Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-W.Va.) car was blocked by climate change protesters Thursday, who were calling for the moderate senator to sign President Joe Biden’s trillion-dollar Build Back Better Act.
This is followed by people swarming together and blocking Manchin’s car, a Maserati. The hashtag #Maserati was trending on Twitter later in the day. The activists can be seen standing at the front and back of the car, accusing the senator of trying to run them over as his car slowly tries inching forward despite the opposition.
Some people held up a banner, with at least one person trying to lean on the hood. “Pass climate change bills” can be heard in the background of the video, along with the chanting, “We want to live.” A constant car horn is also heard in the video. Eventually, security officials manage to push back protesters and the car is able to move forward.
“[Sen. Joe Manchin], is the money worth selling our futures downriver? Is the money that green? Is it that good for you? How’d that Maserati feel while you drove into us this morning? #WeWantToLive” the activist group Hunger Strike 4 Climate Justice wrote on Twitter.
The group has not reported any injuries from the protest, which occurred on Thursday morning.
In September, protesters paddled up to Manchin’s houseboat in the Washington marina on kayaks when he, along with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), another moderate, voted against the bill. The kayakers, claiming to be constituents, held up signs reading “Don’t sink our health care” and “No climate no deal.”
Sinema was also harassed while attempting to give a lecture at the Arizona State University when pro-immigration protesters followed her into the women’s bathroom, insisting she open up citizenship to illegal aliens.
Manchin’s support is crucial in the evenly-divided senate. He had been strongly opposed to the original $3.5 trillion bill, which was then reduced to $1.5 trillion. Pro-climate campaigners have harangued the senator regarding his opposition in the bill to the $150 billion toward replacing coal and gas-fired power plants in the country. West Virginia is a major coal producer.
Manchin’s office did not immediately respond to The Epoch Times’ request for comment.
