“There are no jobs on a dead planet.” “Make the earth cool again.” “I need ice, ice, baby.”
As Bay Area comedian Margo Gomez and spoken-word artist Jevon Cochran took turns reading handmade signs from a bicycle-powered stage, hundreds of people danced, rallied and marched Saturday, choosing to spend a beautiful afternoon at Lake Merritt urging a fight against climate change.
On April 29, which marked the end of the first 100 days of the Trump administration, the rally featured talks from local artists, dozens of booths with information on sustainable living and live music from LoCura and Rupa & the April Fishes.
![Rupa & the April Fishes perform at the People's Climate march in Oakland, April 29, 2017.](https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/04/Rupa-The-April-Fishes-01-800x533.jpg)
Gomez and Cochran urged the crowd to get more involved with their local community to push for action — and Cochran decided to lead by example, taking $5 out of his pocket and donating it to the Bay Area People’s Climate Movement.
The grassy area in front of the Lake Merritt Amphitheater teemed with a diverse mix of people: young children, parents, college students and veteran activists. Oakland’s was one of more than 250 sister marches supporting the People’s Climate March in Washington, D.C., and police estimated total attendance at 2,500.