A chorus of boos met California Representative Kevin Kiley on a visit to Los Angeles to discuss California’s “high-speed rail disaster”. The video shows a shellshocked Kiley bemused when his speech is interrupted by LA residents’ very vocal anger.
In the speech at LA’s Union Station, Kevin Kiley introduces himself as representing California’s third district. He continues to say what he calls “California’s high-speed rail disaster” is the “worst public infrastructure failure in US history.” A chorus of very loud, very angry boos from the LA residents gathered meets Kiley’s claim.
Kiley clearly wasn’t expecting such a hostile reaction. As the boos and cries of anger ring out, he pauses and raises his eyebrows in surprise. He manages a thin, wry smile, perhaps wishing he was anywhere else.
As the boos continue, Kiley’s entourage clearly don’t know how to respond. Bizarrely, a few of them plaster broad grins on their faces. Unsurprisingly, this does little to appease the angry crowd.
At a loss, Kevin Kiley looks round for support. He gets a nod from U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy. Perhaps Kiley needed encouragement to continue. Trying to make light of the hostile atmosphere, Kiley quips, “Guess there are at least a few people who support high-speed rail in California.” More than a few by the sound of it, Kevin.
A different video of the incident shows dozens of protestors waving hand-made signs with slogans such as, “Traffic sucks, Build rail” and “#BuildHSR”. A clear chant echoed through the station: “We want high-speed trains!” Further, the sheer force of the crowd’s anger culminated in someone throwing something at one of the Republican assembly members.
Many Redditors praised the LA crowd. “Hell yeah good job LA,” one user cheered. Another remarked that they were, “Proud to be a Californian.”
I can’t help but wonder what Kevin Kiley and his Republican allies hoped to gain from this. The California high-speed rail project should have been completed by 2020, providing a link between San Francisco and LA. Now, five years late and with $100 billion spent, it’s nowhere near completion. With that in mind, the residents’ anger is understandable.
