Crossroads News

Crossroads Ninth Grader Organizes Climate Strike

Dilan Gohill’s efforts to save the planet attract media attention.
On the day before the 92nd Academy Awards, while Hollywood actors were prepping to walk the red carpet, ninth grader Dilan Gohill planned a trek of his own. He, too, intended to make a statement. An organizer for the ecological group Extinction Rebellion Youth Los Angeles, Dilan and more than 100 fellow demonstrators hiked up Mount Lee to the base of the historic Hollywood sign. There, they held a “die-in,” positioning their bodies on the ground to spell the words “WAKE UP.” Their symbolic gesture, directed specifically at the film industry, conveyed the urgent need to combat climate change.
 
In an open call for protesters, Extinction Rebellion Youth Los Angeles described their stance: “We do not believe that Hollywood as a whole has taken an acceptable stance on the climate crisis. Business as usual is killing us all, and every aspect of society needs to take urgent action on climate, including film and media. There is no Hollywood on a dead planet.”
 
On Feb. 6, Dilan and youth organizer Kori Malia appeared on the KPFK Pacifica Radio and Free Speech TV show “Rising up With Sonali,” a progressive news program hosted by Sonali Kolhatkar, to discuss the protest. They talked not only about the film industry’s ability to bring attention to the climate crisis, but also the industry’s direct impact on the environment, including devastating protected lands and irresponsibly disposing of chemical waste.
 
“I feel like it is my duty to be an activist,” Dilan told Kolhatkar on why he is committed to this issue. “It is my job to make sure that this planet is livable not only for me but for my friends, my family and for every single generation to come because we are the last generation to be able to do something.”
 
At Crossroads, Dilan continues to encourage his peers to participate in “meatless Mondays,” which he helped initiate, and share information on how young people can make a difference. On Valentine’s Day, Dilan led another climate strike with Extinction Rebellion Youth Los Angeles in Santa Monica.
 
Watch or listen to Dilan’s interview on “Rising up With Sonali” here, or check out what Dilan had to say during ABC7's report on the protest here.
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