WILLIAMSON, W.Va. — Much like Bill Clinton’s visit to Logan County on Sunday, Hillary Clinton’s visit to the Southern Coalfields Monday saw fierce protests.
Kicking off her “Breaking Down Barriers” campaign tour in Williamson, the Democrat presidential frontrunner was greeted by many who feel her energy policies have helped decimate Mingo County.
Approximately 350 people lined Second Avenue in Williamson. Protests got loud at times, but no arrests were made.
“There’s no jobs here for the coal miners,” said Bobby Taylor who said he’d been laid of from the mines nearly two-and-a-half years. “The coal and miners and coal people are what provide this country, and everything has gone down because of (coal’s downturn).”
Phyllis Land, of Barney, said she had come out in the rainy weather to send a clear message to Clinton.
“I’m totally against Hillary Clinton and her policies, and everything she stands for,” Land said. “She’s come out and done a video saying she’s going to do away with call. I mean, it’s already basically been diluted. She’s going to finish it off.”
Taylor said the exodus out of Mingo County is evidence of how bad life has gotten in the coalfields.
“There’s people leaving. Our kids are leaving here, there’s no jobs here; there’s not going to be (anything) here. They don’t understand the way of life for people here,” he said.
Land thought that residents came out to protest in such numbers not only to stand up for coal, but also to send a message that they were tired of the policies of President Obama.
“I think Americans are really fed up with–especially since Obama’s been in office and his policies. I mean, letting illegal aliens over here,” she said. “When you have legal immigrants coming here that go through the process. The law’s being broken. Then you have Americans who need help who aren’t getting it.”
Sen. Joe Manchin wasn’t spared verbal abuse from protesters, as some in the crowd yelled ‘Traitor Joe’ him because he had previously endorsed Clinton.
Taylor, a South Williamson, Ky. resident, described what he would tell Clinton if he could.
“I just want her to know what she’s done to our town, and our people here.” he said. “They’ve hurt the people here, took the coal away from us. Nobody’s going to make it here. It’s going to be a retirement place. That’s all it’s going to be.”
Former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship was also in downtown Williamson Monday, observing the protest before Clinton arrived.
Land said she’d been a lifelong Democrat, but now was supporting Trump over Clinton, even wearing a Trump T-shirt to Monday’s protest.
“I’ve been a Democrat all my life, but I would never vote for her,” she proclaimed.