Beltway Climate Protest Backfires as Video of Parolee Pleading He Needs to Get to Work Goes Viral
A climate change protest backfired on Monday after a video clip of a parolee pleading with activists blocking the Beltway to let him pass so he could get to work went viral.
“One lane, I am asking one lane,” said the man who got out of his car to confront the activists sitting across the I-495 in Montgomery County, Maryland blocking traffic.
The man, who was clearly agitated and ripped the signs out of the sitting protesters’ hands, claimed he was on parole and could be sent back to jail for being late to his job.
The activists did not budge and could be heard saying they can’t move until “Biden declares a climate emergency.”
A clip of the man shared online by News2Share quickly gained attention online as the man pleading to get to work struck a chord.
VIDEO THREAD: Yesterday, July 4, activists demanding Joe Biden declare a “Climate Emergency” blocked traffic on he beltway in Maryland, just outside DC.
One agitated driver got physical with them while saying that he’s on parole and could return to prison if late for his job. pic.twitter.com/iWSqTlnlSW
— Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) July 5, 2022
A later video shared by Ford Fischer from News2Share shows the police arresting the man, who had tried to physically remove some of the protesters.
Fox 4 DC reported on Wednesday that 13 protesters were eventually arrested on various charges including “resisting arrest, disturbing peace/hinder passage, and failure to obey a reasonable/lawful order.”
Police took their time preparing to arrest the activists blocking the highway, but had warned drivers not to assault the protesters.
As the shirtless parolee who claimed he could go back to jail for being late continued confronting them, police arrested and carried him away. pic.twitter.com/95u5A5zf9U
— Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) July 5, 2022
The report also noted that “at least one counter-protester was also charged with second-degree assault and resisting arrest.” Fischer noted the characterization of the man as a “counter-protester” was inaccurate as an “angry bystander reaction to a protest does not turn someone into a ‘counter-protester.’”
Additionally, Fischer noted that one of the protesters came to the man’s defense and said he would “be happy to issue a statement or testify in his favor.”
Guido Reichstadter, who was confronted by the parolee, wrote on Twitter:
The shirtless man nudging me with his body was not violent with me and I did not feel threatened. I believe his arrest was unnecessary and I’ll be happy to issue a statement or testify in his favor. The lives of 1000’s of millions of people depend on emergency climate action now.
The shirtless man nudging me with his body was not violent with me and I did not feel threatened. I believe his arrest was unnecessary and I’ll be happy to issue a statement or testify in his favor. The lives of 1000’s of millions of people depend on emergency climate action now.
— Guido Reichstadter (@GuidoReichstad1) July 5, 2022
