Line 3 protesters drove Governor Tim Walz (D) from a Democrat fundraising event in Alexandria, Minnesota just minutes into his speech. Several protesters marched into the outdoor area where the event was taking place and began shouting at Walz while he made some introductory remarks.
BREAKING: A speech by @GovTimWalz at a Democratic party event in Alexandria, MN was SHUT DOWN by 50 water protectors demanding he #StopLine3!
Minutes into his speech and vastly outnumbered, Walz fled the event.
Direct action gets the goods! pic.twitter.com/5oC9EJ7dD3
— Resist Line 3 (@ResistLine3) September 4, 2021
Video footage from the Resist Line 3 Twitter account shows around 50 “water protectors” descending on the outdoor event. Walz then gets interrupted by a protester shouting, “Hey, Tim. In 2017 you said that pipelines through treaty lands were a ‘non-starter.’ What changed? What did you mean by that?”
While the camera is focused on Walz, voices shouting in agreement can be heard in the background. Walz then asks the person if they could talk after the event concluded. Walz tried to proceed with his speech but the protester yelled, “No, I want to hear now, Tim. What changed?”
Walz tried to reason with the protester. He asked the protester on multiple occasions, “Can I finish and then we can talk?” The protesters continually interrupted him, calling the pipeline a “life or death issue” and saying having a discussion about the pipeline was “much more important.”
The protester then refused to acquiesce to Walz’s request to talk after, saying, “No, I will not talk after.” Someone can be seen trying to reason with the man yelling and asking him to wait until after the event to bring his concerns to Walz.
More protesters could be seen gathering, carrying signs and posters. Some of the event attendees also took the opportunity to vacate their seats and leave the situation.
Walz then tried to answer the questions from the agitated protester, saying “I’m proud to be part of a party that’s a big tent.” However, Walz was unable to be heard over the protesters who then joined in an anti-Line 3 song.
The protesters then gathered between the stage where Walz was talking and the seats for attendees, disrupting the entire event. Walz’s staffers then removed him from the scene and the video footage shows him getting into a vehicle and driving away.
The Resist Line 3 group celebrated this, saying “Direct action gets the goods!” A later tweet from the group called what happened “radical love.” The tweet said, “Removing a Governor from the podium during his keynote address is an act of justice. And accountability. And radical love for those we cherish and those who will proceed us.”
Removing a Governor from the podium during his keynote address is an act of justice. And accountability. And radical love for those we cherish and those who will proceed us. #StopLine3
— Resist Line 3 (@ResistLine3) September 6, 2021
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Hayley Tschetter is a reporter with The Minnesota Sun | Star News Network. Follow Hayley on Twitter or like her Facebook page. Send news tips to [email protected].
