Nature Is Not For Sale: June 5 Day of Action

@mbegin: Hey Hill! @HRClinton! I’m @StateDept and I want u to stop privatizing our natural resources! #rioplus20

Today, residents of the District of Columbia joined citizens around the country in a national day of action, sending messages — in person and online — to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in defense of the common resources that belong to all of us and which multinational corporations seeks to control. The issue of who controls these resources is coming to a critical head as global leaders will discuss them when they meet later this month in Brazil for the Rio+20 United Nations Conference of Sustainable Development.

“Private interests have already been positioning themselves to profit from control of resources that should remain in the public realm,” said local Food & Water Watch Organizer Miranda Carter. “We want to send a strong message to Secretary Clinton that the key to successful, sustainable development throughout the world includes buy-in from local communities and serves the public interests, not just multinational corporations.”

In Washington, DC participants created their own version of the MasterCard “priceless” ads outside the U.S. Department of State, calling on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to defend our water and food.

The event in Washington, D.C. was one of more than a dozen events across the country on the day of action, including an action outside of the United Nations in New York.

UPDATE!

In addition to the lively events in Washington, D.C. and New York, concerned citizens turned out for rallies, teach-ins, photo petitions and movie screenings with across the country. Hundreds gathered in California, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, and Ohio to ensure that the United States brings real sustainable solutions to RIO+20, as opposed to the usual market-based schemes that are failing the environment and people around the world.

Sign up here to stay apprised of developments in Rio and tell Secretary Clinton to put people and the environment over profits:

Some New Photos From Around The Country:

San Francisco, CA

Kayzha and Jonee in Detroit, MI

Denver, CO