Hundreds of grassroots activists took to streets this past Saturday, Sept. 17, when the March for Environmental Justice was staged in Red Bank.
The event, which is sponsored by the Green Party of New Jersey (GPNJ), started at the Red Bank train station at 10 a.m., and was followed by a march through Red Bank to Riverside Gardens Park, where the main assembly was gathered.
The event was headlined by Green Party presidential candidate Dr. Jill Stein and was been organized in collaboration with a diverse collective of political, environmental and social justice organizations,. The march, according to GPNJ officials, brought together a massive gathering of activists who were committed to drawing attention for the cause of environmental and social justice in New Jersey and throughout the nation.
The purpose of the march, according to the GPNJ, was to spread awareness about environmental issues and their implications on the greater movement for social justice.Th GPNJ said that attendees met representatives of environmental and social justice organizations from across New Jersey, serving as a catalyst for thousands of people to become politically engaged through the fall election cycle and beyond.
“Our objective is to bring people together who can lead a pivotal grassroots movement towards better environmental policy, preparation for climate change, and relief for those adversely affected by pollution, climate effects and other environmentally destructive scenarios,” said Julie Saporito-Acuña, the Chair of the Green Party of New Jersey. “And while environmentalism is widely understood, it’s also necessary to emphasize the concurrent need for justice for those who are displaced, harmed, and worse.”
The keynote address was delivered by Stein, the Green Party nominee for President of the United States. In addition to Saporito-Acuña, other featured speakers were GPNJ organizer Adam Black, Carol Gay of the New Jersey Industrial Union Council, Green Party’s Camden City Council candidate, Gary Frazier, Ginger Hutter of Socialist Alternative, Pat Noble of the Socialist Party of New Jersey and Jessica Clayton of Riverside Rhymes Nature Play School.
The event was also cosponsored by Socialist Alternative and the Socialist Party of New Jersey. Endorsers include 15 Now New Jersey, Rutgers University Progressives, New Jersey Industrial Union Council, the Red Bank Environmental Commission, Central Jersey Coalition Against Endless War, Jersey Shore Food not Bombs and New Jersey Peace Action.
To learn more about the Green Party of New Jersey, visit their website at www.gpnj.org. GPNJ is honored to be the host to the March for Environmental Justice with sponsors Socialist Alternative (www.socialistalternative.org) and the Socialist Party of New Jersey (http://www.socialistparty-nj.org).