Jane Fonda demands coronavirus fund be used to stop climate change, not bail out oil billionaires
Environmental activist and actress Jane Fonda chose May Day to urge people to end the use of fossil fuels and protect worker rights.
She urged against corporate bailouts amid the current coronavirus pandemic. She believes that the government should instead set aside recovery money to develop green and sustainable energy and also a "level playing field" for workers.
During her climate change rally 'Fire Drill Friday' which was held online, Fonda said, "these historic sums of stimulus money aren’t going to happen again, maybe even during our lifetimes. And where they go and how they are spent will determine so much about what kind of future we have," Breitbart reports.
"So while we insist on more funding to heal the effects of this pandemic, we must also insist that the money is used to lay the foundation for a clean, sustainable energy future as well as justice and dignity and a level playing field for all workers," Fonda continued.
She had started her virtual rally by slamming POTUS Donald Trump and said that his administration is trying "to ram through bailouts for the already privileged and the powerful." She also praised Democrats whom she believes "have fought to include financial aid for workers and small businesses, hospitals… but more, much more needs to be done."
In her virtual rally, Fonda also highlighted her stance on oil and drilling companies and their leaders. "We have to say ‘no’ to bailouts for corporate executives and oil billionaires and ‘yes’ to immediately protecting the most vulnerable among us."
"Fossil fuel executives don’t give a fuzzy rat’s ass about workers or communities’ well being," she shared. She also believes that there must be free coronavirus testing and free medical care for workers who have contracted the virus.
"Now’s the time to invest in economic relief and stimulus measures that put all workers and families first, not big corporations," she continued.
For many months during her rallies in LA and Washington DC, Fonda and other activists have been urging for a "just transition" which is looking for the protection of workers whose jobs will be affected with the move away from fossil fuels.
For her virtual rally, Fonda was joined by labor activist Dolores Huerta and leaders who represent migrant farmworkers, healthcare workers, and flight attendants.
Fonda had recently taken to TikTok's 9 to 5 trend to talk about her activism. She showed her fans and followers how fighting against climate change is a part of her regular and daily routine in a post that she had dedicated to Earth Day.
She had captioned the video, "Lots of amazing young people working beyond 9-5 to save the climate. I joined them & so can you!'" and had added the hashtags '#earthday,' '#9to5', and '#FireDrillFriday'.
She also spoke to People magazine and said, "Now this pandemic is causing terrible suffering and changing what we can do in this time of social distancing. But it’s also an important teachable moment for the other pandemic that confronts us: the climate crisis."
"COVID-19 is teaching us how dangerous denial is and how important science and preparedness is. It’s also proving that we are able to take massive collective action when the stakes are high. Clearly we are capable of fundamentally changing our behavior to protect the health and safety of our families. We’re also seeing how nature can heal when we take action."