Our Planet IS on Fire: Climate Protestors Chanting Outside JD Vance’s Office

Climate advocates were apprehended outside of GOP vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance this week, after protesting to draw attention to Vance’s worrying stance on climate change and environmental policies. 

Climate Concerns

Climate change advocates have voiced concerns, and even outrage over Sen. JD Vance’s recent appointment as Donald Trump’s presidential nominee, due to a long track record of supporting the oil and gas industry.

A Stronger Stance

Now, some advocates are taking a stronger stance against the Ohio senator. This week a total of eight climate protestors were arrested outside of Vance’s office by Capitol police.

Rallying at Congressional Offices

Several dozen people rallied outside the office on Monday morning, chanting protest slogans including: “Vance is a liar, our planet is on fire.”

Refusing to Leave

Police initially asked the protestors to leave the area on Monday morning, but the group refused. One policeman reportedly asked them if they “want to be arrested?” and they still remained.

Zip Tie Arrest

Following their refusal police used zip ties to tie protestors’ hands behind their backs before detaining them. Journalists were also shooed away from the scene.

Violating Congressional Laws

Brianna Burch, a spokesperson for the Capitol police, cited laws against political demonstrations outside Congressional office buildings as the reason for the protest arrests. 

The Sunrise Movement

Protesters were members of the Sunrise Movement, a grassroots political organization that aims to “force the government to end the era of fossil fuel elites,” according to its official website, by elevating the visibility of the Green New Deal and fighting for other climate policies.

“The Reality” of JD Vance

“JD Vance claims to be fighting for working people, but the reality is that he’s willing to sell out for a couple hundred thousand dollars,” said Aru Shiney-Ajay, the executive director of the movement. 

Exposing Hypocrisy

”We’re trying to expose the hypocrisy and the corruption that he stands for and cut through the narrative that he’s for the Midwest or for Appalachia,”  Shiny-Ajay continued.

Exacerbating Climate Problems

The movement accused Vance of lobbying for political policies that would exacerbate existing climate issues, such as flooding and extreme heatwaves currently impacting the US. It also accused him of stifling job creation through the clean energy industry.

No Response from Vance

Vance’s office has not yet responded to requests for comment on the arrests, or the claims made by the Sunrise Movement. 

Trump and Vance

Earlier this month, on the first day of the 2024 Republican National Convention, Trump declared that he had appointed Vance as his running mate for the 2024 presidential election period.

Changing Opinions

Since his appointment, climate advocates have continuously pointed to Vance’s stance on climate issues, which have changed radically over the last few years.

Acknowledging Climate Change in 2020

Back in 2016 and 2017, and even as late as 2020, Vance acknowledged climate change as a problem the world is facing. During a speech at Ohio State University in 2020 he talked about the “climate problem” and acknowledged that gas power “isn’t exactly the sort of thing that’s gonna take us to a clean energy future.”

Change of Heart

Since then, Vance had an abrupt change of heart that started almost immediately upon entering the senate race in his home state back in 2022.

Support from Oil and Gas

That year, the oil and gas industry gave Vance’s campaign more than $283,000. Since then, Vance has outright denied that America is facing a climate crisis, and voted against Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) protections.

His “Top Priority”

“Like Donald Trump, JD Vance has proven that he will make it a top priority to roll back climate protections while answering to the demands of oil and gas CEOs,” said the Sunrise Movement’s communications director Stevie O’Hanlon.

One of the Biggest Recipients of Oil Donations

“Vance is one of Congress’ biggest recipients of donations from oil companies,” O’Hanlond added. “[He] will sell out to the highest bidder, whether that’s Trump or the fossil fuel industry. That makes him dangerous.”

Shifting Political Opinions

It wouldn’t be the first time Vance has proven to abruptly shift his political opinions when it is convenient – or lucrative – for him to do so. In recent years two of the senator’s former friends came forward to the media, with emails and Facebook messages showing Vance’s serious dislike for his now-running mate.

Anti-Trump Past

In these messages, which date back to 2016 during Donald Trump’s first campaign for the presidency, Vance described Trump as a “morally reprehensible human being,” and even suggested that he could be “America’s Hitler.”

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