Jane Fonda arrested again with celebrity friends during weekly climate change protest
Jane Fonda continued her weekly tradition of getting arrested at the U.S. Capitol Friday — and this time she brought along actresses Catherine Keener and Rosanna Arquette. The trio was led away by Capitol police after protesting climate change for the fourth week in a row.
"These climate emergencies offer us a chance to choose between succumbing to the hatred that our president is spewing and turning on one another or coming together in shared humanity and supporting each other," Fonda said Friday during the rally. "Let's always choose love and empathy and our shared humanity."
Each week, "Fire Drill Fridays" protests are centered around a different theme. This week focused on women's roles in the climate movement, and activists sat in a circle on the floor of the Hart Senate Office Building as part of their protest.
"While the climate crisis threatens everyone, it especially impacts vulnerable populations, including women and girls," Fire Drill Fridays wrote on Facebook. "Around the world, women and girls are leading climate solutions, from stopping deforestation and improving agricultural practices to leading Climate Strikes and running for office as the kind of real climate leaders the world needs."
Eva Malecki, a spokeswoman for the Capitol police, told CBS News that 46 people were taken into custody for allegedly unlawfully demonstrating. All were charged with crowding and obstructing or incommoding, Malecki said.
Fonda moved to Washington earlier this year to fight against climate change. She said she is willing to show up and get arrested every week until January. So far, the 81-year-old actress and long-time activist has also been arrested with actors Sam Waterston and Ted Danson.
Both Waterston and Danson appeared to anticipate their arrests — both were photographed grinning as police led them away in handcuffs.
“Let’s always choose love, empathy, and our shared humanity.” #firedrillfriday @Janefonda pic.twitter.com/DkDQ0P5MkS
— Fire Drill Fridays (@FireDrillFriday) November 1, 2019
"We can do this!" 78-year-old Waterston said during a protest a few weeks ago. "We need something to push for that's as big as the problem."
"This is an ongoing action to draw attention and a sense of urgency to the climate crisis," Fonda said before her arrest last week. "Make no mistake, change is coming, whether we like it or not. Change is coming by disaster, or change is coming by design."
The first "Fire Drill Friday" took place on October 11. That was also the first day Fonda was arrested for demonstrating on the U.S. Capitol steps.