Turning the Tide: Remember Sandy, Revive Our City. Procession and Rally!

For New York City, Superstorm Sandy meant something more than rising waters, storm surges, and high winds. The storm laid bare and exacerbated deep inequities that afflicted our city long before Sandy hit.

New Yorkers already hurting from the economic crisis, unemployment or rapidly rising rents have had the most trouble recovering after the storm. Now with tens of billions of dollars heading to the city for recovery from the storm, our city has a choice to make — either spend that money on just, sustainable rebuilding for all, or let the same people that created those injustices to take the money and run with it.

An alliance of community groups, faith-based organizations, labor unions and environmentalists have come together to demand the just, sustainable rebuilding that New York deserves, and next week on July 31st, they’re organizing a demonstration to bring that message to City Hall, where it has yet to be heard.

Can you be there and stand for a just rebuilding from Superstorm Sandy? Click here to say you’ll be there: act.350.org/signup/nyc-sandy-action-july-31/

Here are the details:

What: Turning the Tide: Remember Sandy, Revive Our City. Procession and Rally!

When: Wednesday, July 31

Where:
*MANHATTAN MEET-UP @ 10:45am Outside Staten Island Ferry Terminal (corner of Whitehall and State St)
*STATEN ISLAND MEET-UP @ 9:30am Inside St. George Ferry Terminal
*RALLY ON THE STEPS OF CITY HALL @ 12pm

The action will start at 10:45am outside the lower Manhattan Staten Island Ferry Terminal, where delegations from communities hit hardest by the storm will converge. From there we’ll start a procession up Broadway towards City Hall to tell Mayor Bloomberg — and the people who want to replace him — what kind of rebuilding we demand.

As the planet warms, we know that there will be more storms like Sandy heading for New York — made much worse without substantial international action against climate change — and the rebuilding that the city does now will determine how prepared we are for the next storms.

The action Wednesday is a key next step towards that just rebuilding. I’ll be there, and I hope to stand with you for a stronger, more sustainable and more equitable New York City.

Duncan

PS – The Alliance for a Just Rebuilding (which 350.org is a member of) is the group leading the action — here are the 4 key demands that we’ll be pushing for:

1. Ensure Sandy Recovery and Rebuilding Dollars Create Thousands of Good Local Jobs

2. Restore Lost Affordable Housing, and Create New Affordable Housing for Displaced Residents that Preserves Community Ties

3. Invest in Sustainable Energy Infrastructure that Holds Utilities Accountable to the Public, Not Profit

4. Empower Community Organizations and Give Them a Stronger Voice in Planning New York City’s Future.

If that sounds good to you, click here to join the action.