VTDigger is covering Global Climate Strike events in Montpelier, Burlington, Middlebury and beyond throughout the day. This post will be updated with reports from rallies around the state.
Read more about strike preparations in Vermont schools and businesses, and see an interactive map of climate strike events in the coming week.
Winooski — 6:33 p.m.
Organizers from 350Vermont blocked traffic on the Winooski River Bridge during rush hour to hold an indigenous water ceremony to protest the desecration of native land and water.
About 40 demonstrators closed one lane of the four-lane bridge at around 5 p.m., blocking traffic with a banner that read, “Time’s up! act together on climate.” Arthur Blackhawk, a 350Vermont organizer, said the event aimed to disrupt the daily routines of commuters to get their attention about the urgency needed to address climate change.
“It isn’t an action unless you get in somebody’s way,” Blackhawk said.
Catherine Cadden, who has indigenous ancestry, performed the water ceremony on the bridge. She first burned white sage, then passed out native-grown organic tobacco which she encouraged participants to pray over. Then, the tobacco was put into a bowl of water from the Winooski River that Cadden had prayed over. The water was then poured over the side of the bridge, back into the river.
“Without listening to the science, without listening to the indigenous peoples, we’re poisoning that which gives us life, and sustains life on the planet,” Cadden said. “We’re not going to be able to eat money.”
The lane was blocked for about 20 minutes and backed up commuters considerably on Colchester Avenue Many drove by the demonstration honking — either out of support, or annoyance.
Burlington — 2:50 p.m.
At least three separate climate strike marches in the Burlington area fed into the city’s Church Street Marketplace, creating a sea of about 2,000 people dotted with colorful signs and energized by chants and music.
Marchers walk along Pine Street on their way to join other marchers at a rally at Burlington City Hall as they participate locally in the Global Climate Strike on Friday, September 20, 2019. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger 
Several thousand people gather for a rally at Burlington City Hall as they participate locally in the Global Climate Strike on Friday, September 20, 2019. Several marches from different points in the city converged on Church Street where the crowd spilled out into Main Street. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger 
Demonstrators cheer as a speaker addresses several thousand people gathered for a rally at Burlington City Hall as they participate locally in the Global Climate Strike on Friday, September 20, 2019. Several marches from different points in the city converged on Church Street where the crowd spilled out into Main Street. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger 
Several thousand people gather for a rally at Burlington City Hall as they participate locally in the Global Climate Strike on Friday, September 20, 2019. Several marches from different points in the city converged on Church Street where the crowd spilled out into Main Street. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger 
Several thousand people gather for a rally at Burlington City Hall as they participate locally in the Global Climate Strike on Friday, September 20, 2019. Several marches from different points in the city converged on Church Street where the crowd spilled out into Main Street. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger 
Several thousand people gather for a rally at Burlington City Hall as they participate locally in the Global Climate Strike on Friday, September 20, 2019. Several marches from different points in the city converged on Church Street where the crowd spilled out into Main Street. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger 
Several thousand people gather for a rally at Burlington City Hall as they participate locally in the Global Climate Strike on Friday, September 20, 2019. Several marches from different points in the city converged on Church Street where the crowd spilled out into Main Street. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger 
A demonstrator looks on as marchers walk along Main Street on their way to join other marchers at a rally at Burlington City Hall as they participate locally in the Global Climate Strike on Friday, September 20, 2019. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger 
Brass Balaban plays for several thousand people gathered for a rally at Burlington City Hall as they participate locally in the Global Climate Strike on Friday, September 20, 2019. Several marches from different points in the city converged on Church Street where the crowd spilled out into Main Street. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger 
Several thousand people gather for a rally at Burlington City Hall as they participate locally in the Global Climate Strike on Friday, September 20, 2019. Several marches from different points in the city converged on Church Street where the crowd spilled out into Main Street. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger 
Several thousand people gather for a rally at Burlington City Hall as they participate locally in the Global Climate Strike on Friday, September 20, 2019. Several marches from different points in the city converged on Church Street where the crowd spilled out into Main Street. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger
In one of the marches, adults and children walked, pedaled and skated to City Hall from the South Burlington headquarters of Burton Snowboards. Many had taken off from work or school to attend.
