One year after the landfall of Hurricane Maria, people all over the country came together to remember what was lost and demand a just recovery for Puerto Rico.
Photo credit: Gonzalo Valdes
In Florida, not far from Mar-A-Lago, over 1000 people descended on West Palm Beach, including members of the diaspora, displaced families from Puerto Rico and allies from all over Florida. The event was held as part of #BoricuasRemember week of action led by the Power 4 Puerto Rico Coalition.
Photo Credit: Gonzalo Valdes
The day began with a caravan of dozens of vehicles that departed from Hollywood, FL, drove north along I-95 under police escort, and eventually led to Mar-a-Lago, the so-called “southern White House”, where participants honked their horns and proudly waved Puerto Rican flags.
Caravana ready to cross the bridge towards Mar-a-Lago. Photo credit: Diana Umpierre
Sierra Club organizer Diana Umpierre spoke to the crowd at the rally following the caravan event about the need for safe, reliable, clean renewable energy in Puerto Rico. She talked about her cousin in Caguas, where the eye of hurricane went through, who still has a blue tarp for a roof. Diana also spoke about how the Trump administration, with its climate denial, hurts Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico is still in shambles and has an unreliable, unsafe energy infrastructure they cannot depend on. She warned that Puerto Rico is not ready for another tropical storm, much less a hurricane.
Diana Umpierre. Photo credit: Democratic Veterans Caucus of Florida - Palm Beach County
The event ended with a vigil organized by Faith in Florida. Faith leaders led the audience in moments of reflection and prayers for the families of the lives lost and those that are still suffering.
Vigil in remembrance of the thousands of lives lost. Photo credit: Marcos Vilar
In Puerto Rico the day was commemorated with a long-planned walk against climate change. Last year when Hurricane Maria hit, communities were organizing for a march and rally about the impacts of climate change. But the march was rained out by the hurricane, itself driven by climate change. This year the weather was better and hundreds of folks gathered in San Juan to highlight how climate change is impacting Puerto Rico already, and how the island is preparing for those impacts.
Volunteer leaders from Sierra Club de Puerto Rico staff a booth at the climate walk
Hundreds of Boricuas walk to end climate change
In New York, Sierra Club helped to support the community gathering organized by OurPowerPRnycan event that was part of the #BoricuasRemember project from the Power 4 Puerto Rico Coalition. Hundreds of people turned out in Union Square for a vigil and rally with speakers including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Naomi Klein and Elizabeth Yeampierre.
Thank you to the thousands of Sierra Club members who marched, organized and took action in support of a just recovery led by the people of Puerto Rico.
Rally and vigil in Union Square. Photo credit: Valerie Ricciulli
