Protesters donning T-Rex costumes gathered outside confirmation hearings for US President-elect Donald Trump’s secretary of state nominee, Rex Tillerson.
Crowds gathered outside the hearing included a number of protesters dressed as dinosaurs – both a play on Tillerson’s name and his status as a “climate dinosaur.”
Tillerson’s nomination has stirred controversy and begged questions around how effectively the former head of the world’s largest oil company can transform himself into the top US diplomat.
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The Senate Foreign Relations Committee put questions to Tillerson about his suitability for the role of secretary of state under Trump.
Hashtags used to highlight the protests included #Rexxon, #RejectRex and #Exxonknew - which refers to Exxon’s alleged awareness of climate change as early as the 1970s.
Demonstrators are calling on the Senate to #RejectRex because, in their words, “ExxonMobil has no place running US foreign policy.”
Inside the Tillerson hearing a woman disrupted proceedings by shouting, “My home was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. Senators, please stand up for me and our futures.”