A crowd booed protesters from Climate Defiance, a liberal-backed activist group, who interrupted Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin during his speech when he was talking about 9/11 and Arlington Cemetery on Wednesday.
Youngkin’s keynote address at the Federalist Society and the Defense of Freedom Institute’s conference on education policy in Washington, D.C., was disrupted by a group of activists, as seen on a video shared on X. As Youngkin recounted his morning visit to Arlington National Cemetery and talked about the importance of honoring the heroes and victims of Sept. 11, 2001, a group of protestors surged towards the stage.
“No more gas, no more oil, keep the carbon in the soil,” the group of activists chanted, to which the crowd largely responded negatively. Security escorted the group out as they continued brandishing signs of their slogan and chanting briefly in the hallway.
“Today is a day to think about America,” Youngkin said as he pressed on with his speech, dismissing the protesters’ chants, Fox News reported. “Today is a day to remind ourselves that there were 3,000 men and women who lost their lives on 9/11. Today is a day to remind ourselves there’s evil in the world. And today is finally a day to remember that there are incredibly brave men and women who put their hand up and say, ‘Send me’ that stand between evil and peace.”
Climate Defiance, a climate activist group founded in 2023, has received funding from the Climate Emergency Fund (CEF), a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) organization. In a Politico interview, CEF’s executive director revealed that the group receives millions in funding from affluent elites.
This is not the first time Climate Defiance has disrupted an event. The group were among the activists who blocked entry to the New York Federal Reserve building, obstructing exits ahead of a UN General Assembly meeting on climate policy in New York City on Sept. 2023.
The group declared in July that “Harris must beat Trump.” Climate Defiance urged Vice President Kamala Harris to incorporate climate policies into her campaign strategy as Election Day approaches.
Youngkin, Federalist Society and Climate Defiance did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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