As you were strolling along in Beacon down Main Street, you may have heard bagpipes in the distance. And as the sound got closer to you, passing you, you may have noticed people dressed in black carrying a small black coffin surrounded by signs with a particular symbol on them (two triangles or an hourglass in a circle). What was it?

It was a funeral procession in Beacon for the billion animals killed in Australian fires - as well as all of the species being lost to climate change, according to the press release from the organizers, Extinction Rebellion Hudson Highlands. “Extinction Rebellion (held on Sunday, January 26, 2020) is an international movement engaged in nonviolent direct action to force governments to respond to climate and ecological breakdown,” according to the press release.

“We are watching the world that we love unravel before our eyes because of climate change,” says Krystal Ford, a representative of Extinction Rebellion Hudson Highlands. “Last year alone, several species of birds, frogs, a shark, a snail, and one of the world’s largest freshwater fish were among those declared extinct.”

The funeral met on the sidewalk in front of the Beacon Post Office and marched to Polhill Park on Route 9D for a brief ritual. Marchers were dressed to honor the dead. Adults and children brought wreaths, flowers, pictures of environmental campaigners, and of extinct or endangered species that were placed upon a coffin. Bagpipes were played by James Hartford, from River Architects.

Photo Credit: Gilles Uzan

When emailed for further comment, Krystal elaborated on the mission of the march:

“We have been losing species at unprecedented rate. We have entered the sixth mass extinction. The images many of us have seen of the koalas and kangaroos being rescued from burning forests are only the most recent and heartbreaking example of species being lost to the climate and ecological crisis. 1 billion animals in Australia have been lost due to the wildfires alone. If our world is dying without our publicly and collectively expressing our grief, we might assume these losses aren't important, but of course they are. Yesterday, over 60 people came together in Beacon to publicly honor their pain for the world, showing that we care. Once we allow this pain to register, instead of turning away or being numb to it, we may find ourselves released from our paralysis, and demand action from our government to act on this climate and ecological emergency.”

According to Wikipedia, “the extinction symbol represents the threat of holocene extinction (or sixth mass extinction) on earth; the circle represents the planet and the stylised hourglass is a warning that time is running out for many species. The symbol has been attributed to anonymous East London artist, ESP or Goldfrog ESP.