Climate activists attempted to “blockade” the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner Saturday night in Washington DC.
One government vehicle attempted to drive through the protesters, pausing right in front of them and then hitting the gas again, pushing into them, but then switched into reverse and retreated.
The protesters chastised police for not stopping the driver, whose flashing lights indicated they were also law enforcement.
“The planet is dying!” chanted protesters as John Legend and Chrissy Teigen arrived.
“Yes Chrissy!” yelled one activist. “She doesn’t have fossil fuels in her stock portfolio! No she doesn’t!”
Climate scientist Peter Kalmus spoke out at the blockade, telling the activists “you guys are on the right side of history.”
“President Biden is on the wrong side of history,” he says for “expanding the fossil fuels during a climate emergency.”
“Let Ro Khanna through!” Some of the climate activists at the blockade were excited to see Democratic Rep Ro Khanna as he arrived at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
“Thank you for being out here,” he told participants.
“He [Biden] said he wasn’t gonna drill, and he’s drilling,” one activist told him, receiving no response.
Medea Benjamin of “CodePink” advocated “we need peace talks in Ukraine, not more war!”
Formerly ousted Tennessee State Rep. Justin Jones showed up to the dinner, but was handed a microphone and spoke to the climate activists outside.
“We’re fighting fascism,” he said. “We’re fighting a system that is trying to put the profits of the gun industry, the profits of the fossil fuel industry, the profits of for-profit healthcare over the lives of our people!”
“What we must do is never quit,” said also formerly ousted Tennessee State Rep. Justin J Pearson spoke. “Because if we never quit, we can never lose!”
Justin Blake, uncle of Jacob Blake, called out Biden for breaking a promise not to dig for new oil.
“If he can’t do what we need to do for the people, then we need to find somebody that will,” he said. “We’re not talking about age sir, we’re talking about you not keeping your promise.”
No arrests were made.
French Ambassador’s Residence
Climate activists were pushed away by security and police as they attempted to breach a gate into the French Ambassador’s Residence in DC where a White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner afterparty was taking place Saturday night.
With police blocking the main gate to the French Ambassador’s Residence, guests at the party were able to pass through a secondary gate. Secret Service then blocked that one off as well. “Your greed is killing the planet, the media is complicit!” the climate activists chanted before ultimately leaving.
