Kamala Harris snaps at climate heckler during Massachusetts speech: ‘I’m speaking’

‘As we cried out about the tragic deaths in Hawaii and condemned her fossil fuel crimes, Kamala stood there and laughed,’ climate group says

Vice President Kamala Harris appeared to snap back as she was called out by an activist for the Biden administration’s lack of action on the climate crisis as the death toll from the Hawaii wildfires continues to rise.

Climate Defiance, which brands itself as a “Brand-new, youth-led group using direct action to resist fossil fuels”, on Monday night shared a video on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, stating: “We profoundly disrupted a speech by United States Vice President Kamala Harris.”

“As we cried out about the tragic deaths in Hawaii and condemned her fossil fuel crimes, Kamala stood there and laughed. Horrendous. We deserve - and we need - actual climate leaders,” the group added.

Ms Harris was interrupted by two hecklers as she was addressing a crowd in the gymnasium of Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School on Saturday, according to the Vineyard Gazette. She was in Massachusetts to attend two fundraisers as she gears up to run for re-election alongside President Joe Biden.

During the speech, she told about 400 supporters to fight for civil rights as she argued their opponents were working to pit Americans against each other.

After the event, Climate Defiance gathered outside the school holding a sign saying: “Kamala: Off Fossil Fuels.”

Those who attended the closed speech had to donate to the Biden Victory Fund to see Ms Harris speak, The Gazette noted.

Protestor Jay Waxse told the paper that he had travelled from Washington, DC and paid the minimum $50 to attend. He added that other activists had come from all over the country.

Mr Waxse said the protest on Saturday was aimed at getting the administration to stop approving oil and gas projects on federal land.

“Biden positions himself as a climate president ... but it’s a front,” he told The Gazette.

The protester in the video shared by Climate Defiance shouted at Ms Harris that “We are in the middle of a climate emergency. Eighty people have died in Hawaii, Thousands have been displaced by the climate chaos. The planet is burning, and people are dying”.

“I’m speaking,” Ms Harris said while the advocate was taken away by security personnel, according to Newsweek.

“We were wondering if you would uphold your promises,” the protester said. “You and Joe are failing on climate.”

The Independent has reached out to Climate Defiance for comment.