Parents from Texas gathered and protested outside the White House following the devastating floods to demand accountability and action on climate safety.
Cassidy DiPaola, from the Make Polluters Pay Campaign, said that the flooding was not just a climate disaster, but a preventable and politically charged crisis. Now, advocates, climate organizations, and parents are remembering the lives that were taken and are calling on lawmakers for urgent reform.
Texas Parents Protest Outside the White House
Nyeka Arnold, from the Healing Project, said they are demanding what their communities deserve, which are safety, dignity, and justice. The group is demanding that the current administration undo various cuts that were made to key agencies, such as FEMA, NOAA, and the National Weather Service.
A mother from Texas, Eileen McGinnis, said that they need to have lawmakers at every level of government who ask themselves how they can learn from the tragic disaster. They are now calling for a review of the incident so it could be prevented from happening again, according to DC News Now.
The protesters placed 27 blue, pink, and purple trunks adorned with yellow roses and other flowers within view of the White House. Each of these represented a child who tragically died after flash floods struck Camp Mystic.
A group of activists, including Texas mothers, sang, "We are gentle, angry people and we are singing for our lives." They are blaming United States President Donald Trump's administration for the disaster, saying it is a deadly consequence of government cuts and the Republican's inaction on the climate crisis.
A Tragic Disaster
The flash floods over the Fourth of July weekend resulted in the death of at least 135 people, most of whom were along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, northwest of San Antonio. On Monday, state legislators were set to talk about authorities' initial response to the incident and potential improvements to warning systems, The Guardian reported.
The protest outside of the White House included 34 individuals who gathered at the Ellipse while holding signs that said, "We need warnings, not cuts," "Flood warnings came late, budget cuts came fir$t," and "No more kids lost to climate disasters."
The situation comes after officials from Kerr County said earlier this week that the number of people who were missing dropped from nearly 100 to only three. In a news release, the city of Kerrville said that many of the people who were reported missing were verified as safe, as per ABC News.