Kevin Batson, who works at GlobalFoundries, said it was worth it. He said he took the day off to strike because climate change demands urgent attention from lawmakers, and he wanted to help bring attention to the issue.
“Mother nature needs a health care plan,” Batson said.
James Moore brought his two kids to the march: Oliver, who is in kindergarten, and William, who is in second grade. Moore said he wanted to march to change the future for his kids, and saw the experience as an educational opportunity for them.
“It’s kind of an alternative education,” Moore said. “They got arts, making signs. Music and P.E. during the march. And social studies. They’re learning about how to make change in our society.”
Avery McConnell and her friend Zoe Legeros, both age 9, marched from Burton to City Hall holding hands. McConnell said she wanted to march because she’s concerned about how climate change is affecting her favorite animals.
“Polar bears and seals are getting extinct,” McConnell said, “because the water is too warm and the ice is melting.”
Some entertainment for the marchers. pic.twitter.com/VmheguDNNl
— Grace Elletson (@graceelletson) September 20, 2019
When the three marches converged on Church Street, the crowd stretched from Manhattan Pizza to Ri Ra Irish Pub, about a full city block, said Jon Murad, deputy chief of the Burlington Police. Activists from multiple organizations, and local politicians, spoke on the steps of City Hall, discussing how climate change can be addressed in Vermont.
“I know as an elected official I must be held accountable for my votes on climate action,” said state Sen. Becca Balint, D-Brattleboro. “But more importantly than that, I have to look in the faces of my 9-year-old and 11-year-old and answer the question, ‘What were you doing when the climate was burning?’”
—Grace Elletson
Middlebury — 2:35 p.m.
Over 500 people gathered in a park where the town of Middlebury meets the Middlebury College campus to demand action on climate change. The crowd included strikers of all ages, including many students, from preschoolers with their families to high school and college students who walked out of class to attend.
The strike was organized by a group of Middlebury College students who are involved with climate change activism on campus and beyond.
Zoe Grodsky, a senior at the college and one of the strike organizers, spoke about the importance of solidarity between different movements in her speech at the rally.
“We understand that fighting for climate justice means fighting for migrant, racial and economic justice,” she said. “Our fight for climate justice means recognizing that true climate justice comes only with the end of the systems that exploit indegenous communities, communities of color, queer people, disabled people, poor people, women and other marginalized groups.”
Vivian Ross, a student at Middlebury Union High School, told the crowd she did not want to miss class to march for climate action, but she felt she had no choice.
“I have heard people say many, many times that the youth of today will be the saviors of our world, that my generation will be the one to slow climate change to a stop. However, the world can’t wait for all of us to be able to vote, or drive, or have our own credit cards,” she said. “This is a movement that needs everyone, no matter how old you are, no matter how many climate rallies you haven’t been to, no matter how many hours a week you work. All the small, medium and large things you can do are important.”
Sociology Professor Jamie McCallum spoke about the historical importance of strikes in making change in the United States.
“It seems clear to me that if we’re going to actually reverse climate change, we’re going to need a lot of strikes,” he said.
He also praised young people for their leadership in responding to the climate crisis.
“I have seen a lot of you connect these dots in class, and I’ve seen you connect them now in the streets,” he said. “I’m here today to tell you that we will always stand with you when you do that. As a teacher, as an ally, as an accomplice, it’s important to be here with you when you embark on this journey and set about trying to make real democratic radical change in America.”
After the rally ended, Kircher and Grodsky started organizing people into vans and carpools to drive up to the larger Burlington strike, which started at noon. Both expressed their hope that this event brings more people to the cause.
“Working toward climate justice can look like more than one thing,” Grodsky said. “It doesn’t necessarily look like mean that your an environmentalist. It can mean you’re fighting to abolish ICE, it can mean you’re working for a labor union, all these movements that we’ve seen as disparate in the past.”
She added, “I hope that people keep fighting for this in the future. Showing up isn’t a one-time thing.”
—Sarah Asch
Lyndon — 2:10 p.m.
When the elementary students poured out of a school bus outside Northern Vermont University-Lyndon this afternoon, cheers erupted from their college peers.
