No climate protest is too extreme for MSNBC. The network has been pushing global warming activism all week and on Friday featured, without any critical commentary, a simulated hanging. The network also touted the climate protests featuring far-left Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, anti-Semite Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley and Senator Bernie Sanders.
In the 2PM hour, guest co-host Yasmin Vossoughian approvingly hyped pictures of hangings, “Millions of young people are taking to the streets to call for action on climate change. The global march includes events in 150 countries. What started this morning in Australia, Asia and Africa is now surging across Europe and the Americas. In Berlin, protesters used a striking visual message to push for action. Standing on ice blocks with nooses around their necks. A stark call for change before it's too late.”
With all the mental health issues and suicide prevention issues, it’s irresponsible to promote simulated hangings.
Earlier in the day, reporter Mariana Atencio highlighted the climate speakers in Washington D.C., never mentioning how extreme the members of the so-called “squad” are: “We are expecting to hear from Representative AOC, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Ayanna Pressley as well as representative Ilhan Omar according to organizers.”
Atencio talked to one teen protester, asking which politician is her favorite:
MARIANA ATENCIO: Can I ask you, which candidates are getting it right on climate change right now?
CARLA STEPHAN: In my opinion, I think Bernie Sanders is getting it right. He's put out the best policy. And he really has stuck with what he believes in for as long as he's been fighting for this cause.
The extreme stances of the socialist Democrat were never mentioned. Nor were how he would pay for his climate goals. The New York Times in August pointed out that he has a “$16.3 trillion blueprint to fight climate change, the latest and most expensive proposal from the field of Democratic presidential candidates.” So, cost should be an issue when talking about this subject.
Speaking of teen protesters, Atencio seemed to share their blame of the United States: “They're going to be holding our world leaders accountable and American leaders accountable, frankly, because the U.S. Is the largest emitter of those carbon dioxide emissions.”
In the morning, Rehema Ellis talked to one teenager who fretted, “Global warming is wrong. Our planet is dying and everyone is ignoring it.” She repeated this to another teen, “You feel that our planet is dying?”
To be fair to Ellis, she at least tried to ask tougher questions. Earlier in the day she said to one young girl: “How is a policy maker expected to listen to you? You’re just 12.”
Partial transcripts are below. Click "expand" to read more.
MSNBC Live
9/20/19
11:54CRAIG MELVIN: Right now, millions taking to the streets of more than 150 countries to demand action on climate change. This is a look at the protest in Boston. The global demonstrations set to be one of the largest environmental protests in history. We've gotten reporters spanned across the globe, closely following the demonstrations on the ground for us. Let's start in New York City, that is where were we find Rehema Ellis. Rehema, what's the scene there?
REHEMA ELLIS: What I can tell you, Craig, is they’re getting, literally, the rallying cry here at this church. They are about to be told that they’re going to leave here with all these great signs they've made and walk about a quarter of a mile to a point of where this protest demonstration is going to have a big rally. But it starts on the floor, on the ground, if you will, with people literally making the signs. We’ve got some kids, I say kids, you're a junior in high school. Why are you here and what's this all about?
FATIMA: I want to save our planet, because when I have kids I want my kids to be around and see how the world is going to be. The way global warming is going to keep being, what we're doing, you know. [sic]
ELLIS: Absolutely. And what's your name?
FATIMA: Fatima.
ELLIS: In case Fatima's mom is watching, she's not in school but she's doing something that you consider valuable. [To another girl] Tell me your name.
SANAYA [PH]: Sanaya.
ELLIS: And your sign says what?
SANAYA: Help save the planet.
ELLIS: And why? What’s wrong with our planet?
SANAYA: Global warming is wrong. Our planet is dying and everyone is ignoring it.
ELLIS: And finally, on the end?
FABIANA: Fabiana.
ELLIS you feel that our planet is dying?
FABIANA: Yes.
ELLIS: Three students from a high school here in New York. Today they figure this is a teaching moment, Craig. Back to you.
MELVIN: Rehema Ellis there on the ground with the young people. Rehema, thank you. Some of the signs that I’ve seen so far for this rally are just absolutely fantastic. Let's go to Washington, D.C., the nation's capital. Demonstrators there set to take their protest straight to lawmakers on Capitol Hill. MSNBC's Mariana Atencio is there. Are lawmakers expected to address the crowd at all?
MARIANA ATENCIO: Craig, we are expecting to hear from Representative AOC, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Ayanna Pressley as well as representative Ilhan Omar according to organizers. I can tell you thousands of people led by these young climate activists are out here on the streets of the nation's capital. We just walked from John Marshall Park to the Capitol. They're demanding our leaders take action on climate change. I want to turn to one of these young organizers now. This is Carla Stephan. Craig, I've been following up, Craig, with Carla for almost a year now. What makes today so different?
CARLA STEPHAN: I think the movement as a whole has really grown. We have over 4,000 strikes across the globe, possibly over 10,000 people just here in D.C. So, it's amazing to see how much it's grown in the past couple of months. Also, another thing that's different is there's the U.N. Global Climate Summit which is on the 23rd. So, last strike we were holding our politicians accountable. But now we're also holding our world leaders accountable.
ATENCIO: Can I ask you, which candidates are getting it right on climate change right now?
STEPHAN: In my opinion, I think Bernie Sanders is getting it right. He's put out the best policy. And he really has stuck with what he believes in for as long as he's been fighting for this cause.
ATENCIO: Thank you so much, Carla. I'm going to let you go so you can join the other organizers. You heard it from them, they are estimating this crowd is around 10,000 people, Craig. And they're going to be holding our world leaders accountable and American leaders accountable, frankly, because the U.S. Is the largest emitter of those carbon dioxide emissions.
MELVIN: Thank you, Mariana Atencio. Carla, thank you. As the marches come, as the marchers come, I should say, NBC News is out with an exclusive new report. It’s found that the Trump administration ignored its own evidence of a connection between climate change and migration to our southern border from Guatemala. MSNBC’s Jacob Soboroff, live for us in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Tell us a little bit more of what you found, buddy, about the impact of climate change there.
JACOB SOBOROFF: The evidence couldn't be clearer, Craig. Julia Ainsley and I obtained internal CBP Customs and Border Protection-compiled data that shows food and security, basically starvation. And there are literally children dying here of starvation in Guatemala, is fueling migration to the southern border of the United States. And that starvation, that food and security is exacerbated by climate change conditions here on the ground. .
It’s complicated and we'll get into the climate change aspect of it tonight on All in with Chris Hayes at 8:00 PM. But the bottom line is the Trump administration instead of investing in solutions to coffee leaf, which you are seeing on your screen now, they did not double down. They pulled foreign aid funding entirely from rural development aid in Guatemala. USAID and other forms of rural assistance. The bottom line is if the Trump administration thinks that building a wall along the southern border or militarizing the border or punitive policies against migrants is going to stop people from coming here, they couldn’t be more incorrect based on what we’re seeing on the ground here in Guatemala.
MSNBC Live
9/20/192:20 PM ET
YASMIN VOSSOUGHIAN: Millions of young people are taking to the streets to call for action on climate change. The global March includes events in 150 countries. What started this morning in Australia, Asia and Africa is now surging across Europe and the Americas. In Berlin, protesters used a striking visual message to push for action. Standing on ice blocks with nooses around their necks. A stark call for change before it's too late.
