On Thursday, a group of young activists from the Sunrise Movement, an organization committed to the fight against climate change since 2017, temporarily occupied the office of the Republican leader in the United States Congress, Kevin McCarthy, as part of a protest against the threat of budget paralysis. These activists, concerned about the consequences of the lack of funding for emergency aid related to climate disasters and the future of President Joe Biden’s Climate Plan, raised their voices and signs for about half an hour.
Police arrested 18 of the protesters for refusing to disperse. McCarthy’s team and Capitol Police had no immediate comment on the incident.
Ariela Lara, a 17-year-old California student, highlighted the urgency of the climate crisis and government negligence, especially by the Republican Party. She mentioned that her generation is on the front lines of this crisis and expressed concern about the impact of budget paralysis on the lives of people affected by extreme weather events.
The blockage in Congress is due to the lack of agreement on a budget proposal to finance the federal government. The situation leaves a large number of federal employees at risk of not working in the coming week.
Adah Crandall, 17, shared the devastation caused by wildfires and extreme weather events in her home state of Oregon. She criticized the Republican Party for what she views as a lack of responsible action and declared that they “have blood on their hands” if they continue to refuse to provide the support needed to save lives.
The Sunrise Movement and other activists are determined to pressure lawmakers to take concrete action in the fight against climate change, regardless of political differences, in the hope that this action will inspire urgent action to address one of the biggest threats that our planet faces.