Soon, scores of people from all age groups marched from the college, down the winding hills of Lyndon and into the downtown here Friday for a rally in the grass.
As they walked and chanted, passing drivers slowed and rang out staccato honks of support.
“We’re standing up today to prove that we really need to start making a difference,” said Lauren Cornell, a senior at the college studying atmospheric science.
Several others from her department — who could one day study climate change for a living — joined the demonstration.
Sophomore Patrick Wickstrom, an atmospheric science and climate change major, emphasized that this was organized by young people as a grassroots effort.
Even so, plenty of older folks played a part.
Waterford resident Tom Cyr, 73, tailed the marchers with his truck, stopping every so often to get out with his Rhodesian ridgeback, Mia, and applaud.
“I think it’s great that all the young people have a means of showing their support for fighting climate change,” Cyr said.
During a speech downtown, one of the organizers — senior Jon Hutchinson — made the group’s larger message clear.
“We are marching for hope — not for fear,” Hutchinson said. “Because we can do this.”
—Justin Trombly
Brattleboro — 2:00 p.m.
The last time a climate change protest sparked Brattleboro headlines, locals sat in the middle of downtown and stopped June’s annual Strolling of the Heifers as it was broadcast live on Vermont PBS.
Meeting at the same spot Friday for the Global Climate Strike, demonstrators faced a different challenge: So many came, they had to march up Main Street and move to the larger Brattleboro Common, tracing the exact route as the cow parade they disrupted three months ago.
Police, as a result, closed several downtown streets for most of the lunch hour, detouring vehicle traffic and stopping southbound tractor-trailer trucks on nearby Route 30.
The event drew hundreds more than the 500 predicted by organizers at 350 Brattleboro.
“Who is with me?” 13-year-old Django Grace shouted into a microphone after leading the march. “Us all being here together right now matters. When we unify like this, there is nothing that can stop us.”
— Kevin O’Connor
Montpelier — 11:00 a.m.
For a few minutes Friday morning, the cars usually trundling down Route 2 in Montpelier were replaced with a sea of students chanting “Hey hey, ho ho, fossil fuels have got to go.”
Hundreds of area high school and middle school students, as well as parents and other supporters, marched from Montpelier High School to City Hall, carrying colorful banners emblazoned with “Our House is on Fire” and “I love snow.”
Students from around Montpelier rallied in front of City Hall on Friday morning. Photo by Mike Dougherty/VTDigger 
Shyloh Wonder-Maez, a senior at Montpelier High School, tells the crowd that consumer habits need to change in order to help the planet. Photo by Mike Dougherty/VTDigger 
Students from around Montpelier rallied in front of City Hall on Friday morning. Photo by Mike Dougherty/VTDigger 
Protesters wrote slogans across Main Street in chalk. Photo by Mike Dougherty/VTDigger 
Protesters held a die-in on Main Street in front of Montpelier’s City Hill. Photo by Mike Dougherty/VTDigger 
Protesters held a die-in on Main Street in front of Montpelier’s City Hill. Photo by Mike Dougherty/VTDigger 
Protesters held a die-in on Main Street in front of Montpelier’s City Hill. Photo by Mike Dougherty/VTDigger 
A protest sign on Main Street. Photo by Erin Petenko/VTDigger 
Students from around Montpelier rallied in front of City Hall on Friday morning. Photo by Mike Dougherty/VTDigger
Both Montpelier High School and middle school students said they encountered no resistance from teachers to leave school for the strike. One middle school student said she’d seen kids she knew from Barre and Northfield.
Students and supporters laid down on Main Street in front of the Montpelier Fire House, taking selfies from above, as a “die-in.” Others walked around the crowd outlining their shapes in chalk and writing messages on the road.
Organizers led a chant with demands for those in power to “invest in our community” and “commit to keeping fossil fuels in the ground.” An eighth grade student led a rendition of “More Waters Rising,” with protesters singing along. Students also said they want an education to prepare them for the coming “climate and economic crisis.”
“We all have power in our actions,” a Montpelier high school student told the crowd. “We believe we can make a difference, because we have the power of the consumer.”
—Erin Petenko & Elizabeth Gribkoff
