According to a description for the protest, which took place near President Biden’s residence in Delaware, the group said that “nonviolent action” is needed in order to push President Biden towards making changes to his climate policy.
On Saturday, the final day of the group’s protest, individuals protested on a road near the president’s house while members of the Secret Service were nearby monitoring the group.
The protesters held signs reading “declare a climate emergency” and kneeled in front of Secret Service members.
Karen Igou, a spokesperson for Occupy Biden, told Fox News that she read the group’s demands to the U.S. Secret Service in hopes of reaching President Biden.
“I actually read our letter of demands to the Secret Service because they refused to take our letter,” Igou said. “Again we have two demands: that he declare a national climate emergency and pledge no new fossil fuel projects. He himself has stated that we are in a code red existential crisis but returned from cop 26 to open up more land for drilling. This is unacceptable And [sic] incongruent with life on earth.”
The protest lasted from Dec. 25 through Jan. 1 and a spokesperson estimates that 200 people participated in total.
OccupyBiden on X (formerly Twitter): “Why occupy? Why Biden? Stay tuned to learn more about our goals and guiding principles.As president of the most powerful nation in the world, there’s a lot Biden can do right now to act on the climate and ecological crisis-with or without the approval of congress. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/1DWvQR6lOq / X”
Why occupy? Why Biden? Stay tuned to learn more about our goals and guiding principles.As president of the most powerful nation in the world, there’s a lot Biden can do right now to act on the climate and ecological crisis-with or without the approval of congress. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/1DWvQR6lOq
Igou added that the organization is demanding President Biden declare a national climate emergency and end new fossil fuel projects by Jan. 31.
A description for the protest online states that the group planned on camping for the entire week.
“Our plan is to maintain the Climate Justice Occupation all throughout the year-ending holiday week, at all hours of the day and night. We are organizing to have the supports needed for those participating as far as food, water, warming spaces and toilet facilities,” the description states. “While this event is about demanding climate action in the face of woeful inaction by our government, we also call on our community to take this opportunity to work with others from all aspects of our social, environmental and political scene and in this way strengthen and enrich our movement for the people.”
Several other left-leaning organizations joined the group, including the Working Families Party, Democratic Socialists of America, Code Pink, and more.
