NVI helps White House Fence Protests for the Climate

NVI Director, Michael Beer, pled guilty to Unlawful Entry for his climate protest action in September of 2023.  He faces a 4 month stay away sentence from the White House area. Here is his sentencing statement that he shared with the court.

Dear Judge, prosecutor and those who supported my climate protest.

I have pled guilty to unlawful entry for protesting the weak response from President Biden and his administration to the crisis of climate chaos. It was not my intention to get arrested. And spending about 28 hours in lock-up was not fun.

I chose not to pursue a jury trial. Although I believe my arrest was unwarranted and designed to stop a legitimate protest that was not causing any security or safety concerns to the public, I decided that my chances of persuading a Jury of my innocence was possible but not likely.  I also came to the conclusion that given the strain that the current judicial system has in processing many more serious crimes, that it was almost self-indulgent for me to afford myself this opportunity. I am a fervent supporter of the jury system and I am grateful that in this country, these trials are available to people like me, even on misdemeanor charges.

My purpose in protesting, with other citizens, was to call on President Biden to declare a climate emergency. Although a declaration has risks, we need to face the crisis of carbon pollution with urgent action including building a massive electric grid here and around the world, stopping fossil fuel exports, and producing renewable energy for the globe.  We are by far the world’s biggest historical polluter, and we have much to do in the form of global reparations. We of course need strong congressional action and I look forward to encouraging support for a Green New Deal..

Many of us live an extravagant lifestyle made possible by fossil fuels, and our next generations are likely to experience the damaging results.  This very building is near the flood plain and could face serious flooding.  But beyond the infrastructure, it is the tremendous famines, floods, heat waves, and severe weather that will cause havoc particularly among the less privileged and fortunate.

I try to limit my carbon footprint, by bicycling most places, eating a mostly vegetarian diet, and refraining from flying often. Yet I know I can do better to limit the damage that my life is having on this earth.

My life’s work as Director of Nonviolence International is to support nonviolent social mobilization and action around the world to engage mass engagement to the existential threats of our lifetimes such as nuclear war and climate chaos,. While keeping our eyes on the existential threats we need to support social justice and support human rights around the world. We need to build greater support for the rule of law as a foundation of civilization and deeper reverence  for it is needed particularly for international law and governance which  is vital for human survival.

Future generations will ask, what did you do to stop this profligate burning of fossil fuels? I ask all of you here to regularly ask yourselves this question?

I thank you for listening to my words and I thank you for your service to our communities. I ask that you not impose further punishment, penalties or consequences other than the stay away order to which we have agreed.

NVI Director, Michael Beer, spent the night of September 7th in the notorious DC Central Cellblock. He was arrested at the White House as part of an effort to use nonviolent direct action to urge US President Biden to declare a climate emergency. He was arrested with Kai Newkirk and Justin Blake.

Michael Beer, speaking to the crowd in front of the white house inviting them to speak up and demand a climate emergency declaration.

Protests Continue for a Climate Emergency Declaration

September 12th, inspired by our action, new activists from around the country again put a climate emergency sign on the fence and were arrested.

September 13th, another set of activists protested at the White House Fence!

September 14th, yet another wave of activists protested at the White House.

September 19th, more citizens put the sign up on the fence and were arrested again.

 

September 20th, four more citizens arrested including Dr. Paul Dietz, Rev. Redeem Robinson both of whom were kept overnight at the appalling DC Central Cell Block.

Here is a LINK to video of their protest!

September 22nd, more protests led by Native Americans at White House Fence

September 23rd Media Release LINK

September 28th, Kai Newkirk interrupted President Joe Biden's speech in Arizona.

Various outlets covered Kai's disruption:

Democracy Now: Activist Disrupts Biden Speech, Urges Him to Declare Climate Emergency

MarketWatch: Biden interrupted by climate activist during speech, promises to meet

The Hill: Biden heckled by climate activist in Arizona during speech honoring McCain

The Independent: Biden faces down climate activist hecklers during Arizona speech

October 1st, Mehdi Hasan covered Kai's disruption and put it into conversation with the narrative in climate scientist, Michael Mann's recent book.


The climate crisis is obvious and not some far off future we must fear, but instead a current reality we must face. This effort at the White House is led by our fiscally sponsored partner For All. Together we are urging the US President to take action to end all new fossil fuel infrastructure. We also call on every country to declare a climate emergency.

You can play a key role in this work wherever you are in the world. Connect with local groups especially those led by frontline communities and young leaders who will inherit the mess we have created. 

For those in the US, please join our actions and civil disobedience protests at the White House over the coming weeks. You can learn more about that here.

There is a huge end fossil fuels march in New York City at the UN on September 17, 2023. Large civil disobedience street protests will happen on September 18. Please come to New York and participate in these historic actions. There are over 400 protests around the world this week. Please join one.

To learn more about Nonviolent Tactics, please see Michael Beer’s book and NVI’s database. 

