Carbon Underground President speaks at rally on the Mall in DC.

Musicians, religious leaders and climate change activists gathered on the National Mall on Thursday morning to attend the Moral Action on Climate Justice rally. Organized by the Follow Francis organization, the rally began as Pope Francis was addressing Congress.

“In keeping with his ‘cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor,’ we will call on America to honor its moral duty to urgently address the climate crisis. Communities that have done the least to cause climate change—the poor, people of color, displaced immigrants—are disproportionately bearing the burden of climate change,” rally organizers said in a statement.

The Carbon Underground President Larry Kopald spoke on the Mall to the crowd gathered at the event.