Council of Canadians Honorary Chairperson Maude Barlow joined a crowd of protestors who brought the rallying cry for a Green New Deal and urgent action on the climate crisis to Capitol Hill in Washington last week.
Marching alongside Jane Fonda and crowds of environmental activists, Indigenous water warriors and land defenders, she helped bring attention to the water and climate crises.
As reported by the LA Times, the activists marched toward the Supreme Court last Friday to demand new water regulations as part of the ongoing campaign to raise climate-crisis awareness.
Barlow spoke at the podium wearing a vibrant red “Canada” shirt. She shared stories and information of links between water and climate.
Fonda, a lifelong activist, has been participating in and urging others to commit civil disobedience. “I want to show people that this is what we need to do now,” she said in a recent interview with the Today Show.
“This is really a crisis and we have very little time,” Fonda said. “The scientists say we have 11 years, and other scientists say that may be optimistic.”
In total, 40 people were arrested at rally as they demanded clean water, a green new deal, and no new fossil fuels. Among them were Indigenous activist Sebi Medina-Tayac, Garett Reppenhagen with Veterans For Peace, and celebrities like Diane Lane, Piper Perabo, and Amber Valletta.
Fonda, who has been arrested four times now, stepped back from the final part of the protest to avoid the possibility of jail time. She spent a night in jail after getting arrested on Nov. 1. Similarly, Maude Barlow, who has previously been arrested on Parliament Hill in a massive protest against the climate-killing and water-polluting tar sands, stayed with protestors, offering support and encouragement to those facing arrest.
“Show up for climate!” Diane Lane shouted as she was led off in restraints by law enforcement Friday. Valletta joined in a climate justice chant as her hands were zip-tied, reported the LA Times.
Inspired by student climate activist Greta Thunberg, Fonda says Fire Drill Fridays will continue with more people, including celebrities, facing arrest.
The recent Fire Drill Friday events focused on water echo the action Maude Barlow and other water activists around the world have been calling for. According to the Fire Drill Fridays website, “there are things we can do to address these challenges, but we need to stand together to demand stronger, faster action. We can start making progress by: 1) stopping the current attacks on regulations that protect water, and instead update and expand them, 2) stopping fossil fuel extraction, including fracking, that contaminates far too much of the precious fresh water we have and 3) invest in Green New Deal scale infrastructure projects that provide good union jobs to build the systems we need to adapt to a climate changed world and ensure clean safe water for all.”
Watch Maude Barlow take part in the Fire Drill Fridays teach-in on the world’s growing water crisis.
