Climate change protesters stage sit-in at Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s office

Protesters staged a sit-in at South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s mayoral office Friday, urging the White House hopeful to take stricter action on climate change in the city.

“We are occupying the office of @PeteButtigieg because South Bend, & the entire US, needs a Green New Deal. Pete’s climate plan for South Bend is not good enough. Why? Because we need drastic action NOW,” Garrett Blad, a spokesperson for the Sunrise Movement, which organized the protest, tweeted.

“This is an emergency & Pete needs to act like it. Everything is at stake.”

We are occupying the office of @PeteButtigieg because South Bend, & the entire US, needs a Green New Deal.

Pete’s climate plan for South Bend is not good enough. Why? Because we need drastic action NOW.

This is an emergency & Pete needs to act like it. Everything is at stake. pic.twitter.com/FnHroWkGRW

— Garrett Blad (@gblad) November 22, 2019

Protesters told the local ABC News affiliate that they hope Buttigieg will change his plan to increase accountability regarding pollution.

However, an official with Buttigieg’s campaign said the mayor has a proven track record of supporting environmental policies aimed at reducing the effect of climate change. 

{mosads}“Under Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s leadership, the City of South Bend has prioritized sustainability and action to address the climate change crisis,” Buttigieg’s campaign told The Hill. “From constructing the first LEED-certified South Bend city government buildings, to implementing green infrastructure in neighborhoods throughout the area, to responding to historic flooding caused by climate change, the Mayor has led from the front on climate.”

On Monday, the Common Council will vote on a climate action plan that sets aggressive goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in South Bend,” the campaign spokesperson continued. “The plan will be a living document responsive to changing circumstances, but includes near-term benchmarks to drive early action by local stakeholders.”

Climate change has emerged as a chief issue for Democratic presidential candidates as an increasingly activist base demands action on the issue.

Buttigieg released a climate plan in September that, among other things, would tax carbon emissions and invest in solar and wind technology to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.