Did You Hear About The 655 Climate Protesters Arrested in DC?

A total of 655 people were arrested in Washington, D.C., last week as they protested fossil fuel projects and demanded that President Joe Biden declare a climate emergency. Demonstrators began blocking the fence outside the White House on Monday, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, chanting and waving signs. On Thursday, Indigenous leaders sat on the floor of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, linking arms; activists sprayed fake oil on the steps of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, sending pink and blue smoke plumes into the air. On Friday, youth activists formed a blockade in the road leading to the Capitol.

These “People vs. Fossil Fuels” protests, led by Indigenous organizers, included people resisting oil and gas projects all over the country, from Alaska to Appalachia. They were protesting not just climate change, but also water contamination and sexual assaults against Indigenous women associated with oil and gas projects.