Earlier this year, two climate activists acted in concert to deface the United States Constitution in the National Archives Rotunda in Washington D.C in an attempt to raise awareness for climate change. However, the duo was sentenced last week for the vandalism of the nation’s founding document. For years, climate activists have targeted historical artifacts, rare art, and other treasured items to further their cause.
In February of this year, Donald Zepeda of Maryland and Jackson Green of Utah dumped red powder all over the National Archives Rotunda, a popular tourist destination. As a result of the pair’s actions, the case holding the Constitution was substantially damaged. According to reports, Zepeda and Green inflicted $58,000 in damage, leading to the closure of the rotunda for four days.
According to a press release from U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office, the stunt earned Zepeda a sentence of 24 months, whereas Green was sentenced to 18 months.
The press release continued, “Zepeda pleaded guilty on August 15 to felony destruction of property for dumping a fine red powder over a display case containing the U.S. Constitution in the Rotunda of the Archives building. The cost of cleaning up after the stunt, which was intended to draw attention to climate change, exceeded $58,000. In addition, the offense closed the Rotunda for four days, preventing students, visitors, and D.C. residents from visiting.”
“In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered Zepeda to serve 24 months of supervised release, to pay restitution in the amount of $58,600, to complete community service, a portion of which must include cleaning up graffiti, and ordered him to stay out of the District of Columbia and all museums nationwide,” the statement continued.
Fox News reported that Zepeda and Green were a part of the climate change activist organization Declare Emergency, which seeks to raise awareness about the environment through stunts like the one carried out in the rotunda. The group wrote in reference to the incident from earlier this year, “We don’t want the end of civilization, but that’s the path we’re currently on.”
Declare Emergency previously professed, “Declare Emergency’s nonviolent civil disobedience is love in action everyday, not just on Valentine’s Day.” The group also issued a statement addressing the sentencing of their activists. “Despite lack of evidence that any damage was done, both Green and Zepeda were charged with felony destruction of government property,” the group said on their website. “The tempera paint powder was selected because it would do no harm, and indeed no powder entered the case.”
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Watch Zepeda and Green below:
It added, “Today at 2:30pm, Kroegeor (Jackson) Green will be sentenced in DC District Court at 333 Constitution Ave NW, Room 4025 for his ‘crime’ of twice calling attention to the ongoing and escalating environmental crimes against humanity, which our elected officials are ignoring … Green acted in collaboration with Donald Zepeda, both representing the climate action group Declare Emergency, which since 2022, has been disrupting the illusion of normalcy and demanding the president declare a climate emergency. Similar to Greta Thunberg’s Fridays for Future, Just Stop Oil, Extinction Rebellion, and many others internationally, we illustrate the quickly escalating humanitarian and ecological crises that can be curtailed with changes in systems.”
Watch Sen. John Kennedy grill a climate change “expert”:
Note: The featured image is a screenshot from the embedded video.