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People Vs. Fossil Fuels

Parent Organization: Build Back Fossil Free
Website:

peoplevsfossilfuels.org
Website:

http://peoplevsfossilfuels.org/
Status:

Project of Build Back Fossil Free

People vs. Fossil Fuels is a left-of-center activist environmentalist organization that was formed in 2021 to demand far-left climate policy action from the Biden Administration. The group demands President Biden declare climate change a “national emergency”; ban all conventional energy infrastructure, leasing, and drilling projects on federal lands; and prohibit the export of crude oil. 1 2

In October 2021 the group organized acts of “mass civil disobedience” outside of government offices in Washington, D.C., that turned violent and caused the hospitalization of a police officer when protestors unlawfully attempted to enter the U.S. Department of Interior. 3 4 5

People vs. Fossil Fuels is a project of the left-of-center Build Back Fossil Free coalition, a left-of-center Native American and environmentalist activist organization which is itself a project of the left-of-center Sustainable Markets Foundation. 6

History and Leadership

People vs. Fossil Fuels was formed in 2021 to demand far-left climate policy action from the Biden Administration. The group’s demands include a ban on all conventional energy infrastructure, leasing, and drilling projects on federal lands and a prohibition of the export of crude oil. 7 Its coalition is made from roughly 1,200 organizations and non-profit groups dealing in topics including climate and social justice as well as progressive and environmental advocacy. 8

People vs. Fossil fuels is organized by a “Steering Committee” of 18 environmentalist organizations. 9 They include:

Activities and Funding

People vs. Fossil Fuels demands the Biden Administration enact left-of-center environmentalist and Native American activist policies including declaring climate change a “national emergency,” banning all fossil fuel infrastructure, leasing, and drilling projects on federal lands, prohibiting the export of crude oil, the abolition of the Bureau of Indian Affairs within the U.S. Department of Interior, and the transfer of over 110 million acres of federal lands to tribal authorities. 10 11 12

In October 2021, People vs. Fossil Fuel organized for five days of planned “mass civil disobedience” in Washington, D.C.  On its official recruitment page, the group asked registrants if they were willing to “risk arrest” and asked them to bring $50 cash to post and forfeit if they were arrested as a part of their attendance. 13 14 Promotional videos for the event featured speakers from the left-of-center center Sunrise Movement and the Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN). 15 16

During the five-day period, protesters vandalized the statue of President Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Park outside of the White House with red paint, sprayed fake oil onto the U.S Chamber of Commerce Building, and unlawfully attempted to enter and occupy the U.S. Department of Interior 17 18

This resulted in multiple security personal being injured as well as one officer being taken to a hospital for treatment, according to Interior spokeswoman Melisa Schwartz. 19 Roughly 55 protestors were arrested at the Department of the Interior, with roughly 655 arrested overall during the week of protests. 20 21

Additional left-of-center groups which helped promote or supported the protests include the National Lawyers Guild and the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund, while environmentalist organization Oil Change International acted as one of protests’ largest contributors and coordinators. 22 23 Sierra Club President Ramon Cruz participated in the protests while some participants carried signs promoting the Land Back Campaign, a project of the Native American Advocacy group NDN Collective. 24 25

Funding

People vs. Fossil Fuels is a project of the left-of-center Build Back Fossil Free coalition, a left-of-center environmentalist and Native American activist organization which is itself a project of the left-of-center Sustainable Markets Foundation. 26

