More than a half a million people took to the street at the People’s Climate March, which took place in New York City and all across the globe on the first day of fall. As Local 802 musicians performed, protestors demanded ambitious commitments from world leaders in tackling the climate crisis.

The march took place just two days before world leaders converged in New York City for an emergency United Nations Climate Summit.

“We said it would take everyone to change everything – and everyone showed up,” said Eddie Bautista, executive director of the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance.

While environmentalists and labor have been viewed as divided in the past, the march was notable for the number of unions that joined the climate fight. Nearly every labor union in New York helped organize turnout for the march, including Local 802, which was given the honor of leading the labor contingent of the march with a live band.

Performing were Kenny Bentley (sousaphone), Kevin Blancq (trumpet), Scott Bourgeois (tenor), Jeremy Clemmons (percussion), Rick Faulkner (trombone), Satoru Ohashi (trumpet), Moses Patrou (bass drum), Stefan Schatz (snare) and Dion Tucker (trombone). Other musicians sat in, including Greg Landes, Jeff Schiller, Carol Sudhalter and others.

Notable participants in the march included U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, and former Vice President Al Gore.

Text edited from www.PeoplesClimate.org/media. Photos below by Steve Singer.