More than 400,000 people flooded the streets of Manhattan Sunday, September 21st for the People’s Climate March, reported as the largest national climate march in history.
Taking place before the United Nations Climate Summit, United National Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, former Vice President Al Gore and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio participated in the march as well as actors Mark Ruffalo, Leonardo DiCaprio and Evangeline Lilly.
Greenpeace International Executive Director Kumi Naidoo and Greenpeace US Executive Director Annie Leonard also attended the march holding a banner reading “The Arctic Affects Us All.”
Indigenous people, labor groups, students and politicians were just some of the groups represented during Sunday’s march. Also attending were several victims of Hurricane Sandy, the devastating superstorm that wreaked havoc on New Jersey and New York in October, 2012.
Several countries also held their own marches including India, the UK and Australia.
Also in attendance at the People’s Climate March was Emma Thompson who recently joined Greenpeace for an Arctic excursion aboard theEsperanza ship. The actress and her 15-year-old daughtervisited polar bear habitats, scientific research stations and the location for a major new BBC nature series.