BREAKING: Young Climate Activists Disrupt Congress

BREAKING: Nine climate activists in Washington D.C. to attend the Power Shift 2011 conference on clean energy are currently in police custody, after disrupting a House of Representatives session. The activists introduced chaos into the House by standing up and singing a revised version of the national anthem, whose lyrics included “If you represent me, not the fossil fuel industry, you must stop wasting time chasing your dollar signs” to the tune of the Star-Spangled Banner.

“I want to remind you that I have the authority to clear this gallery,” a frustrated Speaker Boehner said as the disruption failed to cease; the activists stood up and sang one at a time, picking up where the previous person left off after they were taken into custody. After the third singer perpetuated the disruption, Speaker Boehner stopped allowing citizens to come into the session. Boehner brought out the rule book and stated that he wanted “a record of this, for future prosecution.”

Dozens of police were dispatched to escort the students from the gallery. The students are not affiliated with any organization; they came to Power Shift and to the Capitol from all over the country, from different schools and organizations.

Read the New York Times piece on the action here.