Updated
Photo:
Tens of thousands of people turned out in marches across the United States, with more set to take place today. (Reuters: Mike Theiler)
As US President Donald Trump marks his 100th day in
the White House, thousands of people have turned out in Washington to
protest his climate change policies.
Key points:
- As a side theme, marchers will protest Mr Trump's crackdown on illegal immigrants
- Last weekend, thousands turned out for March for Science
- Mr Trump's representatives had no immediate comment on the planned protest
Carrying signs emblazoned with slogans such as "Imagine a world free a climate change", and "Planet over profits", demonstrators on Saturday (local time) said they were angered by the prospect of Mr Trump carrying through on his vow to roll back protections put in place by his predecessors.
Photo:
Demonstrators in Chicago march against Mr Trump's climate policies and his actions during his first 100 days in office. (AP: Nam Y Huh)
"We're going to rise up and let them know that we're
sick and tired of seeing our children die of asthma," Reverend Leo
Woodberry of Florence, South Carolina, said."We're sick and tired of seeing people with cancer because of coal ash ponds. We're sick and tired of seeing sea-level rise."The Trump administration is considering withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, which more than 190 countries including the United States signed in hopes of curbing global warming. Mr Trump has also proposed deep cuts for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Andrew Logan @lgnsnd
Working
for @climateone at
@Newseum today and checking
out the #ClimateMarch
3:02 AM - 30 Apr 2017 · NewseumAs marchers took to the street, the EPA website underwent a makeover to reflect the views of the Trump administration.
In January, EPA sources told Reuters that administration officials had asked the agency to take down the climate change page — which included links to scientific research, data and trends related to the causes and effects of climate change.
In his campaign, Mr Trump called climate change a hoax. Last month he kept a promise to the coal industry by undoing climate change rules put in place by his predecessor Barack Obama.
Tom McGettrick, 57, an electrical engineer who drove up from the Florida Keys to attend the march, said his main concern was the weakening of the EPA.
"Forty years of environmental protection has done wonders for the environment, especially in the Midwest," said Mr McGettrick, who spent most of his life in Michigan.
"When I was a teenager and went to Lake Erie, it was one of the most polluted bodies of water in the country.
"Now when you go to Lake Erie it's really beautiful."
Photo:
Hundreds gathered in Boston to mark Mr Trump's first 100 days in office by protesting his agenda so far. (AP: Michael Dwyer)
In Washington, DC, large crowds made their way down
Pennsylvania Avenue in sweltering heat. They planned to encircle the
White House.
Some of the marches drew big-name attendees, including former vice-president Al Gore and actor Leonardo DiCaprio in the nation's capital and Vermont senator Bernie Sanders at a Montpelier event.
"Honoured to join Indigenous leaders and native peoples as they fight for climate justice," DiCaprio tweeted.
In Augusta, Maine, protesters outside the statehouse said they wanted to draw attention to the damage climate change can cause marginalised communities.
A demonstration stretched for several blocks in downtown Tampa, Florida, where marchers said they were concerned about the threat rising seas pose to the city.
Photo:
Demonstrators wearing paper mache heads representing Mr Trump and the planet Earth walk by the White House. (AP: Pablo Martinez Mosivais)
Protests a defining feature in Trump's first 100 days
Saturday's march was part of an effort to build support for candidates with strong environmental records in the run-up to next year's midterm elections and the 2020 presidential race, organizers said."We're using this as a tactic to advance the strategy of building enough power to win on climate over the course of the long haul," said national coordinator Paul Getsos.Since Mr Trump's inauguration on January 20, there have been national protests focused on issues ranging from abortion rights to immigration and science policy.
Myron Ebell, a climate change skeptic at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a libertarian think tank, said the march would have little impact on the administration.
"The real decisions are made in this country in elections, and we have now a president and a House and a Senate that are determined to pursue a pro-energy agenda," he said.
Trump representatives had no immediate comment on the protest.
Dozens of "sister" marches are planned for other North America locales, from Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, to Dutch Harbor in Alaska's Aleutian Islands. Overseas, about three dozen events range from a protest in Vienna to marches in Hobart and on the Gold Coast.
Photo:
Mr Trump has kept his promise to undo climate change rules put in place by Barack Obama. (Reuters: Carlos Barria)
AP/Reuters
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