Hundreds of people stormed Ivanka Trump’s chic DC neighborhood on Saturday to protest against her father’s administration and its stance on climate change.
Demonstrators in festive clothing carrying glow sticks and colorful placards gathered outside the first daughter’s home around 6pm on Saturday where they danced and sang for several hours against President Trump’s roll back of Obama’s climate change policies and LGBT protections.
“We are out here to say send a message to protect Mother Earth,” one organizer told WUSA.
Dubbed the “Queer Dance Party for Climate Justice,” the event was organized by several queer activist collectives: WERK for Peace along with 350 DC, Queer Resistance and the Trans Women of Color Collective.
“The entire Trump Administration has shown a blatant disregard for our planet and its inhabitants,” the event page read. “We must put our bodies on the line for our earth and for all who depend on its resources.”
“Thankfully, Ivanka Trump, “BFF of the gays,” supposed climate czar, and brand new employee of the Trump Administration has invited us to come and party in her neighborhood leaving behind biodegradable glitter that will sparkle in the moonlight.”
Participants were encouraged to”werk” for climate justice by “shaking” what Mother Earth had endowed them with. Many followed instructions by the book, dancing on the roofs of cars
Protesters are angry about Trump’s recent executive order at the Environmental Protection Agency, which effectively halts all government efforts to cut down on carbon monoxide emission.
Many are also worried about the potential confirmation of Neil Gorsuch, Trump’s Supreme Court pick, and how he may vote on energy and environmental issues.
“His policies have in general worked to desecrate the environment movement,” said Firas Nasr from WERK for Peace.
Some accused the mother-of-three of “green and pink washing” on climate change and queer issues for purporting to be an ally of LGBT communities and championing climate policies while working against the interests of queer people.
Since her father took office, Ivanka has tried to position herself as a moderate force in the White House, even pushing for lines about “clean air” and “clean water” to be included in his address to Congress, Axios reported.
But for co-organizer Carla Aronsohn, paying lip service is simply not good enough.
“If Ivanka Trump isn’t gaslighting us, then she should come into the streets and werk it!” she told The Huffington Post ahead of the event.
Several protesters held signs instructing the first daughter to “get natural” and criticizing her for not taking her children out “in nature.”
Police cars, metal barricades and armed agents blocked off the streets in front of the businesswoman’s $5.5million house to help keep protestors away.
Ivanka herself was spotted in New York City on Friday celebrating her youngest child’s birthday.
Officers on the scene said the protest ended peacefully despite one complaint from an 82-year-old neighbor who threatened to hit a protester over the noise.
Law enforcement officers put police take and barricades around the home to keep people away from the property @wusa9 pic.twitter.com/LDU08Juxqe
— Michael Quander WUSA (@MikeQReports) April 1, 2017
In January, more than 200 LGBTQ activists from WERK for Peace and Disrupt J20 brought a dance party to Vice President Mike Pence’s house to denounce his track record on LGBT rights, support of conversion therapy, and views on same sex-marriage.
