Joaquin Phoenix was arrested on Friday, January 10, after taking part in Jane Fonda’s weekly ‘Fire Drill Fridays’ to protest climate change.
A spokesperson for Fonda’s weekly initiative confirmed 45-year-old Phoenix was among 147 people arrested during the protest for crowding, obstructing or incommoding.
Before being led off by police, the Joker actor addressed the crowd at the protest outside the US Capitol with a speech, in which he took aim at the meat and dairy industry and urged people to turn vegan.
In his speech, Phoenix said he ‘struggle[s] so much’ with what he can do to help at times, saying there are certain things – such as flying – which he can’t avoid. One thing he could change, he said, was his eating habits.
The actor said, as per the Independent:
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.
I think sometimes we wonder what we can do in this fight against climate change and there’s something that you can do today, right now, and tomorrow, by making a choice about what you consume.
Fonda has led the Fire Drill Fridays protests in Washington DC since last October, reportedly getting arrested on four separate occasions for her involvement. Each week, the protests are centred around a different theme, with this week’s theme focusing on holding financial institutions accountable for their role in financing the fossil fuel industry.
According to Fire Drill Fridays, yesterday’s protest was Fonda’s last before she returns to Los Angeles, with the 81-year-old actor and long-time activist having attended each of the weekly protests since October.
Twitter videos showed Phoenix – along with Fonda, Martin Sheen, Susan Sarandon, Amber Valletta, June Diane Raphael and hundreds of activists – marching in protest on the steps of the Capitol and at Chase Bank.
Phoenix’s arrest comes days after Phoenix’s speech at the Golden Globes, in which he praised the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) for serving guests with vegan food. ‘It really sends a powerful message,’ he said.
The actor, who is a lifelong vegan and can often be seen at climate crisis and PETA protests, continued his activism on stage, using his acceptance speech to speak about veganism, the climate crisis and the Australian wildfires.
What a guy.
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A Broadcast Journalism Masters graduate who went on to achieve an NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism, Lucy has done stints at ITV, BBC Inside Out and Key 103. While working as a journalist for UNILAD, Lucy has reported on breaking news stories while also writing features about mental health, cervical screening awareness, and Little Mix (who she is unapologetically obsessed with).