Roughly a thousand people marched in lower Manhattan on Thursday, September 6 demanding that the world pay attention to climate change. This was the earliest in a series of climate marches around the globe to draw attention to a summit in San Francisco the following week.

© Jo Freeman

When people gathered in Battery Park the air was hot and humid — much more so than is normal for this time of year. Most sat on the grass, clustered under trees, as they heard a short series of speakers from a stage in front of Castle Clinton.

© Jo Freeman
© Jo Freeman
© Jo Freeman
© Jo Freeman

Dark clouds rolled in. By the time the march started, it was sprinkling. By the time the march ended about an hour later, the temperature had dropped 20 degrees. Climate change happened in the middle of the climate march.

© Jo Freeman

The march was led by Foco Azul, a women’s Samba Reggae Percussion Band.

© Jo Freeman

And escorted by New York’s finest

© Jo Freeman

Politics was ever present.

© Jo Freeman

Most people brought their own signs

© Jo Freeman
© Jo Freeman
© Jo Freeman

Some carried professionally made signs.

© Jo Freeman
© Jo Freeman

Defiant to the end.

© Jo Freeman