In the early hours of April 11, 2016, 20 students from the University of Massachusetts walked into the Whitmore Administration Building and sat down in front of the Chancellor’s office in silent protest of the University’s investment in the oil and gas industry. By midday, that number grew to 45. What began as a modest protest in the halls of a quiet building culminated in two weeks of historic sit-ins and actions with over 1,000 students, alumni, and faculty participating. This epic escalation concluded with 34 people being arrested for engaging in peaceful civil disobedience. One month following the actions, both the Board of Trustees and the Investment Committee voted in favor of divesting the UMass system endowment from direct investments in the fossil fuel industry. This campaign at UMass proves that when we organize and take action collectively, incredible victories are possible.

Throughout spring 2016, schools across the country occupied, demonstrated, and rallied: from Northern Arizona University and Columbia University, to the University of Montana and the University of California Berkeley, and beyond. This moment showed that young people will rise to meet the challenges posed by the climate crisis and demand that our administrations lead with us in the fight for the planet and its people.

And the pressure is not letting up. Young people are preparing to escalate on their campuses this spring, with demonstrations planned in at least eight states. The Divest Penn campaign at the University of Pennsylvania, President Trump’s alma mater, kicked off the wave of escalation earlier this month when over 60 students were cited for nonviolently protesting the University’s investment policies. The industry can only expect these demonstrations to get larger and more powerful, especially as the attack on climate policies worsens at the federal level.

Fossil fuel divestment began as a morally-focused campaign on a handful of college campuses in the US. Students were unwilling to remain silent as their universities funded the very industry putting our communities and our futures at risk. Over the last 6 years, the campaign has exploded into a mainstream global movement. Divestment started with students and youth, and has now spread into every sector of society: from municipal and state campaigns, faith organizations, insurance companies and more. The escalating effort over the last 6 years has resulted in divesting assets representing over $5.2 trillion worldwide.

Divestment has played a key role in shifting public opinion against a dangerous industry that chokes our lungs and destabilizes our economy. Alongside many powerful movements and organizations fighting for justice in our time, the divestment movement has started to release the tight grip the fossil fuel industry has over our political system and create space to manifest the alternatives.

Never has the industry been challenged at such a level by a grassroots force of millions of people demanding change. And it’s working. This past month, Shell CEO, Ben van Beurden admitted that the greatest threat to Big Oil and Gas was declining public opinion. “I do think trust has been eroded to the point that it is becoming a serious issue for our long-term future” he said.

The climate movement faces some serious challenges ahead. Donald Trump has already ordered the removal of major climate executive orders from the previous administration and appointed a cabinet stacked with fossil fuel executives, billionaires, and climate deniers. But the fight is far from over As the Trump administration rolls back hard-won protections on climate change, no one will be off the hook.

We’ve seen in the past that people can overcome historic adversity with historic action. The Trump administration will attempt to throw our country into greater chaos at the federal level. Now, it’s up to us to find creative ways to fight for the change we need most right now -- from the bottom up.

That’s why young people are escalating on their campuses, and turning out in the masses to the April 29th Peoples Climate March.

We must resist Trump’s agenda every way we can at the federal level. And, as we resist the bad, so must we fight for necessary solutions. We must dig deep at the local level to pressure our municipal and state governments. We must fight for the biggest, boldest vision we can imagine at every level. That means making sure working class communities and communities of color, who are often the first to be hit by climate impacts and the last to receive help, are not left behind. We must elect those to office who will be champions of the people, and replace politicians who are bedfellows with the industry standing in the way of safety and prosperity for people everywhere.

We have so much to fight for, hope for, imagine and create. With the stakes higher than ever, now is the time for action.