A desperate parolee tangled with climate protesters blocking the road on July 4th, begging them repeatedly to open up just one lane of traffic so that he could make it to his court-mandated job.
The man walked up and down the line of protesters, who were all wearing bright yellow reflective vests and sitting cross-legged across the highway and blocking all lanes of traffic. Lines of cars stretched into the distance, held up by the protest, but just the one man had gotten out of his vehicle to address the protesters directly.
Ford Fischer tweeted a series of videos of the interaction: “Yesterday, July 4, activists demanding Joe Biden declare a ‘Climate Emergency’ blocked traffic on [the] 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.”
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
“Yo,” he said, grabbing and ripping a banner from the seated protesters and tossing a piece of it aside. “I’m about to get locked up for 54 years, I’m on parole, if I don’t make my g**d*** job. And y’all are so inconsiderate.”
“Do you think you could open up a lane?” a woman asked
The man grabbed the rest of the banner and tossed it away. “One lane! I’m asking, one lane, or I go to prison, bro! One lane before I go to prison.”
The protesters remained unmoved, and one repeated calmly that he was demanding President Joe Biden “declare a Climate Emergency.”
The man continued to walk the line of protesters, snatching signs and banners and physically shoving one man, also wearing a reflective vest, who tried to give the banners back, at which point the woman intervened and steered him away to prevent the situation from escalating.
“One lane, one lane,” he kept saying.
The situation did escalate, however, and the man got in the face of another activist as police began to arrive.
“As police including Maryland State Troopers arrived, the apparent parolee agitated at the activists blocking traffic got more physical, including with activist @GuidoReichstad1 and even @T_Jones_Media, who filmed this footage for @N2Sreports,” Fischer tweeted.
As police including Maryland State Troopers arrived, the apparent parolee agitated at the activists blocking traffic got more physical, including with activist @GuidoReichstad1 and even @T_Jones_Media, who filmed this footage for @N2Sreports. pic.twitter.com/SNHoipWi2v
— Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) July 5, 2022
He continued to confront protesters as police prepared to arrest them — prompting them to arrest him first.
“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,” Fischer added.
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
One of the protesters — Guido Reichstadter, who describes himself as a climate and pro-abortion activist — said that he did not feel threatened when the man approached him, and offered to testify that he didn’t believe his arrest was necessary.
“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,” he said.
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