Juliana Youth Plaintiff Gives Moving Speech During D.C. Rally Urging President Biden to Let the Youth be Heard
Juliana v. U.S. youth plaintiff Isaac Vergun leading a chant at the My Voice. My Rights. Our Future. Rally to #SaveJuliana in D.C. on April 21, 2024 (Photo by Robin Loznak)
On April 21, 2024, youth plaintiffs in Juliana v. U.S., Genesis v. EPA, Held v. State of Montana and Layla v. Commonwealth of Virginia led a powerful rally for youth-led climate rights at the White House in Washington DC. The “My Voice. My Rights. Our Future.” rally to #SaveJuliana follows nearly nine years and 22 attempts through three presidential administrations to kill the only case in the U.S. targeting the federal government for its actions that not only exacerbate the climate crisis and disproportionately harm our youngest generation, but also violate their fundamental rights to life, liberty, and property.
Joined by his fellow youth plaintiffs and an intergenerational crowd of over 200 people, Isaac Vergun stood in front of the White House and gave this speech:
My name is Isaac Vergun and I’m from Beaverton, Oregon. I joined Juliana as a plaintiff when I was 13 years old and today is my 22nd birthday.
Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken said in response to the DOJ’s latest attempt to silence us and keep us from going to trial. AND I QUOTE: “Trial courts across the country address complex cases involving similar jurisdictional, evidentiary, and legal questions as those presented here. As Supreme Court Justice Stewart noted, “the proper place for the trial is in the trial court.”
WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED.
Now everyone, say it with us, WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED! Again, WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED!
Thank you to everyone for being here today. I know I speak for all of the 21 Juliana plaintiffs when I say your support for our lawsuit over these last nine years has been invaluable.
As I just mentioned, today is my 22nd birthday and to be honest, it’s a bit of a bittersweet day. I’m so happy to be here surrounded by such incredible people all fighting for climate justice. However, I’m also disappointed that nine years after filing Juliana, I’m still here asking President Biden and the DOJ to allow our lawsuit to proceed to trial.
These last nine years have been a rollercoaster ride. We filed our lawsuit in 2015 and since then have faced opposition from the Obama administration, Trump administration, and now from the Biden administration. This past June, I felt hopeful when Judge Ann Aiken ruled in our favor and announced she would set trial dates in our case. I thought that after so many years of opposition, I would finally have the ability to testify in open court and discuss the ways the climate crisis has impacted me. I was looking forward to having the opportunity to support my fellow plaintiffs as they told their stories and I was excited that after almost nine years, the courts would get to hear from experts as they presented evidence on the science and worsening climate crisis.
However, my excitement was short-lived as Biden's DOJ quickly moved to stop our case. The DOJ filed a record-breaking seventh petition for Writ of Mandamus. No other case in history has faced this level of government persecution and out of the more than 40,000 cases in front of the DOJ, these extreme legal tactics have been used in only one: Juliana v. United States.
That’s why we’re gathered here today in front of the White House. We came to President Biden’s doorstep and are demanding he tell the DOJ to allow America’s Climate case to proceed to trial.
Juliana youth plaintiffs rallying at the White House: (left to right) Alex Loznak, Levi D., Miko Vergun and Jacob Lebel (Photo by Robin Loznak)
It is not just my fellow 20 plaintiffs and me who are feeling the harmful effects of climate change. Everyone here today has been impacted—especially frontline, environmental justice communities—by the climate crisis. Year after year, across the globe, we see temperature records shattered and extreme climate disasters. Lives are at stake. Futures are at stake. And the government continues to try to stop our case from being heard.
I’m outraged and you should be too.
We’ve endured 22 attempts to kill our case, but we keep fighting. We keep fighting because this case represents not just our voices as plaintiffs but the collective cry of an entire generation demanding accountability on climate change. When we finally have our day in court - we will win and we’ll force the United States, the biggest contributor to climate change in the world, to make systemic change and phase out fossil fuels.
This case isn’t just about justice for 21 youth plaintiffs–it’s about creating a stable climate system for ALL current and future generations. It’s about protecting Americans’ rights to a safe and healthy future. So today on my 22nd birthday, I continue to fight for my future and the futures of all generations to come and I will continue to fight for justice no matter how long it takes.
