Radical Environmentalists Take On DC Commuters, Biden

‘If they don’t want to do what we ask, or do what we’re demanding, the next step is to rebel’

Leif Le Mahieu • June 30, 2021 6:20 pm

Radical environmentalists took to the streets near the White House on Wednesday to protest against President Joe Biden, saying they would rise up if promised climate change policies were not implemented.

The protest, organized by the Indigenous Environmental Network, blocked up portions of Washington, D.C., streets as participants called for Biden to dismantle fossil fuel infrastructure and excoriated him for not delivering on campaign promises. One of the protest’s leaders said insurrection against the government may be necessary if their demands are not met.

“If they don’t want to do what we ask, or do what we’re demanding, the next step is to rebel,” said Kevin Cramer Jr. of the Palm Collective, a radical black and queer liberation group. “I’m giving us a minimum of probably 10 years—10 years until we start seeing the severity of like, damn, everyone, we can’t take baths, bitch, here is a bucket of water. The crisis is that high.”

Cramer said Biden has “lied” to his party’s left flank about promises to combat climate change through the Green New Deal, open borders to immigrants, and reform law enforcement.

“He’s done a horrible job. He’s lied, suggestively lied—like saying he’s going to grant citizenship, saying we’re going to have a Green New Deal,” he said. “He hasn’t even addressed police brutality, and he’s been in office for months.”

Biden’s broken promises, Cramer added, illustrate how the Democratic Party tends to deal with its black voters.

“Black people served him a historical win because black people won Georgia and other places at high rates,” he said, “Democrats, which they all do, they come to our communities and they lie. They never hold true to their promises.”

Jason Campos-Keck of North Carolina echoed Cramer’s criticisms and called Biden “weak.”

“Do your job. You work for the people. Supposed to be by the people. But we’ve known for hundreds of years that was a joke,” he said.

Other protesters called out Biden for being too much of a gladhander during the 2020 campaign.

“He said the things that he knew would get him elected. He knew that he needed black, brown, and indigenous votes to beat Trump. And so he made us promises that he could not deliver on,” Ashley Engel of Oklahoma said.

Fletcher Harper, the director of Green Faith and an advocate for climate reparations to nations in Africa and Latin America, said that time is running out for Biden to take action.

“He’s taken some important steps forward, but they’ve only been half steps so far,” he said. “And we’re too late in the game for half steps.”

The White House did not respond to request for comment.