Activists from the direct action group Climate Defiance stormed a talk hosted by the news site Semafor in Washington, D.C., Tuesday, shutting down Senator Joe Manchin’s keynote address.

Rylee Haught: “How did he win this? It’s because he takes the most money from fossil fuel corporations.”

Protester: “He has received over $1 million just in the last year alone from fossil fuel interests. He’s the number one recipient of fossil fuel money in Congress.”

Rylee Haught: “Twenty-three days on hunger strike because we did everything we’re supposed to. … I knocked on thousands of doors. I talked to hundreds of West Virginians. I did everything I was supposed to.”

Manchin was promoting so-called permitting reform, which allows for the fast-tracking of fossil fuel projects. The recently passed debt limit deal gave the greenlight to expedite the 300-plus-mile-long fracked gas Mountain Valley Pipeline through West Virginia and Virginia.