The Climate Movement Fights Back
Summary
Sunrise Movement executive director Aru Shiny Aje discusses the organization's pivot from climate activism to anti-authoritarian resistance during the 2025 Minneapolis ICE crackdown. She details how the group organized mass nonviolent protests, including noise actions and hotel boycotts, to disrupt federal operations. The conversation covers the Department of Homeland Security's subsequent surveillance and infiltration of the movement, as well as the broader implications of political corruption and rising fascism for climate policy. Aje argues that restoring democratic functionality is now …
Topics discussed
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Sponsor: Brilliant.org and Whoop band anecdote
Show intro: The Spill with Drilled
Introduction to Aru Shiny Aje and Sunrise Movement
Is the climate movement in retreat? The IRA and political reality
Personal origins: Floods, refugee work, and climate consciousness
The 2018 Pelosi sit-in and early activism experiences
Evolution of the movement: Floyd, pandemic, and Gaza
Money in politics and the failure of traditional democracy
Gaza as a climate issue and the role of youth movements
Public perception of Palestine and climate activism
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Trump's 2025 agenda and the impact on state climate campaigns
Strategic shift: Stopping federal overreach vs state legislation
Operation Metro Surge: Planning and community solidarity in Minneapolis
Multiracial solidarity and unexpected community support
Sunrise's anti-authoritarian directive and infiltration fears
Surveillance, noise ordinances, and hotel resistance tactics
Homeland Security investigation and legal infrastructure attacks
The Minnesota 15, subpoenas, and National Security Memo 7
Maintaining organizing momentum despite fear and distraction
Midterm elections, poll security, and congressional victories
Future focus: Climate campaigning and curbing authoritarianism
Outro and production credits
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