Passaic River Rally “People Over Pollution”
Newark Riverfront Park (727 Raymond Boulevard, Newark)
Join Michele Sionas and others for this community-driven protest and press conference focused on environmental justice and demanding accountability for the historic pollution of the Passaic River. This event is in partnership with the Ironbound Community Corporation, alongside a coalition of residents, regional advocates, and local organizations.
The Passaic River Rally (officially organized under the banner “People Over Pollution”) is a community-driven protest and press conference focused on environmental justice and demanding accountability for the historic pollution of the Passaic River.
Event Details
• Date: Saturday, June 20, 2026
• Time: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
• Location: Newark Riverfront Park (727 Raymond Blvd, Newark, NJ 07105)
What the Rally is About:
The demonstration is a response to decades of corporate pollution that has plagued the Passaic River—most notably the heavy dioxin contamination left behind by chemical companies like OxyChem (and its predecessors) during the mid-20th century.
While the EPA has a federally approved cleanup plan in place for the lower 8.3 miles of the river, local advocates argue that progress has been entirely too slow. The core pillars of the rally include:
• Demanding Polluters Pay: Activists are demanding that the responsible corporations fully fund the multi-billion-dollar cleanup rather than pushing the burden onto taxpayers or attempting to legally evade liability.
• Urgent Federal Action: Organizers are calling on federal regulators to accelerate the timeline of the actual removal of toxic sediment from the riverbed.
• Community Health Protection: The rally highlights how the ongoing toxic presence in the water continues to disproportionately impact the health, recreation, and economic well-being of residents in Newark (particularly the Ironbound community) and surrounding areas.