Joaquin Phoenix arrested during Jane Fonda's weekly climate change protest
Jane Fonda continued her weekly tradition of protesting in Washington, D.C. for "Fire Drill Fridays" on Friday — and this time actor Joaquin Phoenix was there. Ira Arlook from Fire Drill Fridays told CBS News that Phoenix, as well as actor Martin Sheen, were arrested.
"Even the Joker believes in climate change!" Fire Drill Fridays tweeted, saying he called out the meat and dairy industry for its contribution to climate change.
Phoenix told a crowd of protestors Friday, "Something I think isn't oftentimes talked about in the environmental movement or in the conversation about climate change, is that the meat and dairy industry is the third leading cause of climate change."
While estimates vary, a UN report found that raising animals for slaughter accounts for nearly 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions, CBS MoneyWatch's Irina Ivanova reported in December.
"There's something that you can do, today, right now and tomorrow, by making a choice about what you consume," Phoenix said.
Each week, the protests are centered around a different theme. This week focused on holding financial institutions accountable for their role in financing the fossil fuel industry.
Twitter videos show Phoenix, along with Fonda, Sheen, actress and activist Susan Sarandon, supermodel Amber Valletta, actress June Diane Raphael and hundreds of activists marching in protest on the steps of the Capitol and at Chase Bank.
Last Sunday, Phoenix used his Golden Globes acceptance speech — he took home the award for best actor in a drama motion picture for "Joker" — to speak about the importance of fighting the climate crisis. He thanked the Hollywood Foreign Press for serving a fully plant-based menu at the ceremony, "recognizing and acknowledging the link between animal agriculture and climate change."
According to Fire Drill Fridays, Friday's protest was Jane Fonda's last before she returns to Los Angeles. The 81-year-old actress and long-time activist has been hosting weekly climate change protests in Washington, D.C. for months.
Fonda has invited a slew of celebrity friends to take part in the protests with her. Sally Field, Sam Waterston, Ted Danson, Kyra Sedgwick, Catherine Keener, Rosanna Arquette, Diane Lane and Ben & Jerry's co-founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield are among those who have participated. Many of the stars have been arrested alongside Fonda.
"We don't do civil disobedience as a first effort," Fonda told Stephen Colbert. "But we've been petitioning and writing and marching and begging the government, and they don't hear. We've used every lever of democracy. And so we have to take a step further."
Fire Drill Fridays said over 300 people signed up to risk arrest during Friday's protest. Eva Malecki, a spokeswoman for the Capitol police, told CBS News that 147 people were taken into custody for allegedly unlawfully demonstrating. All were charged with crowding and obstructing or incommoding, Malecki said.
Anderson Cooper's profile of Joaquin Phoenix for 60 Minutes airs Sunday, January 12 at 7 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.
