Video posted on social media shows construction workers helping police officers remove a trio of climate change protesters Tuesday morning from a road leading into Washington, D.C.
The construction workers, wearing neon vests, were seen jumping into action to assist police by carrying one male protester away from traffic near a construction site, footage obtained by News2Share showed.
5) When climate activist Donald Zepeda continued to stay limp where he was arrested for blocking traffic, nearby construction workers helped police to carry him off the road.
One aggressively approached videographer @T_Jones_Media for filming but was told by police to back off. pic.twitter.com/ZnjDD2ZrWy
— Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) February 13, 2024
One U.S. Park Police officer warned the three protesters that obstructing traffic was not acceptable conduct. A male protester who held a sign that read “Pres. Biden Declare Climate Emergency Now,” defended the group’s decision to block oncoming traffic, telling the officer, “We want the president to see this.”
Construction workers close to the scene helped multiple police officers bring the demonstrators to the side of the road after all three were handcuffed. Orange cones were on the road, indicating the area where the construction workers were stationed. (RELATED: Video Shows Climate Activists Deface The Mona Lisa With Soup)
Frustrated drivers were filmed exiting their vehicles to confront the three demonstrators before they were removed from sitting in the middle of GW Parkway. They shouted at the protesters to stop obstructing traffic, and one person yelled, “Nobody cares.”
“Get the fuck out of the road,” another traveler shouted.
2) As cars accumulated blocked by the traffic-blocking @DecEmergency trio, they switched positions to allow the woman who said her son is the hospital to go forward while continuing to block traffic.
They demand Joe Biden demand climate change a national emergency. pic.twitter.com/OMVE25Es2k
— Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) February 13, 2024
Another driver, who was on her way to visit her hospitalized son, appeared to pour water on the activists before they allowed her to pass. They appeared to block others from leaving as vehicle congestion built up.
Biden previously said in Aug. 2023 that while he has not officially declared a climate emergency via executive order, the actions his administration has taken to counter climate change are akin to an emergency being declared.