William Freeman 2nd Vice Chair | DeKalb County Republican Party
William Freeman 2nd Vice Chair | DeKalb County Republican Party
In February, two climate change activists entered the Capitol Rotunda and threw red powder on a display case containing the United States Constitution. This act resulted in over $50,000 in damages and required several days to clean up.
The activists were arrested and charged with a felony. Recently, they have been sentenced to prison time for their actions.
According to The Associated Press, one of the activists received a two-year prison sentence. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson told Donald Zepeda that his attack on the document's display did not advance his cause. "You still think that was connected to the climate change problem, and I can’t agree with that," she said.
Zepeda is a leader of Declare Emergency and was charged alongside another member of the group. His co-defendant, Utah resident Jackson Green, received an 18-month prison sentence earlier this week.
Zepeda pleaded guilty in August to destruction of federal property; however, the Constitution itself was unharmed.
The Hill reported that Zepeda’s attorney argued his client never intended to damage the Constitution or its case nor anticipated cleaning costs. The intention was for "the Biden administration [to] declare a climate emergency," according to The Post.
Green apologized for his actions, stating he realized such destructive protests could lead to negative responses rather than advancing their intentions.
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