The Met Gala, a glamorous affair attended by celebrities, was met with unexpected protests as climate activists demanded the rich be taxed more to tackle climate change. Paris Hilton, along with other stars, was surprised by the protesters who had gathered outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC on Monday evening.
As many as 15 demonstrators were detained for causing disruption in Manhattan traffic and obstructing the paths of the celebrity motorcades.
Armed with pitchforks, the protesters aimed to emphasize the responsibility of society’s wealthiest 1% in aggravating the climate crisis and to call for higher taxes on the affluent. One activist, who was later taken into custody, expressed the intention to divert attention from the Met Gala’s opulence towards the looming climate disaster. Critics argue that the event, which charges an estimated $50,000 per person and $450,000 per table, flaunts wealth inappropriately during a time when numerous individuals are facing financial hardships. The income gap only serves to heighten the super-rich’s influence on global warming.
A recent study by Oxfam revealed that the richest 1% generate over double the climate-warming pollution compared to the bottom 50%. Billionaires are held accountable for producing a million times more pollution than the average individual.
Oxfam is a group of international charitable organizations dedicated to alleviating global poverty and advocating for social justice. They work in over 90 countries, providing disaster relief, supporting long-term development projects, and campaigning for policy changes to address the root causes of poverty and injustice.
Senior Climate Campaigner at New York Communities for Change (NYCFC), Alice Hu, explained that the protest was fueled by the destructive effects the wealthiest 1% have on the environment. Hu pointed out the contradiction of the ultra-rich profiting from fossil fuel investments while the rest of the world suffers from extreme weather conditions and global food shortages. Hu urged political leaders to impose specific taxes on the wealthy to finance solutions to the climate crisis.
In recent times, climate activists in the US have been targeting various high-profile events and institutions. During the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 29, protesters drew attention to the Biden administration’s authorization of new fossil fuel projects on public lands.