NVI has been active on this issue. For those wanting to learn more or be inspired by creative youth-led action, please see:

Solidarity with Sunrise

Spotlight on NV - Jamie Margolin

Beyond Changing Light Bulbs: 21 Ways You Can Stop the Climate Crisis



Latest posts

Solidarity in Action: Resisting Occupation in Palestine and Minnesota
I have been having a rough time since I returned from Palestine to Minnesota at the end of November.  I really wasn't prepared to leave an occupied territory to return to Minnesota to another occupied territory.  While I am not trying to claim an equivalency, it seemed liked the brutality had followed me home.
 
As many of you know, last September I was beaten up by an Israeli settler and hospitalized for five days and had minor surgery.  And my wounds paled to what I was seeing in the streets of the Twin Cites and escalating in the villages of the West Bank.  To be honest, there were times when I searched and could not find hope.  Yet, I could sense something more durable that kept me going.  I sensed it in Palestine and then I saw it emerge  in Minnesota.  It's like a "no frills" compassion where people sense the next right thing and just go do it, sometimes in an organized strategic way and sometimes spontaneously.  Somehow, sometimes deep inside us we know what to do and find the courage to do it.  I saw it when my friends stood boldly in a scorching sandy desert protecting shepherd's homes as they were spat on and clubbed by Israeli settlers.  And I saw it when friends stood up to armored ICE agents trying to snatch our new neighbors on icy streets in freeing temperatures.  And this compassion comes on so many other levels:  sharing food, giving rides, washing clothes, demonstrating, paying rent, singing, providing legal assistance and just being present.
 
Who knows whether this gritty compassion can withstand the whirling violence that encircles us but we must make the attempt.  As my old friend Gary Cohen reminded me the other day, "Even when its hopeless, you resist.  It's your humanity.  It's your self-respect."
 
Please join me on Monday at 11:30 am central US time, 12:30 pm eastern US time, 4:30 pm UTC and 6:30 pm Jerusalem time for a conversation with people in Palestine and Minnesota who continue to compassionately resist.  My friend Anton Goodman of Rabbis for Human Rights has been added to the program,
 
With grit, grief and love, 
Mel Duncan

Join Nonviolence International for a webinar on
March 16, Monday, at 11:30am CT and 6:30pm Jerusalem time, entitled Solidarity in Action: Resisting Occupation in Palestine and Minnesota. This will be a conversation among Palestinian and Minnesota activists about nonviolent resistance to occupation and state violence. This webinar brings together organizers from two contexts where communities are confronting intensified state control, displacement and militarized enforcement: one new, in  Minnesota, where federal immigration enforcement actions, characterized by a large deployment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol agents and have been resisted by community protests, grassroots defense and community building efforts have deeply impacted families and organizers, and veterans in the West Bank, where decades of military occupation shape everyday life and resistance, and have seen an increase of violence in the last months.

While there is no equivalency in duration or depth of violence and impunity, we have an opportunity to learn from people who have resisted occupation their entire lives and from those who may or may not have experienced it comparatively recently. Speakers will share their lived experiences, contrast strategies of resistance, shared learning and explore opportunities for solidarity and collective action. Through this exchange, we aim to center community agency, hope, and shared learning, and uplifting practices of resilience and organizing.


The webinar will be hosted by Mel Duncan, from Minnesota, co-founder of the Nonviolent Peaceforce and organizer of the Unarmed Civilian Protection in Palestine (UCPiP). And speakers include Amira Musallam, Head of Mission of UCPiP, Maddie Moon, Minnesota community organizer, and Emilia Gonzalez Avalos, Executive Director for UNIDOS MN.

Join us for this important conversation by registering here

Goals:

  • Share lessons learned from grassroots resistance in both contexts 
  • Build and invite compassion and mutual understanding
  • Identify opportunities for solidarity and collaboration between movements fighting occupation, displacement, and state violence

 

Sami Awad Visiting DC (Thurs & Fri) - Rethinking Resistance

Dear friends,

Nonviolence International warmly invites you to join us for two special evenings in Washington DC with Sami Awad, Palestinian activist, author, and NVI Co-Director.

For activists, Palestine has become a powerful lens for understanding injustice in the world. But today it reveals something deeper: the United States is not simply supporting Israel, it sits at the heart of a global system of empire. The same forces shaping domination abroad are also shaping power, repression, and inequality within the United States itself. This means the struggle is not just about changing policy. In these talks and based on his own journey, Sami invites us to expand our resistance, from a liberation struggle focused on one place to confronting the empire itself.

Event 1 - March 12, Thursday
From Occupation to Empire: Rethinking Resistance
All Souls Church Unitarian
Hosted by Souls 4 Palestine
6:30 – 8:30 PM (with Iftar observance)
1500 Harvard Street NW
RSVP here!

Event 2 - March 13, Friday
From Palestine to Empire: Reframing Resistance
Busboys & Poets
7:00 – 9:00 PM
450 K St NW, Mount Vernon Square
RSVP here!

