Joaquin Phoenix arrested at climate protest outside US Congress

WASHINGTON: Veteran activist and actor Jane Fonda was joined by fellow Hollywood stars Joaquin Phoenix and Martin Sheen at the foot of the US Capitol building in Washington on Friday, where they demanded action on climate change alongside other protesters.

“The climate crisis makes our nation and all nations less secure,” said Fonda, sporting a red hat as she was cheered on by a crowd that included Sheen.

She also spoke of the fires in Australia, which have ravaged tens of thousands of square miles (km) of bushland and caused at least 27 deaths. In Sydney earlier on Friday, thousands of angry protesters had demanded that the Australian government do more to combat climate change.

Last week, Phoenix used his acceptance speech at the Golden Globes – where he won an award for best actor in a drama film – to call on people to make “sacrifices” to slow down global warming.

He returned to the theme at the rally. “The meat and dairy industry is the third leading cause of climate change,” he said. “There is something that you can do today, right now and tomorrow by making your choice about what you consume.”