An estimated 15,000 people gathered in downtown St. Paul on April 19 for one of the nation’s largest Earth Day protests, rallying around environmental, political, and social justice issues.
The event brought attention not only to pressing environmental concerns but also to the intersection of environmental issues and racial justice. For communities of color, Earth Day serves as a reminder of how environmental harm disproportionately affects marginalized groups, with a long history of environmental racism that has shaped the way pollution, hazardous waste, and climate change disproportionately burden Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC).
“We work to eliminate environmental racism here in the Twin Cities. There’s a lot of ‘polluters’ in working-class and immigrant neighborhoods,” said Charlie Berg, a member of the Climate Justice Committee. “These are areas where the people aren’t wealthy, and these are the areas that get targeted by industrial pollution. And that’s not right.”
Chants and drums echoed through the streets as roughly 10,000 people marched nearly a mile before joining another crowd assembled at the Minnesota State Capitol. Organizers said the goal of the protest was to not only raise awareness about environmental damage but also to unite different causes under a shared banner of justice.
“The march was gigantic. It’s one of the biggest we’ve had in the Twin Cities since at least 2020,” Berg said.
More than 19 speakers representing a diverse range of advocacy organizations addressed the crowd throughout the day. Many emphasized the need for greater activism not only on environmental issues but also political and social justice concerns, including racial inequality, housing justice, and workers’ rights.
Participating groups included the Climate Justice Committee, Third Act Minnesota, UNIDOS, Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), East Phillips Neighborhood Institute (EPNI), Women’s March Minnesota, Veterans for Peace, Red Nation, and several others under the local “People’s Earth Day Coalition.”
The concept of environmental racism, the disproportionate impact of environmental hazards on communities of color, was a recurring theme throughout the day. In the Twin Cities, residents of low-income, predominantly BIPOC neighborhoods have long faced the brunt of industrial pollution and environmental degradation.
One prominent example is the former Northern Metal Recycling facility in North Minneapolis, which shut down following years of community complaints and a $2.5 million settlement with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) in 2017. The agreement required the company to relocate its shredder outside the metro area, pay civil penalties, and fund local health initiatives.
Another site frequently cited by activists is the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC), a downtown Minneapolis trash incinerator that emitted nearly 170,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2022, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The facility, located near the North Loop and adjacent to neighborhoods with large BIPOC populations, has faced repeated protests over the years for its role in contributing to poor air quality. Local officials have marked its closure aimed for 2027, but with an upcoming change in mayoral and council leadership, nothing is final.
At the march, environmental justice advocates also highlighted the results of pollution like asthma rates, particularly in areas with high concentrations of people of color. A 2020 report by the Minnesota Department of Health found that asthma-related hospitalizations among children in the seven-county Twin Cities metro area declined by 67% from 2000 to 2018.
However, hospitalization rates remain significantly higher in certain ZIP codes — particularly in North Minneapolis, where the hospitalization rate is nearly five times higher than the state average.
In the East Phillips neighborhood, where 83.4% of residents are people of color, the Smith Foundry was shut down in 2023 after violating the Clean Air Act multiple times. The neighborhood has also fought against city plans to use a former industrial site, the Roof Depot, for a public works campus. Residents successfully won the right to purchase the site after court battles, arguing that the proposed development would increase pollution and worsen air quality in the area.
These examples illustrate how environmental harm has often been concentrated in marginalized communities, leading to calls for systemic change. Saturday’s Earth Day protest focused on addressing these disparities, with speakers calling for action on climate change, pollution, and economic justice.
“We’re trying to build a movement of movements — against environmental destruction, against systemic racism, against the fossil fuel agenda. But we can only do that if people get active,” Berg said.
Minnesota faces significant environmental concerns. In 2021, the state reported over 1,000 alcohol-induced deaths, with communities of color experiencing disproportionate health impacts from environmental and industrial pollution.
The state has also been grappling with climate-related issues, including increased flooding, severe weather events, and pollution from industrial facilities, all of which disproportionately affect BIPOC communities.
Saturday’s Earth Day protest in St. Paul was one of many held across the country. Organizers in Minnesota said they were proud to see one of the largest turnouts nationwide.
“There’s momentum here,” Berg said. “This is about building a movement that fights for clean air, clean water, and justice for everyone — no matter your race, your income, or where you live.”
Chris Juhn is a contributing writer and freelance photographer for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder