Protesters Greet Biden In East Palestine

Protesters greeted President Joe Biden during his visit to East Palestine, Ohio, more than one year before the derailment of a train carrying dangerous chemicals. The visit comes a year after the arrival of former President Donald Trump, who distributed water to the residents, many of whom were displaced by the derailment and subsequent fire.

Protesters rallied near where the president arrived. Some were chanting “Let’s Go Brandon?,” and held signs supporting Trump. Some called for Biden’s impeachment and Biden’s impeachment. One sign said, “Too Little, Too Late.”

Another sign said that Biden was “unfit” for office and that Biden was a “joke.” At least one protester made an obscene hand gesture while others gave the president a thumbs down. Another sign read “Dementia Joe You Gotta Go.”

The president met with a number of locals. During one of the events, the mayor appeared to make a veiled statement criticizing the lateness of Biden’s visit.

“We’re not leaving until it’s all done,” Biden said during his trip. The president added that he feared that some of the health effects from the crash may not show up for decades.

The president said that the incident was an “act of greed that was 100% preventable,” blaming the rail line Norfolk Southern. He also announced six grants to “study the short- and long-term impacts of what happened here. That includes just north of here Case Western University. So you’ll have a top researcher with you as long as you need.”

WATCH: East Palestine, OH residents greet Joe Biden with thunderous "Let's Go Brandon!" chantspic.twitter.com/XOBF4Foh5j

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) February 16, 2024

Residents in and around East Palestine called for significant aid following the crash. Officials decided to burn off the spilled chemicals to avoid further contamination. However, the burn created massive plumes of black smoke and led to large-scale evacuations.

Following the crash and the burnoff, residents noticed and documented thousands of dead animals in the radius around the incident.

Despite the crash and a large number of dead animals, critics said that the federal government was slow to respond, including Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.