This is a guest post from CCAN fall intern Norah Berk. Check out all the pictures from the ostrich action on CCAN’s flickr account.
Starting at around 9 a.m. today, demonstrators began to line Dolly Madison Blvd across the street from the Capitol One Center in McLean in anticipation of the debate between the two candidates that would take place just a few hours later. Amidst others holding signs for their favored candidate, CCAN staff and volunteers proudly stood holding the “STOP climate change” banner that Obama once set eyes on. At 10 a.m. special guest Cleopatra, The Queen of Denial (an 8-feet tall climate-change denying ostrich), appeared. Her presence called attention to both candidates’ denial of the urgent need for renewable energy in Virginia over dirty, yet so-called “clean”, fossil fuel options.
From inside the Ostrich costume, I saw Tim Kaine and George Allen supporters united in the curious and surprised glances they focused on a giant climate-change-denying ostrich, trotting across Dolly Madison. With the demonstrators’ attention indisputably directed at the CCAN group, Ted Glick, the animal trainer, addressed the need to change Virginia’s energy policy and compared Kaine’s and Allen’s energy stances to an ostrich with its head in the sand while Cleopatra stuck her head in a box of sand at the mention of the words “climate-change.”
As time passed, we inched closer to the Capitol One building and stood at the entrance of the Capitol One lot. Each car that entered the site of the debate passed right by us, and if the volunteers holding brightly colored signs and a large banner weren’t enough, the giant ostrich and animal trainer surely got their attention. A Fredericksburg photographer as well as Channel 9 News also took interest in our unorthodox group, which will help spread the word that all candidates need to support energy policies in Virginia that will truly fight the climate crisis. Although our original plan to stand directly outside the auditorium doors was foiled, and although the black quilt encompassing me in my own heat was causing me to slowly bake, CCAN’s demonstration outside the Capitol One building certainly caused a sensation and it will be impossible for the two Virginia senatorial candidates to ignore the increasing awareness that an “all of the above” energy policy will not cut it.
Today’s successful action was part of CCAN’s Election Climate Response Team – sign up today to be a part of actions at future candidate events!
