Tensions flared between irate commuters and climate activists from the group Declare Emergency, who obstructed traffic on a Washington, D.C. highway over the weekend.
The climate group, which asserts on its website that "billions of people will starve to death in the coming decades" if fossil fuel usage is not halted, has been staging traffic blocks to pressure the Biden administration into declaring a climate emergency. "We still have two to three years in which we can avert the worst consequences of the climate catastrophe," the group warns.
The New York Post reported that Saturday morning saw the group's third traffic block in Washington, D.C., within a week. The demonstration sparked outrage among motorists, who vociferously demanded the protesters to clear the road. One male driver exclaimed, "I want to go to work!" while a female commuter vented her frustration, shouting, "Get the f*** out of here! We have to go to f***ing work! We've got kids to feed!"
Some drivers attempted to engage the activists in dialogue, urging them to relocate their protest. "You guys aren't going to get people to join you like this," one motorist reasoned. "We've got places to go."
The standoff, which lasted nearly 20 minutes, was captured on video by News2Share. Upon arrival, the police issued a warning to the protesters before arresting them, thereby clearing the path for the commuters.
One protester explained to News2Share, "We just want President Biden to declare a state of climate emergency before it's too late, before there's nothing that any of us can do to stop the carbon emissions from destroying our planet, from destroying our human race, from destroying countless other species upon this planet."
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Declare Emergency stated, "For us, this was a great way to honor the legacy of Dr. King and to carry on his tradition of disruptive, nonviolent civil disobedience!" The group believes that being arrested "is an important strategy of historical nonviolence movements that demanded system change from their governments."
The group further argued, "Every time the state imprisons us for nonviolently demanding a livable future, we win a moral battle. The more the state oppresses those asking for the right to live in a sustainable world, the less tenable its moral stance becomes in the eyes of the greater public."
Login