Protesters were forcibly removed from an event with U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm in Michigan on Monday after they disrupted her speech about climate change with chants and slogans.
The environmentalists, who are part of the activist group Climate Defiance, tried to deliver a message in reference to Granholm‘s support for the Mountain Valley Pipeline.
“No MVP. No LNG. Granholm, you are killing me,” they shouted as they were dragged out by security personnel.
The group later posted photos and videos of the incident on social media, alleging that the protesters were “brutalized“ and that one had their ears pulled by security.
“We were peaceful,” Climate Defiance wrote on Twitter. “Her henchmen brutalized us anyway.”
Granholm, meanwhile, said she “regretted“ the incident and thanked the police for their “tough job.”
“It’s OK to be incredibly frustrated in these times,” Granholm said during the event. “I understand the call to action, but we cannot be violent or use our frustration in a way that is not peaceful.”
Granholm has repeatedly defended the Keystone Mountain Valley Pipeline as necessary for the energy security of the United States and for moving toward a greener zero–emissions system. The police have not responded to the allegations made by the activists, and it is unclear if any charges will be filed in connection with the incident.
Meanwhile, the Detroit Free Press, which sponsored the event, said that the disruption was “regrettable and disrespectful“ and “disrupted the lively dialogue about energy policy and climate change that we had hoped to create for viewers and participants.”
It remains to be seen how the incident will impact the already fragile relationship between environmental activists and policymakers. What is clear, however, is that tensions between them are rising regardless of the Secretary‘s views on climate change.
