Climate protesters block New York City rush hour traffic
Climate protestors took to the streets early Monday morning to demand action from President Joe Biden's administration.
Climate protestors took to New York City streets during Monday morning’s rush hour to demand climate action from President Joe Biden’s administration.
Extinction Rebellion NYC, a group committed to non-violent action, came out in full force early Monday, blocking several major Manhattan streets and bringing morning commutes to a standstill.
The group interrupted traffic to send a message to President Biden to push through his climate agenda with his ‘Build Back Better’ plan.
‘Dear commuters: we are interrupting traffic this morning not to annoy you, but to force the public to confront the true dangers of unchecked climate change,’ the group posted to their social media accounts.
‘If we do not act today, if @potus does not act today, New York City will be underwater by 2100. So we’re sorry to delay you today, but this is literally a matter of life or death.’
While Biden pledged to cut US emissions in half by 2030, the group worries two key points of his climate plan will get cut by congress.
Although he pledged to cut US emissions in half by 2030, his climate agenda is on the brink of collapse in Congress.
Photos of Monday morning’s event show protestors laying across FDR drive, a nearly 10-mile long highway along Manhattan’s east side.
The protestors simultaneously shut down portions of the West Side Highway and FDR Drive on Monday morning shortly before 9a.m, halting traffic on the busy roadways to bring attention to the cause.
The New York City Police Department sent an alert out at around 8.45 am saying that the southbound West Side Highway was blocked at West 34th Street. Meanwhile FDR had all northbound lanes blocked at Houston Street.
The protest on the West side of Manhattan was organized by several groups, including the Sunrise Movement, Extinction Rebellion and Jews for Racial and Economic Justice.
Three members of Jews for Racial and Economic Justice were arrested for blocking traffic on the West Side Highway, the group shared on Twitter.
The West Side Highway had reopened by around 9.55am.
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