Participant accounts of the Keystone protest

Bill McKibben and the organizers of this summer’s protest against the Keystone XL pipeline are encouraging people who participated to post an account of their experience.

I will link interesting ones as they appear.

Here’s a good one to start with: A Minor’s Reflections on the Keystone XL Pipeline and Civil Disobedience by Ariana Shapiro.

3 thoughts on “Participant accounts of the Keystone protest

  1. .

    Meet Up to Spread the Word

    What we just did in DC together is truly remarkable.

    Hosting a local meetup to discuss your experience in this historic action is a great way to keep the movement growing. Your story about participating is the most powerful tool you have to spread the word about Keystone XL and the tar sands and to encourage more people to join our movement.

    The best time to host is right away, while the memories are freshest, and while there is still plenty of time to encourage others to join the next action at the beginning of October. Hosting a meetup is easy – just pick a time, date, and location, then put out word to your friends, family and personal network to join you. We’ll also list your event on TarSandsAction.org to help connect you with other people in your community.

  2. .

    Protesting in D.C. leads to arrest, but student is proud of environmental work

    By Ben Harris || September 16, 2011

    Chloe Gleichman’s arrest is something she is proud of.

    Gleichman, a Saline sophomore, was arrested on Aug. 29 in Washington, D.C. in front of the White House along with a group of other protesters for refusing to disperse.

    She was part of a group protesting a pipeline that would run from Canadian province Alberta to Texas, transporting oil collected from tar sands, a source of petroleum which has seen a rapid growth in interest.

    The group stood outside with signs while singing songs during the somber protest, she said.

    “It was a two-week project organized by a famous environmentalist named Bill McKibben to try to pressure Obama not to sign the bill,” Gleichman said.

  3. .

    The tarsands and civil disobedience

    On Monday I will be joining hundreds of fellow Canadians on Parliament Hill to demonstrate growing public opposition to the relentless expansion of the tarsands megaproject in northern Alberta. Some will participate in a protest rally while others will engage in acts of peaceful civil disobedience.

    People from all walks of life and regions of Canada — environmental activists, indigenous peoples, youth activists, organized workers, impacted communities, social justice activists, faith communities and concerned citizens in general — will join ranks against what has become known worldwide as the most environmentally destructive project of its kind on the planet.

    In general, the Ottawa action will be carried out in solidarity with the more than 1,200 U.S. citizens who were arrested during a two-week protest outside the White House in Washington in late August. They had mobilized to urge President Barack Obama to reject the TransCanada Pipeline Co. bid to construct the Keystone XL pipeline for transporting crude bitumen from the Canadian tarsands to oil refineries on the Gulf of Mexico.

    Along with others, I am personally prepared to risk arrest if need be on Monday. Although this is not my first time doing so, it isn’t something I choose to do lightly. But, as in any major campaign for social or ecological justice, there can come a point when you have to draw a line in the sand and put your body on that line, in order to speak the truth to those in power, especially when virtually all other avenues have been exhausted.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *