Washington: Hollywood veteran Martin Sheen participated in a climate change protest here and recited Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s famous poem Where the Mind Is Without Fear while addressing the gathering.
Sheen was part of Fire Drill Fridays the weekly protests against climate change, started by veteran actor Jane Fonda.
Lauding Fonda for the campaign, Sheen said, “Clearly, the world will be saved by women. Thank God they outnumber us men.”
In the video of his speech, which is doing the rounds on social media, the “Departed” actor then referred to the verse from Tagore’s collection of poems, Gitanjali.
This is not the first time that Sheen has invoked Where the Mind Is Without Fear. He previously recited the poem in 2016, in a video urging Americans to vote, and to take action in favour of the betterment of their country.
The poem, titled Chitto Jetha Bhoyshunno in Bengali, was originally published in 1910 and represented Tagore’s vision of a new and awakened India.
The English version, also penned by Tagore, came out in 1912 as a part of Gitanjali.
During the protest, Sheen along with Joker star Joaquin Phoenix, was arrested by the police. Actors Maggie Gyllenhaal and Susan Sarandon were also present.
According to Variety, Capitol Police said it arrested 147 people who were charged with crowding, obstructing or incommoding. All the protestors were later released.
PTI