Hollywood
Jane Fonda says she will never stop protesting despite her age
The 85-year-old actress joined in on a climate protest just this week.
Jane Fonda, a longtime political activist and actress is just getting started. The 85-year-old Oscar winner is shocked that more people aren’t protesting to save the planet.
She also explained that despite her age and lifetime of work in activism, she has no plans to stop anytime soon. The actress opened up about her activism to Page Six at the ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter’ premiere earlier this week.
“I don’t know how you could not [protest],” she told the outlet.
“I have grandchildren. I love animals, I love nature. We’re going to destroy it all if we don’t.
“It’s all hands on deck right now, it’s urgent, urgent and everyone has to join in right now.”
History of Activism
Fonda initially began her activism protesting the Vietnam War in the 1960s. This week, she continued her work by getting behind the Group Fire Drills Fridays which protests weekly on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, “to demand that action by our political leaders be taken to address the climate emergency we are in.”
As recently as October 2019, the ‘80 for Brady’ star was arrested three times in consecutive weeks. One week she was arrested with members of the group Oil Change with ‘Grace and Frankie’ co-stars Sam Waterston and Ted Danson.
The following week, she was handcuffed alongside Rosanna Arquette and Catherine Keener. In total, Fonda has been arrested five times for her activism.
Her efforts to urge others to take action have also been successful. In the past, she has been joined by other celebrities, including Sally Field, Ted Danson, and Sam Waterston, who have also been arrested during the protests.
Vietnam War protests
Fonda fairly earned her reputation as an activist. She visited Hanoi, the capital of North Vietnam, in 1972 and spoke out against the war, which earned her the nickname “Hanoi Jane”.
She also posed for photos on an anti-aircraft gun, which was seen as a sign of disrespect to American troops. Fonda’s actions were highly controversial and sparked outrage among many Americans, especially those who supported the war effort.
Despite the backlash, she continued to speak out against the war and became a prominent anti-war activist. Still today, Fonda continues her activism efforts despite any consequences.