A University of Idaho student was arrested in New York City on Sept. 18 after blocking the entrance to the Federal Reserve Building during a climate change protest.
On Sept. 28, a Boise High School senior was arrested, along with 17 other activists, at the office of Kevin McCarthy, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, in Washington D.C. in protest of a looming federal government shutdown.
Eve Devit, the senior from Boise High School, was arrested after the protestors, made up of Gen Z people, blocked the entrance to the House Speaker’s office and refused to leave, according to the Guardian. They demanded that McCarthy support bridge funding to keep the government open, with an emphasis on keeping FEMA open during hurricane season.
Ella Weber, a UI senior, was arrested on Sept. 17 in New York City after participating in a peaceful “mass disobedience” on the front steps of the Federal Reserve Building.
Weber was charged with disorderly conduct and obstructing vehicular and pedestrian traffic after linking arms with other activists to block the entrance to the Federal Reserve Building. Protesters were urging President Biden to declare a climate emergency and abolish financial support for fossil fuels, according to Weber.
Weber was arrested alongside her friend and fellow activist Siva Rajbhandari, who is the first student to ever be elected to the Boise school board.
This protest coincided with Climate Week in New York City, a week-long event centered around bringing people together to discuss issues regarding climate change.
Weber is no stranger to climate activism. She has been dedicated to fighting climate change since she was a child.
“I grew up outdoors. The trails, rivers and forests were my playground when I was a child. I have been attending climate marches events since I was twelve,” Weber said.
Weber arrived in New York and took to the streets on Sept. 17 to join the other 75,000 protestors. Protestors were urging President Joe Biden to declare a climate emergency and stop financial support for fossil fuels.
The next day, on Sept. 18, Weber went to the front steps of the Federal Reserve building along with Rajbhandari to protest. Weber said that protestors were “singing and chanting” while linking arms. Police at the scene of the protest began arresting the activists, beginning with Weber.
“I was one of the first 20 people to be arrested,” Weber said.
Weber would then be handcuffed with plastic zip-ties, loaded onto a corrections bus and be transported to NYPD headquarters. She then would be processed, have her mugshot taken and be released. The entire process took around five hours, according to Weber.
“By the time I got processed and my mugshot taken, the entire headquarters must have had at least 150 other climate activists who were also arrested,” Weber said.
Weber said she joined the protest because of the inaction on climate change by the government.
“I did this for the Idahoans whose lungs are filled with smoke from wildfires, houses are flooding and schools are crumbling. I know that climate talks have led nowhere—leaders have refused to phase out fossil fuels time and time again. We need real change right now. It’s time for leaders to stop playing with people’s lives.” Weber said.
Weber would arrive home in Idaho on Sept. 21 with a court date set for October.
“I’m not worried about it,” Weber said.
Weber hopes she can help support her fellow climate activists and Idaho students in the future.
“I want to show any student activist in Idaho you have a support network. We are fighting in a state that is oftentimes challenging, but we desperately need your leadership and courage. I’ve got your back, and so do thousands of others.” Weber said.
Ben DeWitt can be reached at [email protected] and on X @BenDeWitt321