D.C. climate protesters want to bring 'the whole city to a gridlocked standstill' — and it seems to be working
Climate protesters are creating a whole new kind of gridlock in Washington, D.C.
As the United Nations gathered for its Climate Action Summit on Monday, protesters filled the capital's streets to "seize key intersections" and bring the city to a halt, per a press release from the Shut Down DC movement. They were still blocking traffic near the Capitol Building as the morning wore on, but it appeared several protesters, including some students, were cleared off the streets and arrested.
A week of climate action around the world kicked off last week with massive global rallies, headlined by teenage Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. She's slated to speak at the U.N. General Assembly on Monday, prompting Shut Down DC to ask "climate rebels" to "seize key intersections in the city at 7 a.m., disrupting the city’s morning rush hour traffic." And as videos captured of D.C.'s busiest streets revealed, it seemed to be working.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Soon, police began warning protesters they'd be arrested if they didn't leave the streets soon, and then started rounding them up.
Yet near the Capitol, protests turned dance parties raged on. Kathryn Krawczyk
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
Today's political cartoons - April 16, 2024
Cartoons Tuesday's cartoons - sleepyhead, little people, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Trump criminal trial starts with rulings, reminder
Speed Read The first day of his historic trial over hush money payments was mostly focused on jury selection
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Sudan on brink of collapse after a year of war
Speed Read 18 million people face famine as the country continues its bloody downward spiral
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
More than 2,000 dead following massive earthquake in Morocco
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mexico's next president will almost certainly be its 1st female president
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
North Korea's Kim to visit Putin in eastern Russia to discuss arms sales for Ukraine war, U.S. says
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Gabon's military leader sworn in following coup in latest African uprising
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published