Young people rallied outside the campaign event after being removed.
Rick Scott Avoids Young Voters Concerned About Climate Change
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 18, 2018
Contact:
Renata Leighton, 630–335–1468, [email protected]
Marcela Mulholland, 954–868–2763, [email protected]
ORLANDO, FL — This afternoon, eight young people with the Sunrise Movement attended Rick Scott’s Orlando campaign rally to ask him about his stance on climate change and the $880,000 in campaign donations he has taken from the oil, gas, coal, and fossil-fuel utility executives so far in his campaign for Senate. The group was standing peacefully among the other attendees when several security guards approached and told them they were “there for the wrong reasons.” They asked for information on why they were not allowed to attend a public event that was advertised earlier in the Orlando Sentinel. The Governor’s team refused to give an answer. The young people were then escorted off the premises with threats of arrest for trespassing.
“As Governor Scott’s constituent and a Floridian who is very concerned about the impacts of climate change on my state, I wanted to ask my Governor about his climate policy. I am deeply concerned about the millions of dollars Scott has taken from the fossil fuel industry. In response, Scott’s team kicked me out of the publicly advertised event for no valid reason. This encounter is a continuation of Governor Scott’s habit of dodging his constituents and refusing to confront the harsh realities of climate change,” said Marcela Mulholland, 21 year-old Sunrise Movement Florida member and Orlando resident who was one of the four young voters removed from the event.
“Last year, Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated communities across Florida and Puerto Rico. The brute force of the destruction these Hurricanes caused was fueled by warmer waters that are a direct result of climate change. If Rick Scott wants to show Floridians he’s serious about protecting communities from climate change fueled disasters like Irma, Maria, and Florence, he should return the $880,000 in bribes he’s received from the fossil fuel companies causing climate change,” said Renata Leighton, 19, another Sunrise Movement Florida member removed from the event.
After being forcibly removed from the event, the group joined protesters outside, including several members from Alianza for Progress, to let Rick Scott know that their voices will not be silenced. Here is a clip of an interaction with a reporter, some chants from the protest after the group was removed, and full footage of the protest.
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Sunrise is a movement to stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process. We are building an army of young people to make climate change an urgent political priority, end the corrupting influence of fossil fuel executives on our politics, and elect leaders who will stand up for the health and well-being of all people. Learn more at: sunrisemovement.org
