March, 20 2013, 02:58pm EDT
Anti-Keystone XL Protests Erupt Across Country With More Planned Soon - Thirty-Seven Arrested Already
Over 30 protests as part of Week of Action to Stop Tar Sands Profiteers held by over 50 grassroots organizations take on corporate investors bankrolling the toxic Keystone XL tar sands pipeline
WASHINGTON
One month after the largest climate rally in U.S. history urged President Obama to deny the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline's northern segment, protesters in dozens of cities throughout the U.S. are confronting KXL's corporate backers directly.
Thirty-seven have been arrested over the last ten days for disrupting business as usual at TransCanada and their investors' offices, with more are planned before the week is over.
The March 16-23 Week of Action to Stop Tar Sands Profiteers, in solidarity with Great Plains Tar Sands Resistance's Direct Action Camp in Ponca City, Oklahoma, is endorsed by over 50 grassroots environmental organizations around the country. Organizers seek to expose green-washed corporations like TD Bank, a top shareholder in TransCanada, and force them to divest from the controversial Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.
"Its encouraging to see people around the country taking action to stop tar sands profiteers," said Ron Seifert, spokesperson for Tar Sands Blockade. "No longer will we allow them to build KXL and invest in toxic projects that endanger the health of low-income and communities of color. We will not allow "business as usual" to continue."
Here are a few highlights from the Week of Action so far:
- 100 people occupied a TransCanada's office in Westborough, MA, holding a "Funeral for Our Future" and disrupting work for several hours. Twenty-five were arrested for locking themselves inside the office: https://www.tarsandsblockade.org/funeralforourfuture/
- TD Bank branches have seen protests at multiple locations including three people who were arrested for locking themselves inside a branch office in Washington, DC. https://www.tarsandsblockade.org/weekofaction-day4/
- Twelve people arrested for blockading a fracking pipeline in upstate New York: https://ourfutureisunfractured.wordpress.com/
- Portland, Oregon held a bike tour of the city's worst polluters including a rally at a TransCanada office: https://www.tarsandsblockade.org/weekofaction-day3/
- Dozens of activists in grim-reaper garb surround Michels Corporate office in Kirkland, WA, demanding that Michels stop building KXL: https://www.tarsandsblockade.org/weekofaction-day3/
Check www.tarsandsblockade.org for live updates from actions around the country. At least 18 more actions are planned between now and Saturday, March 23rd, including six more actions against TD Bank in New York City, Washington D.C., Montpellier, VT, Newark, DE, New Haven, CT, and Asheville, NC.
One of the largest events of the week will be tomorrow, Thursday, March 21 in Oklahoma. Great Plains Tar Sands Resistance is taking action to physically stop KXL construction. Read more here: https://gptarsandsresistance.org/
Tar Sands Blockade is a coalition of Texas and Oklahoma landowners and organizers using nonviolent direct action to physically stop the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.
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