Climate change protesters block traffic on Colesville Road

From 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on Oct. 10, a group of Declare Emergency climate change activists blocked all lanes of traffic on Exit 30 for Colesville Road. The protesters congested this Beltway section between Montgomery Blair High School and the YMCA to demonstrate their concerns about climate change.

Declare Emergency was aiming to force legislative change that would hinder fossil fuel extraction on indigenous land. hence the reason they chose to protest on Indegenous Peoples Day. 

The protest consisted of over a dozen climate change activists wearing neon vests and holding signs. They were either sitting down or walking around and blocking every lane of traffic. Eventually when troopers and Montgomery County police officers arrived at the scene, they ordered the protesters to leave. While a few protesters obeyed, seven refused to leave, resulting in their arrest. 

After the protesters cleared out, authorities reopened all lanes of the Beltway Inner Loop by 11:15 a.m. However, some protesters still remained, as supporters of Declare Emergency from around the country had also gathered on the Colesville Road overpass to watch the protest. 

One of the group’s supporters on the overpass, Erica Suzeette, traveled from the Crow Creek Sioux reservation in Thompson, S.D. to support the protest. She revealed that she came to this protest to fight for climate justice and show her opposition to people harming the environment. “I came here in solidarity for the campaign for climate justice [and in opposition to the] greedy and corrupt people [who are ruining the environment,]” Suzeette said.

Declare Emergency has met several times in the past to disrupt business and to try to force government responses. Furthermore, the organization regularly plans meetings and events to gain traction and spread their beliefs.