The “Earth Day: Hands Off Migrants” rally on April 19 drew thousands to Midtown Manhattan in a sweeping protest that lasted from noon to 5 p.m.
With about 21 organizations rallying from Bryant Park in front of the New York Public Library and concluding at the intersection between Columbus Circle and Central Park, the streets were shut down, and the parks were crowded along the way.
Yet some supporters questioned whether the movement’s predominantly white and older turnout reflects a disconnect between its progressive mission and the diverse communities most impacted by the issues it seeks to address.
Held the day before Easter and ahead of Tuesday’s Earth Day, the demonstration was broad in its scope.
Liberal in tone and laced with visible threads of socialism and communism, organizers called for scrutiny of the wealthy, whom they accused of bolstering the Trump administration and policies that worsen environmental destruction, income inequality, and systemic injustices within the criminal justice and immigration systems.
While the protest outwardly promoted inclusivity, the crowd remained predominantly white.
In response, organizers from New York Communities for Change (NYCC) made a deliberate effort to highlight diversity through the inclusion of drummers, banner holders, and speakers from a range of racial and cultural backgrounds.
Leading the march were demonstrators, including Jesús Casado González of the New York Immigration Coalition; Winsome Pendergrass, a prominent NYCC member known for her advocacy on tenant and workers’ rights; and David Alexis, representing NYCC’s Flatbush chapter and voicing concerns from the Haitian and broader Caribbean climate communities.
Some attendees expressed hope for a more diverse turnout, while others acknowledged their own privilege in simply being able to show up.
“I can come out and not be terrified like some of my neighbors who are scared to even come to this event,” said Jamie Leo, a protester who attended the march to call out white privilege. “Often people of color are the most vulnerable to environmental degradation. So anyone who professes to love their country or their friends and family — or in my case, my nieces and nephews — has to be out and make this rise of voice a priority.”
That call for deeper inclusion and urgency was echoed by New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, whose presence flanked by security was as vocal as it was visible.
“I love this Earth Day with the Declaration of Interdependence,” Williams said. “It’s a great message for where we are now. Hopefully, the more horror we see –– which is sad –– the more people will realize this isn’t just going to happen to the people they don’t like. It’s going to happen to all of us.”
He also didn’t shy away from the demographic disparities of the movement.
“Sometimes the crowds are a little less melanated than we would want,” he said. “So I always have to call out the over 90% of Black women who tried their best to vote against this, and almost 80% of Black men who did the best they could to save this country. I’m hoping that other groups will see what they did and next time join in to make sure we don’t ever go through this again.”
Like many speakers that day, Williams linked climate justice to broader struggles against systemic oppression, be it through immigration enforcement or attempts to rewrite history.
“What we need to realize is that this is about erasure,” he said. “Whether it’s trying to get rid of the African American Museum in the Smithsonian, or it’s deporting people—it’s never just about public safety. It’s never just about violent criminals. It’s about the erasure of everybody.”
“That’s why the Declaration of Interdependence is so important,” he continued. “Because the God’s honest truth is that some of us drank some of the orange Kool-Aid because we thought it was going to happen to the other. But it’s happening to all of us.”
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander joined the demonstration and said the acrimony surrounding recent deportations helped transform the event into something broader than originally planned.
“I first heard about the event just in the last couple of days,” Lander said. “We knew there was going to be a climate-focused event, but with the deportations taking place, people decided to combine those causes and really turn people out.”
“We will not be a country that sends people without due process to be tortured in El Salvador or have students scooped off the street for writing op-eds,” he said. “That’s why we’re out here –– to say, get ICE out of New York City, to resist these illegal deportations, and to protect our democracy and our planet.”
Asked what his environmental priorities would be if elected mayor, Lander responded:
“I just released the boldest climate plan in the race,” he said. “It includes a big scaling up of renewable energy and rooftop solar, and an ambitious set of plans to get the city ready for the climate crises we’re already facing. On Tuesday (Earth Day), we’ve got a major announcement about the city’s pension funds to help reduce emissions, decarbonize, and save our planet.”
Lander’s proposals offered tangible policy responses to the intersecting crises of deportations and environmental racism. However, a march aimed at Black and brown people with an overwhelmingly white presence leaves a familiar tension simmering just beneath the surface.
Derrick Owens, a Black volunteer at the march who wore NYCC’s orange shirt, told the Amsterdam News that he attended to raise awareness about climate change and to push for a shift to renewable energy.
“As the temperature has risen,” Owens said, “what we really need to do as human beings is look toward alternative energy sources like renewables.”
When asked if the march was raising awareness or fighting against something in particular, he replied, “Both. We’re fighting against companies that profit from fossil fuels –– billionaires who get tax breaks –– like oil companies. It’s about making people more aware of what’s happening to the planet.”
Before the march officially kicked off, Owens hadn’t heard any official directive to protest political figures, but added, “I wouldn’t be surprised if chants broke out against Trump.”