For the second time this month, actress Jane Fonda has been arrested at climate change protest in Washington, D.C., this time along with Grace and Frankie costar Sam Waterson. Fonda was arrested on the steps of the U.S. Capitol building earlier today, the same place where she was arrested last Friday for the same reasons.
The ongoing protests in D.C. are part of Fonda’s initiative Fire Drill Fridays, series of rallies that aim to bring attention to climate change and advocate for immediate action from Congress. The official website for Fire Drill indicates that the weekly protests are planned for four months starting last week, with the final protest taking place January 10th of 2020. On Fonda’s website, she made a statement regarding the protests: “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, Waterson, and several other protesters arrived on the east side of the Capitol this morning, and marched and chanted briefly before being stopped by Capitol Police. Fonda was handcuffed and processed by police, and Waterson was detained soon after. A report from Deadline states that when asked about the motivation behind the protests, Waterson commented, “I have to do something. I don’t know. You got a better idea?”
Fonda and Waterson have previously mentioned that they will be taking time off Grace and Frankie for these rallies so that they might advocate for passage of the Green New Deal. The Green New Deal is proposed congressional resolution introduced in February of this year by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York (D) and Senator Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts (D). The proposed resolution is meant to lay out a comprehensive plan for tackling climate change. At the Fire Drill Friday rally today, Fonda emphasized the importance of the Green New Deal, stating “Change is coming whether we like it or not, by disaster or by design.” Waterson added that “People say that the Green New Deal is radical. What is radical is climate disruption.”
Fonda and Waterson will likely be charged with crowding, obstructing or incommoding according to Deadline, charges which typically carry about a $500 fine. Future arrests could potentially lead to a night of jail time for the actors.