These gatherings are an opportunity for community members, advocates, and anyone interested in nonviolent change to hear directly from a leading voice in Palestinian civil resistance and to explore pathways toward a more just and peaceful future.

We hope you can join us and help spread the word.

With appreciation,
Michael Beer, Co-Director

P.S. These are free events. If you want, please make a donation to Souls 4 Palestine and generously order food and drinks at Busboys and Poets to help them thrive.

Nonviolence International
https://www.nonviolenceinternational.net/

NVI Internship Opportunity


Are you passionate about active nonviolence, social justice, and global movements for change? Do you want hands-on experience in nonprofit management, digital organizing, and international event coordination?

As a small but globally engaged organization, NVI relies on interns as integral members of our work. You will gain meaningful experience supporting programs, communications, digital outreach, and nonprofit operations while contributing directly to global nonviolent movements.

What You’ll Gain

  • Direct exposure to global nonviolent activism and movement-building
  • Experience in virtual event coordination and webinar production
  • Hands-on nonprofit management and operations training
  • Opportunity to shape and invest in projects aligned with your interests

Interns work closely with staff while also exercising independence, creativity, and initiative.
With guidance from staff, each intern will split their time between programmatic support, organizational outreach, and administrative tasks. Interns will also have the opportunity to invest significant time and work within their preferred projects of choice.

Internship Structure

  • Remote position, from anywhere in the world
  • From June to December 2026
  • Must be able to commit to 2-3 team meetings per week at 9:30AM ET
  • Minimum of 15 hours per week
  • $500 USD monthly stipend
  • Available to students and non-students
  • Can be arranged for academic credit
  • Possibility of extension by mutual agreement

Our Commitment to Equity

As nonviolent activists committed to social justice, we recognize that systems of violence disproportionately impact marginalized communities. We are committed to centering these communities in our work and strongly encourage applications from individuals who identify as members of marginalized communities.

Responsibilities

Event Management

  • Support organizing and delivering global webinars
  • Assist with technical management of live virtual events
  • Engage diverse international audiences

Communications & Outreach

  • Create website updates and blog posts
  • Develop content for YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook
  • Monitor and engage with online supporters
  • Assist with digital storytelling and movement visibility

Data Management

  • Update and expand the Nonviolent Tactics database (MySQL)
  • Support maintenance of the nonviolence training archive (Omeka)

Website Maintenance

  • Update and manage content using Nation Builder

Operations Support

  • Learn internal donation workflows and how to use Zapier 
  • Understand nonprofit compliance and responsibilities
  • Support organizational systems and administrative tasks

Qualifications

We take a holistic approach to applications. We understand that your talents and lived experiences extend far beyond a one-page resume. While educational background and professional experience are considered, we equally value passion, curiosity, initiative, and commitment to nonviolent social change.

How to Apply

Please apply through our Idealist ad and send us the requested information and documents until April 23, 2026.

If you have any further questions, feel free to contact us at [email protected]

 

Civil Society Must Act: Sign the NGO Appeal to Stop Escalation


Dear Friends,

The Middle East (West Asia), and the world, are facing deeply dangerous moments. 

The recent war by the United States and Israel on Iran has pushed an already fragile region closer to a wider and potentially devastating war. In moments like this, it can feel as though the machinery of violence moves unchecked, while ordinary people and civil society are left watching helplessly.

But history reminds us that this is precisely when our voices matter most.

Civil society has always carried a sacred responsibility in times of crisis: to speak when others are silent, to insist on humanity when violence dominates the headlines, and to remind the world that another path, embedded in nonviolence, is still possible.

A coalition of organizations is therefore launching an urgent international petition calling for immediate de-escalation, restraint, ceasefire and diplomacy instead of further militarization.

In the midst of despair, this is our moment to act together.

We invite NGOs, human rights organizations, faith communities, peace networks, and civil society groups to add their voices, to affirm that the expansion of the war is not inevitable.

Please sign your organization’s name to the appeal here by Tuesday, 10 March 2026.

This petition recognizes and encourages governments that have shown restraint, while urging all parties to step back from the brink and pursue diplomacy, accountability, and international law. But signing the petition is only the beginning.

At this critical time, we also encourage you to:

  • Contact your government representatives and urge them to support immediate de-escalation and ceasefire efforts.
    Share this appeal with partner organizations and networks so that more civil society groups can join.
    Speak publicly for peace and for the protection of civilians across the region.

There are moments in history when the future feels uncertain and dark. Yet those same moments have often become the turning points when ordinary people and courageous organizations refused to accept that violence was inevitable.

We cannot control the decisions of governments or armies. But we can ensure that the voice of humanity, justice, and nonviolence is heard clearly across the world. Hope is not passive. It is something we practice together.

Let us take up that responsibility now.
Feel free to reach us at [email protected] or +1-202-244-0951.

In solidarity,

Nonviolence International



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