The following is from the Facebook page of the Climate Crisis Parade https://www.facebook.com/events/524437575064433/

Join 70 organizations – as an individual, family, or organization – to rally the media to cover the CLIMATE CRISIS!
Every four years, Des Moines is “media central” during the days leading up to the Iowa Caucuses. To act on the opportunity of national and international coverage, we are hosting a Climate Crisis Parade.
Meet at Cowles Commons to hear influential climate voices make the climate connections the media is ignoring.
March through the streets (or Skywalk, if being outside is not possible for you) to the Iowa Events Center, with our Iowa Caucus message: “We Challenge YOU …!” Urge the media to give this global emergency the consistent coverage it deserves, even as we challenge the presidential candidates — and the general public — to prioritize climate action, since our lives and our future literally depend on it!
Because we’re working for the good of the planet and all its inhabitants, we will not welcome those with offensive or violent, messages, and the event will be strictly non-partisan.

In the following video, Bill McKibben talks about the urgency of work on climate change and endorses the Climate Crisis Parade.

It was nice to see so many friends and all the creative signs. My Friends from the Des Moines Valley Friends meeting were there with a great banner. Several other Quakers were at the Parade.

It is hard to estimate the crowd size. The Des Moines Register in its minimal coverage of the Parade estimated 400. I heard others say at least 1,000 people and a polar bear were there. It was the largest climate action I’ve been a part of, but really, where is everyone else? The hundreds of thousands who stayed home just in the city of Des Moines.

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Hundreds of climate activists filled portions of downtown Des Moines on Saturday to address what they believe is a lack of media coverage of climate issues.

The “Climate Crisis Parade” began on Locust Street between Fifth and Fourth avenues, just outside the building that houses the Des Moines Register.

Before marching through the street, some of the participants stood in the road and addressed the crowd with a sense of urgency, saying the media has failed to cover global warming and its effects. Seventy groups sponsored the event Saturday and about 400 people marched through downtown to the Iowa Events Center.

Des Moines protest: Climate change activists march through Des Moines by Danielle Gehr, Des Moines Register, Feb 1, 2020

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It is ironic that the Register said “what they believe is a lack of media coverage of climate issues.” But to their credit they published the only story that I’ve been able to find.

There were two things I saw that give me a little hope. I saw a couple of people from the Sunrise Movement, that I’ve been peripherally involved with, since this is an intentionally youth led movement. They helped a number of progressive candidates win in the last election. And have ambitious but practical plans to be even more of an influence in this election. I urge you to get involved, and more importantly get youth you know involved in the Sunrise Movement.

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The other thing I saw that gives me hope is the leadership of Native people, several of whom addressed the crowd at the Parade, talking about the need for Indigenous leadership. Talking about the continued culture of White supremacy and colonialism. Bringing awareness to how colonialism has led us to the environmental chaos today. To the necessity to turn from colonialism to Indigenous leadership now. One of the most memorable stories was when a Native youth talked about how difficult it was to sit through classes that taught White colonial history year after year.

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CO-SPONSORS of the Climate Crisis Parade as of Jan 28:
100 Grannies for a Livable Future
Ames Climate Action Team
Ames United Church of Christ
Bold Iowa
Boundary Waters Action Fund
Care of Creation Group (Cathedral Church of St. Paul)
Catholic Peace Ministry
Central College SCATE (Students Concerned About The Environment)
Central District United Methodist Women
Citizens’ Climate Lobby (Des Moines)
Citizens’ Climate Lobby (Iowa City)
Citizens’ Climate Lobby (Mason City)
Climate Action Iowa
Climate March
Climate Reality Project (Des Moines Chapter)
Creative Visions
Des Moines Faith Committee for Peace
Des Moines Intentional Eucharistic Community (Social Justice Committee)
Des Moines Order of the Sacred Earth
Des Moines Valley Friends (Quaker)
Downtown Disciples
Drake Environmental Action League
Environment Iowa
Farmers & Ranchers for a Green New Deal
First Unitarian Church of Des Moines
Green Boat Team (Urbandale UCC)
Greenpeace
Homes 4 My Peeps
Indianola Green Team
Indigenous Iowa
Interfaith Green Coalition
Iowa Climate Strike
Iowa Interfaith Power and Light
ISU Theatre – Eco-Theatre Lab
Latinx Immigrants of Iowa
League of United Latin American Citizens (Council 307)
League of Women Voters (Ames)
LENA Project
Methodist Federation for Social Action (Iowa Chapter)
Millennials for Climate
Moms Clean Air Force
NAACP (Des Moines)
National Wildlife Federation
NextGen Iowa
Occupy the World Food Prize
Organic Consumers Association
Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart Catholic Church of Ankeny
Oxfam
Physicians for Social Responsibility (Iowa)
Physicians for Social Responsibility (US)
Plymouth Church Creation Care and Justice Coalition
Progressive Action for the Common Good’s Environmental Forum
Regeneration International
Sage Sisters
Seeding Sovereignty
Simpson College
STAR*PAC
Student Climate Strike (Iowa City)
Sunrise Movement
Swap Society
The Collective
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Quad Cities
Unitarian Universalist Society of Iowa City
United Methodist Trinity Las Americas – the Earth Guardians
University of Iowa Environmental Coalition
Urban Ambassadors
VegLife
Vote Mob
Voto Latino
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (Des Moines Branch)

#ClimateCrisisParade