Jane Fonda has a long history of social activism (with various levels of results), and her latest cause is climate change.
A video posted to Twitter shows her being handcuffed and taken away by authorities while protesting for climate action at the U.S. Capitol building.
A spokesperson for the Capitol police confirmed that 16 people were arrested for “unlawfully demonstrating” and charged with crowding, obstructing, or incommoding.
What that is, I don’t know.
Per Fonda’s website, Fonda was “inspired and emboldened by the incredible movement our youth have created.”
“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.”
She plans to hold weekly demonstrations in D.C., called Fire Drill Fridays, and calls Swedish activist Greta Thunberg an inspiration.
“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.”
Being in her 80s isn’t going to stop Fonda from continue a decades-long fight to change the planet and society for the better.
“Our climate is in crisis. Scientists are shouting an urgent warning: we have little more than a decade to take bold, ambitious action to transition our economy off of fossil fuels and onto clean, renewable energy.”
I’m not sure that protests and arrests are going to get anything done in Washington, but they can’t hurt.
And you never know – maybe they will make a difference after all.