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Jane Fonda has been arrested in Washington, D.C.
On Friday morning, the 81-year-old actress and activist was leading a demonstration on Capitol Hill, demanding urgent action in the climate change crisis. Amid the protest, Fonda was arrested, handcuffed and placed in a police van, video posted to social media shows.
“Today, the United States Capitol Police arrested 16 individuals for unlawfully demonstrating on the East Front of the U.S. Capitol,” Eva Malecki, a spokeswoman for the Capitol police said Friday, via The Hollywood Reporter. According to Malecki, the individuals were charged with crowding, obstructing or incommoding.
It was just yesterday that Fonda took to her website to speak out about her “Fire Drill Fridays” protests, inspired by Greta Thunberg.
“Inspired by Greta and the youth climate strikes as well as Reverend Barber’s Moral Mondays and Randall Robinson’s often daily anti-apartheid protests, I’ve moved to Washington, D.C. to be closer to the epicenter of the fight for our climate,” Fonda wrote. “Every Friday through January, I will be leading weekly demonstrations on Capitol Hill to demand that action by our political leaders be taken to address the climate emergency we are in. We can’t afford to wait.”
“I will be on the Capitol every Friday, rain or shine, inspired and emboldened by the incredible movement our youth have created,” Fonda later continued. “I can no longer stand by and let our elected officials ignore – and even worse – empower – the industries that are destroying our planet for profit. We can not continue to stand for this.”
Fonda also listed “our demands,” including a Green New Deal, “Transform our economy to 100% clean, renewable energy by 2030 and phase out all fossil fuel extraction through a just and equitable transition, creating millions of good jobs.” Respect of indigenous land and sovereignty, environmental justice, protection and restoration of biodiversity, and implementation of sustainable agriculture are also included in the demands.
To learn more information, head to FireDrillFridays.com.