Climate protesters storm McConnell's office

More than 100 young people stormed Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's office on Monday to ask him to support an aggressive campaign to tackle climate change.

The protest comes as McConnell plans to vote on the resolution of the Green New Deal in an effort to highlight democratic divisions in relation to the ambitious set of goals, but young activists say that "we are in the dark." he should be held responsible for not presenting any strategy on his part. do something about the question.

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"All we are asking for is a god on a viable future," said Varshini Prakash, co-founder of the Sunrise Movement, which organized Monday's protest.

Youth Advocates at McConnell's Office placards that said, "Mitch, look in our eyes" and "Oil and gas money or save our lives," among other messages.

Capitol police began arresting protesters about 45 minutes after their arrival. The organizers said 42 people were arrested.

Appearance at McConnell's office marks the first time that youth climate advocates use their tactics in a Republican office in Washington. They have already protested against Democrats, including the Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer, Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, and Energy and Trade Chair Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), Among others.

McConnell staff suggested seeing if anyone would meet the group.

"We need to show him that Kentucky needs a Green New Deal," said Destine Grigsby, a high school student from Louisville who attended Monday's protest in Washington. protested outside the McConnell state offices last week. "We need to show Mitch McConnell how powerful we are and that we have not finished our work here."

McConnell is still opposed to actions to combat climate change. He praised President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, saying "the rules for carbon dioxide emissions from power plants could not have happened soon enough. ", and condemned the rules ideology left. "

The Senate leader has promised to submit the proposed Green New Deal resolution by Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) And Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) To a vote this week.

Earlier this month, he opposed Schumer's willingness to express his position on the scientific consensus that human activity is the driving force behind climate change. In March 2014, he questioned the general scientific point of view: "For anyone who thinks that global warming is occurring, I can find someone who thinks it is not the case" said McConnell to the editorial board of Cincinnati Enquirer.

In response to Monday's protest, a spokesman for McConnell said, "Like all Kentuckians visiting Washington, we welcomed them to the office today. It should be noted that two weeks earlier, Senator McConnell had already announced that he would propose the Green New Deal for a vote in the US Senate. Last week, the director of Sen. McConnell also met with a group of students from the organization's Louisville office to discuss the issue.

McConnell's protest comes just days after senior Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein rejected requests from high school and college students to support the Green New Deal at a tense meeting in San Francisco. His reaction shows the inner skepticism of many Democrats who support the ambitious plan to decarbonise the US economy in a decade.

"You come here and you say it has to be my way or on the highway," Feinstein told the group. "I do not answer that, I'm elected, I just run, I was elected by a majority of votes, and I know what I'm doing, maybe people should listen a little."