Julie dermansky photo police series#

“We are going to put our bodies on the line there. This morning, a few hundred activists marched from Freedom Square to the White House where Indigenous leaders spoke, mostly addressing President Biden, whom they called on to honor his campaign promises to protect the planet. As DeSmog recently reported, Indigenous peoples in North America have helped block at least eight major fossil fuel projects, from oil pipelines to LNG export terminals, keeping enormous volumes of carbon pollution out of the atmosphere. Pressure on Biden has been rising since he failed to acknowledge vocal, Indigenous-led protests to the Line 3 tar sands oil pipeline, which went online October 1 in Minnesota. Indigenous women calling for greater climate action in front of the White House. Fossil Fuels, are being billed as a test for Biden.

Over the course of five days, thousands are expected to bring the message to Biden’s door that he must do more to protect the planet, and many demonstrators are coming prepared to participate in acts of civil disobedience, to make sure the President hears their message before next month’s COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland.

Julie dermansky photo police series#

The day marked the first in a five-day-long series of protests in the nation’s capitol organized by the Build Back Fossil Free coalition, which is made up of numerous environmental and social justice advocacy groups. On October 11, Indigenous People’s Day, 136 people, including many Indigenous leaders opposing fossil fuel projects, were arrested in front of the White House in Washington, D.C., while calling on President Biden to declare a climate emergency and to stop approving fossil fuel projects. The complete story and photos can be seen at You can read Julie Dermansky’s coverage of each of the five days of protests at Casey Camp Horinek, tribal elder and environmental ambassador for Ponca Nation, marching to the White House on October 11. Editor’s note: The following are excerpts from multi-media reporter Julie Dermansky’s coverage of the first day of climate protests, which took place over a five-day period beginning on October 11 in Washington, D.C., reprinted with permission.