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In the biggest climate related protest in the Bay Area to date, thousands marched in Downtown Oakland calling for real climate leadership and a ban on fracking. 

350.org, one of the groups organizing the march, and whose members were much in evidence, estimates that 8,000 people attended, making it the biggest anti-fracking rally in U.S. history. 

When the front of the march was passing 19th and Lakeside, the rear or the march was passing the cathedral on Harrison near West Grand, a distance of over four tenths of a mile, or four long city blocks. They filled the street, spilling over onto the sidewalk at times. 

While most of the marchers were from the Bay Area, there were contingents from Fresno, San Diego, the Central Coast and other parts of California as well as from Pacific islands threatened by climate change. 

Marchers assembled first at Frank Ogawa Plaza in front of Oakland City Hall. From there they marched north on Telegraph to West Grand then marched along West Grand to Harrison and Lakeshore. The rally took place at the Lake Merritt Amphitheater. 

Participants in the day’s events want Gov. Jerry Brown to “be a real climate leader”. They want him to follow the example of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and support a ban on fracking. They want him to “Stand Up to Big Oil” and support a shift to 100% renewable energy in place of reliance of greenhouse gas generating fossil fuels. 

Some protestors also carried signs opposing the Keystone XL pipeline and opposing the Delta water tunnels that Brown supports. 

On Monday, 350.org will deliver more than 200,000 signatures to Gov. Brown demanding that he ban fracking now.