Story by Ysabel Wulfing

Extinction Rebellion Youth Boston marched down Massachusetts Avenue with ​​Cambridge’s Band Land Brass Band for a youth-led climate parade Oct.9, part of a series of events for the annual HONK! Festival of Activist Street Bands.

In past years HONK! has been a large outdoor gathering in Somerville, where brass bands from all over the country perform over the three day weekend in October. After a virtual event in 2020, HONK! took back to the streets this year with 14 different on-site events featuring local bands in the effort to decentralize the festival.

Mehitabel Glenhaber, of Somerville, said she is a “lifelong religious observeror of HONK!” She has been attending the festival since its founding in 2006 and used to stilt in the parade.

“Things are a little bit different this year,” Glenhaber said. “We haven’t had the whole big parade with bands from all over as we usually do because of the coronavirus, but I am actually really excited about how much HONK! has been about getting out into different neighborhoods of Boston and partnering with activist causes.”

This year's event had stations in Cambridge, East Boston, Hyde Park and Roxbury.

In Cambridge, Extinction Rebellion Youth Boston organized the climate march and Band Land Brass Band, a group consisting of Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School students, provided the soundtrack.

Band members interviewed said Band Land has participated in HONK! since 2018. Recently, the brass band has partnered with Extinction Rebellion to perform at several of their marches and rallies.

The event kicked off with Band Land Brass Band performing an instrumental arrangement. Extinction Rebellion organizers handed out stickers and hand-painted signs with slogans such as “4 Years To Save The Planet” and “HONK! For Our Future.” Participants waved pink, green, blue and yellow flags with the Extincion Rebellion logo imprinted on them.

Extinction Rebellion Boston's Red Rebel Brigade silently formed a circle around the band. The performative activist art group was dressed in all red to symbolize the common blood that unites all species.

According to Extinction Rebellion’s website, the movement uses “non-violent civil disobedience” to draw attention to their cause. The organization was founded in London in 2018 and has since grown to be an international grassroots movement.

Before the march began, Clara Golinsmith, of Cambridge, drew participants' attention to the steps of Cambridge’s City Hall for a series of speeches.

“We are here today because we are running out of time,” Golinsmith said. “This August, scientists from Extincion Rebellion leaked the 2022 IPCC report which says we have four years to lower greenhouse gasses. This means no more fossil fuel infrastructure can be built. We have to transition to renewables now.”

Golinsmith said she joined Extinction Rebellion Boston in 2018 with her mother. At 12 years old, she said, she helped organize the event and lead chants.

After the march she said, “I’m super proud of myself. I’m also super excited because Extinction Rebellion Youth Boston is super small and we have gotten new recruits. We had a much bigger turn out than any of us were expecting.”

Cambridge City Council Member Quinton Zondervan was invited to speak after Golinsmith delivered her speech.

“In Cambridge it is unacceptable that in 2021 we are still building buildings that emit fossil fuel generated greenhouse gasses,” Zondervan said.

Zondervan said he tried to ban gas combustion in newly constructed Cambridge buildings in 2020 but was blocked by the state. This year, he said, the city is charging the buildings for the emissions they produce.

After the speeches at Cambridge City Hall, participants marched nearly a mile to the steps of MIT’s Stratton Student Center. The event concluded with a final instrumental arrangement by Band Land Brass Band.

“There is something really magical about the brass band as an activist tool,” march participant Aubrey Simonson said. “There’s something sort of pure and space occupying about a trumpet that really nothing else can do.”

Photos taken on October 9, 2021 by Ysabel Wulfing