The Sunrise Movement is Ready for Disaster
![Sunrise Movement and other environmental groups protest at New York City Hall, Dec. 6, 2019 [AFP]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f21dbb91adde3260d4ba1ef/1603392784586-2N0RHF5JUXJYDH5O4WUX/sunrise-movement)
Sunrise Movement and other environmental groups protest at New York City Hall, Dec. 6, 2019 [AFP]
As Nov. 4 approaches, we’re asking organizers and activists four big questions about how the election outcome will change their work.
Our second response comes from Neha Desaraju with the Sunrise Movement, a youth-led grassroots political action organization working to end climate change. In the 2020 election, the Sunrise Movement has endorsed congressional candidates such as Marie Newman in Illinois and Marquita Bradshaw in Tennessee, who take major policy strides such as opposing oil company bailouts and supporting quick transitions to renewable energy, or are moderates running against “fossil fuel puppets.”
If Trump wins, what is your group, Sunrise Movement, planning to do on Nov. 4?
If there is a Trump victory on election night and it’s clear he hasn’t stolen the election, there is no likely path to pass Green New Deal policy through the federal government. This is the chance for us to regroup and frontload a new movement for the Green New Deal that meets the moment.
What’s your strategy if Biden wins?
We’ll very firmly put pressure on Biden [and] Congress Dems. We’ll plan actions in the immediate months targeting Dem leaders, and lead sharp actions as well as distributed and mass absorption campaigns (the group clarified that this would include things like sit-ins, rallies, marches and social media campaigns in ways that are appropriate for the COVID era). In order to set the groundwork for the Green New Deal, we’ll frame the terms of the debate before Biden even steps into office. We’ll deliver a mandate for 2021 that he won’t be able to ignore.
This is our defining moment as a movement — this is what we came here to do. The movement for a Green New Deal has been leading up to this moment when we finally take back governing power.
Many people expect the nightmare scenario: a contested election result. What’s your plan for electoral limbo?
Our plan is to make sure there’s a decisive Biden victory on Election Night. We’re doing this by making 74,000 calls, 200k texts, writing 435k postcards, and coaching 2.5k organizers with Victory Squad [Sunrise Movement’s organizer training and election campaigning arm]. But if Trump tries to steal the election we’ll lead de-escalated actions (like making sure everyone has the information they need to vote at polling locations, and being present where ballots are counted to ensure accountability) especially in key states. We’ll also call for a youth strike in coalition with other progressive and youth groups, like March for Our Lives, Dream Defenders, and United We Dream.
What’s one thing you’ll keep doing regardless of outcome?
Sunrise’s end goal will be to build people and political power. Regardless of the election outcome, we’ll continue to strike and organize. We’ll turn up the heat on our representatives, call for mass youth action and absorb more young people into the movement.
In 2019, the Sunrise Movement was working to hold politicians accountable in the fight against climate change:
The Sunrise Movement wants to hold politicians accountable in the fight against climate change. pic.twitter.com/GfYNTxYnAy
— AJ+ (@ajplus) August 30, 2019
Are you an activist or organizer who wants to share their plan of action? Email us with your responses to the four questions above at subtext@ajplus.net.