are all really one big fight," she said.