Climate activists disrupt morning commutes for ‘Shut Down DC’ protest

By Zlati Meyer

Three days after the Global Climate Strike, activists are taking to the streets of Washington, D.C., today to slow down the morning commute in an effort to call attention to the issue.

Called Shut Down DC, a coalition of climate change protesters is shutting down intersections around the district.

Local officials have advised people trying to get around the area to use mass transit or bikes instead—or to avoid the traffic completely by working remotely.

The disruption comes on the same day as the United Nations Climate Action Summit in New York.

The actions began at 7 a.m. They included a pink and yellow yacht as a barricade, activists in intersections dressed as scuba divers and dinosaurs, a mobile blood pressure clinic set up in the middle of the street, and midstreet dance parties, according to organizers. Among the areas targeted were streets near the offices of Amazon and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“#ShutDownDC builds on the recent surge of climate strikes and mass protests that have rattled politicians around the world,” activists said in a statement.

The coalition demands include a Green New Deal, governments agreeing to protect at least 50% of the land and oceans on the planet, and an end to deforestation by 2030.

 

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