Hundreds of Women Disrupted D.C. Offices to Challenge White House Cabinet

By Yessenia Funes Jan 20, 2017

Hundreds of women from different organizations and backgrounds rallied outside the Department of Energy and Department of Housing and Urban Development offices in Washington, D.C. this morning (January 20).

The group of activists—bringing together Indigenous women from Standing Rock, women of color from various backgrounds, climate justice fighters, veterans and allies—gathered at the Department of Energy at 9:30 a.m., where they laid out banners and held signs calling out the incoming administration’s picks for both departments, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and retired neurologist Ben Carson respectively, as well as newly appointed Department of the Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

The Grassroots Global Justice Alliance, a coalition of organizations dedicated to equity for communities of color, organized the event. In a press release, they wrote:

The appointments of Rick Perry, Steve Mnuchin, and Ben Carson make clear the Trump administration’s intention to ramp up the exploitation of land for private profit, wreaking devastation for the climate, for our water, and for our homes.

The alliance also focused on Perry’s recent involvement with Energy Transfer Partners, which is behind the Dakota Access Pipeline. He stepped down from its board of directors on December 31. The press release also stated its concerns of how the Department of Energy will handle its nuclear weapon arsenal given Donald Trump’s “desire to re-enter an arms race.”

The release goes on:

Mnuchin, Carson, and Trump together will threaten the homes of both homeowners and renters. Mnuchin is known as the “foreclosure king” for the over 36,000 foreclosures he instigated during the financial crisis. With half of all renters facing unaffordable rents and evictions at all-time highs, Carson has stated that he plans to turn public housing over to private interests, which will only worsen the displacement and affordable housing crises faced by communities around the country.  

With these housing concerns in mind, the hundreds of activists assembled outside the housing offices around 10:15 a.m. Follow their organizing with #GrowTheResistance and #ItTakesRoots on Twitter. They will also take part in the Women’s March on Washington tomorrow (January 21) by marching with the Women of Color and Allies Contingent, meeting at Garfield Park at 9 a.m.