I was afraid that after the climate marches in September that attention to the threat of climate change would drop to some extent, but am surprised and grateful that that doesn’t appear to be the case. One of the stories that’s been showing up in my newsfeed all weekend is that Jane Fonda was arrested on Friday for protesting climate change at the Capitol:
Jane Fonda was arrested Friday on the steps of the U.S. Capitol while protesting against climate change, PEOPLE confirms.
WUSA9 posted video online showing the 81-year-old actress and longtime activist being taken into custody.
Fonda had announced her intentions ahead of the protest, telling the Washington Post she recently moved to D.C. so she could be more active on the issue of climate change.
She said that she plans to protest this same way for the next 14 Fridays.
“I’m going to take my body, which is kind of famous and popular right now because of the [Netflix] series [Grace and Frankie] and I’m going to go to D.C. and I’m going to have a rally every Friday,” Fonda said in an interview with the Post.
“It’ll be called ‘Fire Drill Friday.’ And we’re going to engage in civil disobedience and we’re going to get arrested every Friday.”
16 people were arrested by the Capitol Police for “unlawfully demonstrating on the East Front of the U.S. Capitol” according to Communications Director Eva Malecki, and were “charged with crowding, obstructing, or incommoding.” I love that Jane is wearing a bright red coat. She knows that she’s going to get arrested and that it’s going to be filmed, She doesn’t care about the former and wants to make sure that she’s seen. Her message is not “Look at me!” but, “Yes, I’m actually here, and yes, I’m going to get arrested, and I don’t care, because this is too important.”
Jane told The Washington Post that she was inspired by Great Thunberg:
“[Greta] realized what was happening and that this was barreling at us like an engine . . . . It so traumatized her that she stopped speaking and eating. And when I read that it rocked me, because I knew that Greta had seen the truth. And the urgency came into my DNA the way it hadn’t before.”
I’d not read or heard about Jane’s interview with the Post, so maybe her arrest will also draw more people on subsequent Fridays, which would be fantastic. I also love that she talked about being inspired by Greta. Given all of the nastiness being hurled at Greta from grown men who can’t handle her intelligence, her passion, and her common sense, it’s a nice change of pace to hear from someone like Jane, who is inspired by Greta’s actions. I hope the two get to meet eventually.
.@Janefonda is the THIRD arrest here at the US Capitol… The moment it happened…@WUSA9 #ClimateChange #FireDrillFriday #breaking pic.twitter.com/wWoZggYloN
— Mike Valerio (@MikevWUSA) October 11, 2019
I want those shoes!
Good for Jane. She has always been an activist, always concerned about the environment. And they can’t dismiss her as a child.
I actually disagree that she won’t be dismissed like a child. I fear her involvement may do more harm than good.
Whether we like it or not, we have to face the fact that she is a lightening rod. She has the potential to turn off a lot people, which we couldn’t afford to risk.
If she really didn’t have an ego about it, she would be working behind the scenes to get celebrities to do this instead of her. Now, other celebrities may never take the same political action for fear of being linked to her forever.
Meh! Those who’ll be offended because Jane Fonda is involved are the ones who’d be offended anyway. If she was trying to get others involved (and who says she doesn’t?) then the same people would complain that she’s sending others to be arrested while she stays comfortably far from the action. Since she can’t win, she might as well do what she thinks is important. The Vietnam war is 50 years behind, people should get over those pictures (besides, while the pictures with the viet cong were a not great, she was actually on the right side fighting against the US involvement in Vietnam)
And the “perfection barometer ” has reared its ugly head. You will never find a perfect hero, a perfect political candidate, or a perfect person anywhere on this planet. This mentality costs elections and it costs lives. If you were being assaulted and your life was in danger, you wouldn’t stop people trying to save you so you could “vet” them and weigh the pros and cons of their reputation. That would be insane. Climate change activists are trying to save is all from doom and you want to vet them first. Sheesh.
Badass woman. You go, Jane.
She’s great!
Wow, 81 and still trying to change the world. She’s a legend. Why is what they are doing illegal? It looked like a peaceful protest to me.
I wondered about that, too. Maybe in DC you need a permit to protest? Maybe because it’s on the steps of the Capitol & not on the sidewalk in front? Or maybe it’s a trumpian misinterpretation of the actual law, labeling it illegal when it actually isn’t?
LOVE THIS! Go Jane. My hero.
Jane knows that her celebrity will focus so much more attention on climate change. Her celebrity will also bring out more participants in the protests. I hope they become huge! Jane says these protests will be called “Fire Drill Friday”. I think it should be called “Fonda’s Fire Drill Friday”.
Good for her that she’s still standing up for her beliefs. But shame on those police. I’m so glad I’m not American. My god, she’s 81! Leave her alone.
Might have to go down there one of these Fridays and protest alongside Jane! I hope it gets to be huge!
On a side note, I’m amazed at how many women get what is important before men do. Not all women, and not all men, and certainly not racially, generationally or culturally proportionate, for sure. But the disparity is clear.
Can’t she get a permit to protest or is the point to get arrested b/c it makes for more headlines?
ETA: I adore her either way
Sorry, not sorry, I adore this woman!
Same!
She’s such a badass.