References

  1. “Action Info.” People vs. Fossil Fuels. Accessed October 26, 2021. https://peoplevsfossilfuels.org/action-info/.
  2. ‘Demands.” People vs. Fossil Fuels. Accessed October 26, 2021. https://peoplevsfossilfuels.org/demands/.
  3. “Action Info.” People vs. Fossil Fuels. Accessed October 26, 2021. https://peoplevsfossilfuels.org/action-info/.
  4. Frazin, Rachel. “Activists say 655 arrested during week of DC climate protests.” The Hill. October 15, 2021. Accessed October 26, 2021. https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/576964-activists-say-655-arrested-during-week-of-dc-climate-protests?rl=1.
  5. Silverman, Ellie. “Police and climate activists hurt in clashes at Interior Dept.” Washington Post. October 14, 2021. Accessed October 26, 2021. https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/10/14/climate-activists-indigenous-interior-department/.
  6. “People vs. Fossil Fuels.” Build Back Fossil Free. Accessed October 26, 2021. https://actionnetwork.org/forms/people-vs-fossil-fuels/.
  7. ‘Demands.” People vs. Fossil Fuels. Accessed October 26, 2021. https://peoplevsfossilfuels.org/demands/.
  8. “Our Movement.” The People Vs. Fossil Fuels, Accessed April 19, 2023. https://peoplevsfossilfuels.org/our-story/our-coalition/
  9. “Our Movement.” The People Vs. Fossil Fuels, Accessed April 19, 2023. https://peoplevsfossilfuels.org/our-story/our-coalition/
  10. “Action Info.” People vs. Fossil Fuels. Accessed October 26, 2021. https://peoplevsfossilfuels.org/action-info/.
  11. ‘Demands.” People vs. Fossil Fuels. Accessed October 26, 2021. https://peoplevsfossilfuels.org/demands/.
  12. “BIA Occupation.” People vs. Fossil Fuels. Accessed October 26, 2021. https://peoplevsfossilfuels.org/bia-occupation/.
  13. “Action Info.” People vs. Fossil Fuels. Accessed October 26, 2021. https://peoplevsfossilfuels.org/action-info/.
  14. “join the Action.” Build Back Fossil Free. Accessed October 27, 2021. https://actionnetwork.org/forms/people-vs-fossil-fuels/.
  15. “The Fossil Fuels Resistance is Coming to D.C.” People vs. Fossil Fuels. Accessed October 26, 2021. https://peoplevsfossilfuels.org/the-fossil-fuel-resistance-is-coming-to-dc/.
  16. Home Page. Indigenous Environmental Network. Accessed October 26, 2021. https://www.ienearth.org/.
  17. Daily, Matthew and Rama, Padmananda. “Climate Activists Resume Weeklong Protest at Capitol.” NBC 4 Washington. October 15, 2021. Accessed October 26, 2021. https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/politics/climate-activists-resume-weeklong-protest-at-capitol/2833019/.
  18. Silverman, Ellie. “Police and climate activists hurt in clashes at Interior Dept.” Washington Post. October 14, 2021. Accessed October 26, 2021. https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/10/14/climate-activists-indigenous-interior-department/.
  19. “Protesters Demand Climate Action Outside Chamber of Commerce in Washington.” Yahoo! Yahoo!, October 14, 2021. https://www.yahoo.com/now/protesters-demand-climate-action-outside-224927103.html.
  20. “Protesters Demand Climate Action Outside Chamber of Commerce in Washington.” Yahoo! Yahoo!, October 14, 2021. https://www.yahoo.com/now/protesters-demand-climate-action-outside-224927103.html.
  21. Frazin, Rachel. “Activists say 655 arrested during week of DC climate protests.” The Hill. October 15, 2021. Accessed October 26, 2021. https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/576964-activists-say-655-arrested-during-week-of-dc-climate-protests?rl=1.
  22. “Action Info.” People vs. Fossil Fuels. Accessed October 26, 2021. https://peoplevsfossilfuels.org/action-info/.
  23. Sierra Club Staff. “Fire at the White House.” Sierra Club Magazine. Accessed October 26, 2021. https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/slideshow/fire-white-house?slide=.
  24. Cruz, Ramon. “I Risked Arrest in Solidarity with Frontline Communities to Tell President Biden: Choose Our Future Over Fossil Fuels.” Sierra Club. October 14, 2021. Accessed October 26. https://www.sierraclub.org/articles/2021/10/i-risked-arrest-solidarity-frontline-communities-tell-president-biden-choose-our.
  25. Tweet. Honor the Earth Twitter. Posted October 25, 2021. Accessed October 26, 2021. https://twitter.com/HonorTheEarth/status/1452649812961243142.
  26. “People vs. Fossil Fuels.” Build Back Fossil Free. Accessed October 26, 2021. https://actionnetwork.org/forms/people-vs-fossil-fuels/.
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