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Climate activists descend on the White House, vandalize a statue of Andrew Jackson, issue demands

The group, which calls itself the Build Back Fossil Free coalition, is demanding the president cancel all fossil fuel projects

Published: October 12, 2021 7:43am

Updated: October 12, 2021 10:31am

A group of climate change activists vandalized a statue of Andrew Jackson on Monday as they descended upon the White House to demand President Biden do more to fulfill campaign promises including those on curbing greenhouse gases and climate change. 

The group, which calls itself the Build Back Fossil Free coalition, will reportedly be protesting the Biden administration's climate change plan for five days. Members are attempting to encourage the president to declare a national emergency and terminate projects that involve fossil fuels. 

The climate demonstrators vandalized the statue of Jackson that sits in front of the White House. The group had been chanting "respect us or expect us" – on the statue, someone wrote in red lettering, "expect us."

The leader of the coalition, Siqiñiq Maupin, told Fox News that the protest was taking place because, "People are dying right now from the pollutants, the toxins, the climate catastrophes that are happening – and we have to stop the harm."

"Biden's election was riding on climate change; his entire election hinged on turning out people of color and Indigenous people. But when it really comes to what matters, our lives are still being sacrificed for oil and gas," Maupin wrote. 

The group's website reads, "Joe Biden, you must live up to your promises and take executive action to deliver healthy communities, millions of good-paying jobs, and a better life for people on the frontlines of fossil fuel racism, pollution, and the climate crisis." 

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