“Shoe Strike” on the sidewalk of Mission Drive (Photo – Ann Kinney-Eittinger)
Shoes were quietly lined up in the grass at the intersection of Mission Drive and Domingo Drive in San Gabriel on Saturday, August 29, as a “shoe strike” for climate change.
By Cheryl Cabot
Shoe strikes started in Europe and have since spread globally. Because of Covid -19, it is not safe for crowds to gather, so these passive demonstrations allow people to put a pair of shoes in their place.
Ann Kinney-Eittinger, a San Gabriel resident, organized Saturday’s shoe strike. It started at 9:00 am and ran until 6 :00 pm allowing people to drop off shoes at their convenience throughout the day. As the day progressed more and more shoes were lined up at the intersection.
Kinney-Eittinger said:
Shoe strikes are a safe way for people to maintain safety precautions during the Covid-19 pandemic, and still take part in a demonstration about the urgent issue of climate change.
“When I read about Europe’s shoe strikes for climate, I was inspired by their public’s participation and reassured by the fact that they trust science’s concrete evidence,” Kinney-Eittinger explained. All the shoes collected at the event were donated to charities.
Recently, Fearless Grandmothers of Santa Barbara also held a shoe strike for climate change. You can also find more ways to get involved at Fridays For Future.
Shoes on Domingo Drive (Photo – Ann Kinney-Eittinger)
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