(Abdul–Rahman Oladimeji Bello, Headline USA) Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., recently encouraged climate activists from several environmental groups to show more aggression in their protest planned for later this summer.
According to a Daily Mail report, the leftist “Squad” member had a virtual meeting with about 125 headliners from environmental groups, including Climate Defiance and Declare Emergency.
As part of their protest, these climate activists have blocked U.S. highways, defaced artworks in Washington and harassed politicians at public events. They are reportedly plotting to hold even bigger protests later this summer.
“We have to be much more aggressive in regard to fossil fuel expansions,” Tlaib said in the virtual meeting with the climate activists. “If we don’t get the policies we need, if our legislative process is failing us, then direct action gets the goods.”
Tlaib said she appreciated the environmental groups’ “civil disobedience actions” as she pushed them to be more proactive and “use the bullhorn.”
She also informed them that Congress and the White House would not cut as much pollution as they should until “the streets demanded it.”
The Daily Mail noted that Donald Zepeda, a Seattle-based mobilizer for Declare Emergency, had revealed plans to protest on federal properties in New York and Washington later in August.
“We aim for whatever causes the most kerfuffle; everyone has to see it,” Zepeda said.
“Everyone is impacted,” he continued. “Doing massively disruptive, nonviolent civil disobedience, it’s a necessary and important part of getting us to where we need to be.”
Filmmaker Adam McKay, who reportedly pledged $100,000 to the cause, supported the congresswoman and several activists who spent time in jail after protests.
“Nothing cuts through the BS and rigamarole more than straight-up disruptive activism,” he said.
“I’m talking about the power of the people,” he added. “I’m talking about the people that created democracy, that threw the kings out of power.”
