A group of protesters called “Occupy Biden” have spent the past week calling on President Biden to declare a “national climate emergency”.
The protests took place near Biden’s residence in Delaware and protesters claimed “nonviolent action” was needed to push him to make changes to his climate policy.
Saturday was the last day of the group’s protests where they gathered on a road near the president’s house. Secret Service were placed nearby to monitor the protesters.
Group members carried signs reading “Declare a climate emergency” and “Biden, stop new fossil fuel project now!” Some 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 Secret Service hoping it would reach Biden.
“I actually read our letter of demands to the Secret Service because they refused to take our letter,” she 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”.
The protests began Dec. 25 and approximately 200 people were involved until Jan. 1. Some other organizations joined them including the Working Families Party, Democratic Socialists of America, and Code Pink.
One protester, Michael Bagdes-Canning, said he “wouldn’t have slept in the cold and rain if I didn’t have a message for the President”. “We at Occupy Biden had the same message – we called on President Biden to declare a climate emergency and to end all new fossil projects,” he added.