Standing in Solidarity with the Juliana 21
May 3, 2024
Virginia youth plaintiff Layla giving a speech in support of the Juliana youth plaintiffs during the My Voice. My Rights. Our Future. Rally to #SaveJuliana on April 21, 2024 in front of the White House. (Photo by Robin Loznak)
Layla, the named plaintiff in Layla v. Commonwealth of Virginia, joined hundreds of supporters in demanding justice for Juliana on Earth Day weekend. Standing in front of the White House, she gave a compelling speech:
Hello all. Thank you so much for joining us today. I stand before you today as just one of the 12 plaintiffs in the youth-led constitutional climate case, Layla H. v. Commonwealth of Virginia.
Like many of my peers from across different cases would say, Juliana v. the United States has been a major inspiration in my journey towards climate action. I first heard of Juliana when I was just 13 years old. Seeing youth from around the country take on their government and stand up for their rights to a stable climate pushed me to step forward and demand accountability from those in power.
I have seen my environment deteriorate around me at a rapid, terrifying rate.
My family and I have experienced countless extreme storms that have resulted in tens of thousands of dollars of damage to our home and land. I’ve done homework by candlelight multiple times as power outages continue to increase in frequency, experienced severe heat rash due to climbing temperatures, and ultimately have begun to feel like the future I am planning for as a young adult is in no way guaranteed.
My story does not exist in isolation. My fellow Virginia co-plaintiffs have experienced everything from the onset of Lyme disease, a condition that has become scarily common as global warming worsens, to increased asthma attacks due to poor air quality, and more. We few represent a large youth population in Virginia and beyond who have been detrimentally impacted by the degradation of our environment, and will continue to be impacted until we take a stand.
I earned the right to vote less than 2 years ago, but have been experiencing the effects of climate change my entire life.
Within cases like ours and Juliana v. United States, we ask you all, including my state and our national government…why is it that children as young as 8 and 10 years old have to beg you to protect their most fundamental rights? And most importantly, why are you so eager to silence them?
My parents immigrated to the United States in the 1980s to ensure that their future children would have more stable, healthy lives. That same decade, my state first learned of the profound impacts of fossil fuels on the environment, and in the same breath, chose to ignore them. We are all here today because we believe in holding our national and state governments accountable, and I can’t tell you how proud I am of us, but most importantly, the Juliana 21. They instilled hope in me when I was sure there was none.
Our lawsuit was filed in 2022, and now we too are facing opposition from a government that does not want us to testify in open court. Just last month, Our Children’s Trust attorneys presented oral arguments in Virginia on why our case must be allowed to go to trial. We are now awaiting a decision from the court.
Like the Juliana plaintiffs, we demand to be heard. Our stories, our struggles, and our hopes for a better future deserve to be considered in the halls of justice.
I stand in solidarity with the Juliana 21 in their pursuit of climate justice because their courage and determination have paved the way for youth-led climate litigation across the country. They need us all to stand together and demand Biden’s DOJ to let the youth be heard.
Thank you.
