(RepublicanPress.org) – On November 1, Michigan State University College of Social Science announced that Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg would be former Democratic Governor Jim Blanchard’s special guest at the MSU Public Service Forum on November 29. The event took place at the East Lansing Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center. However, the event didn’t go off without a hitch.
On November 30, the Washington Examiner reported that a number of protesters interrupted Buttegieg’s speech, chanting “Petrol Pete” while he was on stage. In all, eight people were asked to leave, and one person was arrested. That individual was charged with disorderly assemblage and conduct. If found guilty, the person could spend 90 days in jail and pay a fine of up to $100.
Climate Defiance organized the protest, which included people in the audience as well as protestors outside. The youth group speaking out against fossil fuels posted its intention to “shut down” the secretary during his visit. The organization vowed to make him “scamper” and “quake,” warning those in Lansing to “buckle up.” Buttigieg did not flee the scene but continued his discussion with attendees.
'Petrol' Pete Buttigieg heckled by protesters during college speech https://t.co/PRx9ni110K https://t.co/PRx9ni110K
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) December 1, 2023
This isn’t the first time Climate Defiance targeted the transportation secretary. In October, The Hill reported that protesters from the group rushed the stage while Buttigieg was in the middle of an interview in Baltimore, Maryland. That meeting was to discuss the future of the state, including expansion of the BWI airport, changing bus fleets to electric vehicles, and updating a transportation station to make it more wheelchair-user and pedestrian-friendly.
Again, the protesters yelled about stopping “Petro Pete.” They believe he’s not doing enough for climate change and is, in fact, making moves to worsen “greenhouse gas emissions.”
At the Baltimore event, Buttigieg attempted to empathize with the protesters, but his speech was cut short, and he was escorted away by security.
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