#ResistRejectDenial

Monday, January 23rd

On Monday, January 23rd, the Divestment Student Network and 350.org are calling for nationwide student walkouts to resist and reject the climate denial of the newly-inaugurated Trump administration. There is no room for neutrality in the face of an administration that is threatening the very future of this planet.

Divestment leaders are organizing the biggest coordinated student action in our movement’s history. During Trump’s first 100 hours, thousands of students are walking out of class to hold emergency climate meetings, rallies outside our President’s offices, and more. Click here to join an action.

We are demanding that our universities stand with us and defend our futures by rejecting Trump’s denial, and providing the moral leadership we need by divesting from the fossil fuel industry and reinvesting in solutions that will fight the climate crisis.

Why?

Students are making it clear that we are going to fight Trump’s regressive climate agenda every step of the way. We will not stand by while Trump stacks his cabinet with climate deniers, white supremacists, and Wall Street bankers.

We are walking out of our classrooms because our universities can no longer continue to back the coal, oil, and natural gas companies who are celebrating Trump’s victory and committing the globe to extreme levels of warming and disaster. The era of Trump must be one of resistance and noncompliance.

One thing that gives us hope is that our movement knows how to use the tools of the people - collective power and bold direct action. From our five years of divestment campaigns to the resistance at Standing Rock, we’ve seen it work over and over again. Now more than ever, we must all join together to fight for our collective future.

This day of action is only the beginning. We’re laying out a strategy for a wave of continuous escalation throughout the Spring to #ResistRejectDenial every step of the way.

Are you with us?

Three next steps:

Bring your team on board (find an action or register your own)

Trump is assembling an administration that works solely for the interests for the 1%, including Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson and other fossil fuel tycoons. Combatting that means taking action more boldly than we ever have before, and you’ll need a team at your back. What conversations do you need to have to bring in other members of your campaign? Plan a call with your core group of leaders over break.

Name your goals.

Our generation will deal with the impacts of this presidency for the rest of our lives, and we need as many people as possible to organize alongside us. From day one we must gather with our community and strengthen our campaigns for the long haul. Campaigns are the vehicle to carry people-power forward, so we must take action with future building in mind. What do you need to get out of this action in order to further your campaign? How will you use this as an opportunity to recruit people into the fight for divestment and climate justice? How will you spread the word to media and through your own platforms?

Make your plan.

Though many schools are on Winter Break, early planning is key! Creating the outline of a recruitment plan, setting a few narrative points, and laying out buckets of work shouldn’t wait [i.e. someone create a facebook event]. What will your action look like? When and where will it be? Are there other campus leaders who need to know about it sooner rather than later? How are you going to recruit all the new people not currently active in your campaign who want to mobilize against hate and denial? [i.e. class raps, dorms storms, etc]

An action toolkit with more fleshed out talking points, a media toolkit, and details on how to plan for this day of action is coming soon!