Young Climate Change Activists Swarm Mitch McConnell's Office

[appalachiablue]

Source: ABC News

2 hrs. ago. Students from McConnell's home state argued in favor of the Green New Deal. Young environmental activists swarmed the office of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Monday to urge him to take action on climate change and support a Green New Deal, some of them sharing stories of environmental fallout from McConnell's home state of Kentucky.

Lily Gardner, a 15-year-old from Eastern Kentucky, told reporters: "I am here urging him to consider the young Kentuckians who have traveled all the way to ask him: 'Why, why are our voices not being listened to?'" "I am scared. We are all scared," Gardner said.

The Green New Deal is our best and only solution right now," Varshini Prakash, executive director of the Sunrise Movement, told reporters outside McConnell's office Monday. The Sunrise Movement is an activist group that encourages young people to fight against climate change. McConnell wasn't at his office for the protest and a spokesperson couldn't be reached for comment.

The Green New Deal is a nonbinding resolution that aims to shift the U.S. economy from non-renewable to renewable energy sources, and virtually eliminate the country's greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Republicans, like McConnell, have called the idea unrealistic and potentially damaging to the U.S. economy, and while the Republican leader announced earlier this month that the Senate would vote on the resolution, it was clear his goal was to force several Democratic presidential candidates in the Senate to go on the record on a controversial issue. -More...


Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/young-climate-change-activists-swarm-mitch-mcconnells-office/story?id=61301119

---

42 people were arrested by US Capitol Police. (More: McConnell wields Green New Deal as bludgeon against Dems).



- Activists with the Sunrise Movement are arrested after protesting at Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's office in the Russell Senate building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, Feb. 25, 2019.

[packman]

1. So Mitch had them handcuffed and arrested

Why am I not surprised?

[appalachiablue]

4. Typical, unjust the way they roll/rule

[appalachiablue]

2. "KY Youth Lead 250+ With Sunrise At McConnell's Office, KY Needs A New Green Deal'

Last edited Tue Feb 26, 2019, 02:02 AM - Edit history (1)

WASHINGTON - This morning, over 250 young people from around the country joined Kentucky high schoolers in Washington DC to confront Mitch McConnell around his upcoming Green New Deal show vote -- a shameful ploy that’s playing games with young peoples’ futures -- and pressure Senators of both parties to co-sponsor the resolution.

- >> “I am here because people in my community don’t have jobs, are starving and turning to opiods and dying, said Lily Gardner, a 15 year old Sunrise leader from Lexington, KY. “Mitch McConnell refuses to do anything about it. His own constituents -- high schoolers -- have traveled here to meet with him. All we want is for him to put our lives above the interests of his campaign donors. Kentucky needs a Green New Deal.”

Every day this past week, young Kentuckians were turned away at McConnell’s Louisville office. They wanted to ask him to look them in the eyes and explain why he was doing the bidding of his oil and gas donors, instead of protecting their futures. On Thursday evening, they camped outside his office overnight.

Speakers touted the broad support for the Green New Deal across the country. Recent polling shows that over 80% of the public agrees with the principles of the Green New Deal. Kentucky youth shared stories about how their communities were dealing with the impacts of Mitch McConnell and the oil lobby’s dangerous policies, from the record floods that took the lives of friends to the family members who can’t find work

“If I could say anything to McConnell, I would ask him: ‘Does it not weigh on you at all that your own constituents are facing the life or death consequences of climate change all across the state, yet you continue to side with fossil fuel CEOs?” https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2019/02/25/kentucky-youth-lead-250-sunrise-mcconnells-office-say-kentucky-needs-green-new

[SunSeeker]

3. Keep putting pressure on those Republicans! nt

[theophilus]

5. Wow! You gotta love these brave and intelligent young folks. And kudos to the

adults working with them for this supremely important cause! Fantastic! I know we all appreciate what they are doing. Keep it up kids and maybe the rest of us will find the will to follow your example.

[pnwmom]

6. At least Mitch wasn't RUDE to them, like that mean old Diane Feinstein.

(Yes, she was too blunt and even rude at times, but she gave them 15 minutes of her full attention, and didn't call the police on them. And the 15 minute encounter had been edited down to the 2 minutes that would make her seem as bad as possible.)

[Bayard]

7. So proud of these young people!

They are the future of our state.


McConnell needs to slither back to his cave.

[appalachiablue]

9. With you, they're terrific! Also in Sweden & Europe is

16 year old GRETA Thunberg who's involved in student activism and climate change. She just spoke to the EU in Brussels and received a $1 Trillion pledge to combat the climate crisis. GRETA said she was inspired by the Parkland, Fla. students.

How wonderful, young people fighting for their future, necessary changes and a better ecosystem for all!!

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1016227100



- Greta Thunberg (center) leads a student climate strike in Brussels, Belgium last week.

[Duppers]

11. Doubt we'll ever see...

...kids from any other southern state travel to talk to their Congress critters (not in my lifetime) 😞

So, yes, be very proud.

[rwsanders]

8. I need to be this brave. DEMAND action from all of them no matter which side of the aisle.

Ignoring the issue is ignoring the issue whether it is done with handcuffs or smiles and cupcakes.

[rickyhall]

10. Why can't these old bastards like the turtle go the fuck home?

IMO 70 should be mandatory retirement age for politicians.