Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo was escorted out of a D.C. event that was interrupted by rowdy climate change protestors on Tuesday.
Raimondo was speaking at a Wilson Center event entitled “A Conversation on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework” on Tuesday afternoon. She was onstage with economist Sadek Wahba when protestors barged in.
“We have to be present. And so for the five years before President Biden took office, the United States was not present economically in these regions,” Raimondo said to Wahba. “We didn’t even, you know, have a framework for engagement, I would say…”
Environmental protestors promptly interrupted the event and began chanting “We need clean air, not another billionaire” and “End fossil fuels, Gina” while the dumbfounded speakers looked on.
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Footage shows Raimondo laughing and saying something to Wahba during the awkward interruption. The protestors wore t-shirts that read “END FOSSIL FUELS” and linked arms with each other.
The demonstrators obstinately chanted “Clean air, not another billionaire” for around three minutes. They were confronted by security guards before Raimondo was eventually taken off the stage.
One protestor’s arm was yanked by a security guard in a minute-long attempt to get him out of the think tank’s auditorium.
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The talk, which was described as a “fireside chat,” was about economic stability and security in the Indo-Pacific region.
According to the Wilson Center’s website, the intention of the event was to “focus on the path forward for IPEF [Indo-Pacific Economic Framework] and Secretary Raimondo’s efforts to enhance American economic security and spur private sector investment in areas of strategic economic importance.”
Wilson Center Chief of Staff Eddy Acevedo told Fox News Digital that it was unfortunate that the protestors, who were later arrested, interrupted the event.
“We were honored to host Secretary Raimondo and our event continued after a short delay as we examined the importance of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework,” Acevedo said. “The Wilson Center values our public discussions on US strategic competition and the importance of American economic security.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Commerce for a statement, but has not heard back.
