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By Hannah Parry
Associate News Editor
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A protester has been arrested at Trump Tower in New York City after spray painting over the presidential seal.
The climate change activist, who has not been named, told Newsweek, "I did this because I am an American. It is my duty to stand up for my country, and my Earth, when a government becomes destructive of our right to life."
The Context
Extinction Rebellion is an international environmental activist movement that employs nonviolent civil disobedience to disrupt normal life, aiming to pressure governments into taking action on climate change.
Read More on News
On Earth Day on Tuesday, members staged several high-profile protests, including one at Wall Street's iconic Charging Bull statue. They also targeted a Tesla showroom in Manhattan, despite the Trump administration's crackdown on protests of the electric car maker, writing messages in spray paint in opposition to CEO Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency.
However, critics have accused the group of alienating the public through their controversial and often headline-grabbing stunts.
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What to Know
The activist, with Extinction Rebellion, was seen at Trump Tower spray-painting "USA" over the presidential seal inside.
Footage of the protest showed him kneeling in front of the defaced presidential seal, while wearing a t-shirt with the words "Join, or Die."
Moments later he was arrested by multiple Secret Service agents.
Reporters at the scene say that the Tower in Manhattan was temporarily shut down as authorities responded to the protest.
Extinction Rebellion have criticized the Trump administration for rolling back climate protections and cancelling environmental grants approved by the Biden Administration.
"Donald Trump and the regime of private interests he works for—who donate equally to each party—are destructive of your inalienable right to life," the Trump Tower protester told Newsweek.
What People Are Saying
Extinction Rebellion told Newsweek, "The protester wore a t-shirt with the words "Join, or Die"—a phrase rooted in the legacy of our nation's founders, who understood that unity was essential in the face of tyranny. They recognized the need to stand together and had the courage to rebel rather than watch their freedom perish. It was a call to resist a government marked by chaos and cruelty, and to begin building alternative structures capable of repairing the damage being done to the country."
The protester said, in a statement sent to Newsweek, "All American political parties are equally complicit in inaction which has brought us to this point. Switching to blue is not the solve. Kamala Harris' climate platform was fracked gas, much deadlier than regular."
What Happens Next
The New York Police Department told Newsweek that there was an ongoing investigation into the protest and details about any potential charges may be released shortly.
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