Environmental groups, including Extinction Rebellion, said on Wednesday they plan to shut down traffic in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 23 and bring daily life to a standstill to demand action by U.S. politicians on tackling climate change.
The roughly 15 groups planning the protest include traditional environmental groups like 350 DC and Friends of the Earth Action, as well as groups that focus on other issues, such as Black Lives Matter and Code Pink, a women-led group promoting peace and human rights.
Kaela Bamberger, an activist aligned with Extinction Rebellion DC, said the coalition plans to ratchet up pressure on policymakers by shutting down traffic at major intersections because rallies, marches, and petitions have not worked.
“This is definitely a next-level action. The urgency of climate change warrants such an attempt to disrupt business as usual…to make it impossible for people with decision-making power to go about their daily lives as if we are not in the climate emergency,” Bamberger said in an interview.
The protest is also timed to draw attention to a global climate strike on Sept. 20 and a U.N. climate summit on Sept. 23.
Employees of large U.S. companies are also participating in the strike. About 1,000 Amazon workers will walk out that day, a group called Amazon Employees for Climate Justice said in a piece on Medium.
Thousands of supporters of the Extinction Rebellion climate activist group occupied four sites in London in April and stopped trains in one of the largest civil disobedience campaigns there in decades.
London police said the group will not be allowed to repeat here that kind of disruption when they hold demonstrations in October.
Heathrow Pause, a splinter group of Extinction Rebellion, plans to disrupt London’s Heathrow airport on Friday by flying drones within a restricted zone.
The group plans to fly drones no higher than head level and give the airport one hour’s advance notice. The airport has said the plan is illegal but that it had plans to make sure it can continue to operate.
Alaina Gertz, a spokeswoman for the DC Metropolitan Police Department, said it was aware of an environmental protest scheduled on Sept. 23 and that it is “equipped to handle any-sized First Amendment demonstration.”
The U.S. Secret Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the protest.
Read more at Reuters
What is “climate justice”? More and more one gets the impression one is watching a comedy skit…
And just what would happen if s a Ambulance,Police Car of Fire Truck tried to get through and these jerks were blocking their Streets with their stupid protests I would hold those various Eco-Freak groups financialy liable for anything that happens as a result of these Eco-Freaks Stupidty
So if they are illegally in the streets and a cement truck runs them over I guess it’s a wash . I hope when they are glued to the street a massive flock of seagulls does a low altitude fly pass .
Consider the scenario where a group blocks street access to a neighborhood and demands that everyone sign over their house before they open up the streets. That is criminal extortion. In a very real way that is exactly what those who plan to shut down Washington DC are doing. They are using extortion to try to force actions that would cost every family many thousands a year, force declining life styles, and for many job loss and losing their homes. For too long this nation has been tolerant of such extortion in the name of free speech. It is way past time to start prosecuting those involved for the crimes they are guilty of.
The organizations that support these blackmail attempts should be sued.
I would like to put all these idiots to work building Bird Houses,Planting Trees and Cleaning up a Highway instead of them disrupting peoples lives and making total pests of themselves
The only known cure for stupidity is death. That’s why the Left wants to ban guns.
How does one “tackle”climate change” exactly ? Now hear this all volcanoes no more eruptions will be tolerated . Ocean currents we need you to play ball and the Sun well didn’t you get the memo, cut out the solar flares or we are going to really really huff and puff maybe even do some primeval screams .
Climate change isn’t really about controlling the earths temperature that is obviously foolish . Climate change is just a big basket to put environmental or social anxiety into . Worried about the earths population and trying to find a reason to legitimize mass extermination ? Climate Change fear mongering fits the bill . Really what is different between those goals and the planned human destruction goals of the axis during WW2 ? Names change but the games the same .
So just how are these Hooligans going to get there? their sure not going to be flapping their arms or coming by Magic Flying Carpet these jerks will use Fossil Fuels Hypotcrites they are
Actually, I think it is both fitting & IRONIC that the protests are intended to disrupt daily life & bring traffic to a standstill. That is because once you ELIMINATE 80% of our primary energy (fossil fuels) without a suitable replacement, you’ll have PLENTY of unreliable & expensive electrical power and costly & scarce transportation fuel. So, lay there in the street and “soak in” the disruption because THAT is what you are foisting on the rest of us responsible, sensible citizens who actually understand anything about how our energy system works…