Dozens more arrested in oil pipeline protest

A U.S. Park Police officer handcuffs and arrests a protester over a proposed pipeline to bring tar sands oil to the U.S. from Canada, in front of the White House in Washington, Saturday, Aug. 20, 2011. / AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta

WASHINGTON - Arrests are beginning anew outside the White House as police remove dozens of protesters who are hoping to convince President Barack Obama to block TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline.

Fifty protesters remain in jail after being arrested outside the White House on Saturday, the opening day of a two-week civil disobedience campaign.

They're expected to be released Monday night.

By noon today, police began arresting more demonstrators, including 68-year-old Patricia Warwick of Toronto.

A 65-year-old woman from Massachusetts who's celebrating her birthday was also arrested.

Protest organizers say a total of 46 will be arrested and will join their colleagues in jail by day's end.

Background on proposed Canada-to-Texas oil pipeline

Dozens were arrested outside the White House on Saturday after staging a sit-in to protest the proposed $7 billion pipeline that would boost U.S. dependence on Canadian oil sands.

Thousands of opponents of the pipeline plan to get arrested, in protests over the next two weeks that they hope will help persuade the Obama administration to kill the project.

The State Department is set to issue a final environmental impact report this month on the Keystone XL pipeline project that would bring oil sands petroleum from Alberta to Texas refineries. The department hopes to make a final decision on the TransCanada Corp line by the end of the year.

The pipeline would provide thousands of construction jobs, which could make it hard for the Obama administration to kill the project.

Opponents want the administration to stop the pipeline, which would deliver up to 700,000 barrels per day of oil to Gulf Coast refineries, because it would cross water sources that could be vulnerable to spills. Also, oil sands petroleum emits more carbon dioxide than average crude oils.

If President Obama approves the pipeline, environmentally minded voters who cast their ballots for him in 2008 may not be as inclined to back him next year, especially after the failure of a climate change bill, and after the administration opened up a large section of Wyoming for mining coal in May.

Holding a sign that read "Obama, will you stand up to big oil?", protesters lingered outside the White House even after police announced they would be arrested if they did not move.

One by one, police called protesters out of the crowd, placed them under arrest and led them into a police vehicle.

[chartley88]

I'm all for jobs and a bustling U.S. economy, but my experiences with Alaska's aging, corroding, and LEAKING pipeline make me wary. The oil industry provides needed jobs and tax revenues, but it also continues to demonstrate that it cannot be trusted to create environmentally safe delivery methods and we all pay for it, both environmentally and at the pump.

I believe independent citizen oversight is needed to ensure that oil stays IN THE PIPE and is safely transport. If you agree, please consider signing the petition to Congress asking for the creation of a regional citizen advisory council for the Alaska Pipeline: http://www.change.org/petitions/dont-let-an-oil-spill-ruin-the-copper-river-salmon-run

[ge556]

It definitely WON'T stay in the pipe. Most of it is going to be refined into fuel, and burned, where the carbon goes into the atmosphere, warming the planet. That's the biggest problem.

[topobserver]

Obama wants to distroy this country, he's not going to do anything to help it, the boy doesn't know what he's doing, he makes up stuff as he goes along. Obama supporters, how do you like your president now?

[ge556]

Better than most, but not as good as I'd like. I'd hate to have a president who's unwilling to make stuff up along the way.

By the way, calling a black man "boy" hasn't been acceptable for decades. It's called "racism".

[ge556]

If you have to sacrifice in order to feed your family and pay your mortgage, you do so.
Right now, we have to sacrifice to stop climate change. The increased storms, heat waves, and droughts are bad enough already. We are headed for mass extinctions, famine, and floods. We need to cut carbon emissions before it gets worse, because it will take a long time to turn the climate around.

[canadianoileh]

At least they don't just start shooting protesters like some other countries.....
Here's a fact for you:
Total Cdn. Oilsands CO2 emissions = 0.1% of global CO2 emissions = the largest coal fired power plant in China. Now do a little thinking and figure out where it might be best to concentrate efforts to reduce CO2 emissions (if that is your goal). Coal fired power plants???? There was a large # of forest fires in Alberta this summer - burned more of the Boreal forest (2.3 MM acres) than you can ever dream of being disturbed by oilsands operations.... - probably released a lot of CO2 too....

[milkcowblues]

There are communities around the world who have transitioned to solar and wind energy successfully. Their electric bills are minimal and they sell the energy back to the "power" companies. The only reason this isn't happening here is because the oil industry has, literally, a stranglehold on the system, which has brought us nothing but war, propaganda, phonies of every description, trillions of dollars of debt and on and on. After looking at the Green Party Platform and going to a Green Party meeting, I'm convinced that the only common sense party that actually exists is the Green Party. I will never vote for any of these fascist police state oligarchs again. They are over, kaput!

[1American]

Show proof dude. Not BS!

[infinitehex]

We do not need oil. I don't care if the world crumbles without it. We simply don't need it. If we'd stop believing the lies and nonstop fear-mongering of Big Oil, perhaps green tech could become viable. The reason it's "too expensive", "inefficient", and so on is because they have built a system against it. We've been lied to and told that it's "in development," but I think it's now apparently clear that Big Oil has zero intention of phasing out oil. To hell with civil disobedience. Speak with your money - that'll stop them in the their filthy oil tracks instantly.

[1American]

Then be an example to the rest of us infinitehex. STOP USING OIL AND OIL BY PRODUCTS!

[wardove]

WAIT what law was broken here are we not allowed freedom of speech? What is wrong whith with this nation ?we use to have rights !!!!!!!!!

[AVRWEBGUY]

wardove: I'm with you. What exactly were these people arrested for? Whatever anybody feels about the reason these people were protesting, we should all stand up for their right to protest peacefully!

[wardove]

FREEDOM OF SPEECH, i care this is wrong!!!!! SHAME on you D.C. .Stop the police state ,stop stop the corruption.

[askagain]

mgk22 - You probably don't remember the fabricated oil shortages of the 1970's where people could only purchase gas on certain days, people could only purchase five gallons of gas at a time, and when gas stations closed in mid-afternoon because they ran out of gas. The economic costs to our country were huge. People couldn't get to work, prices of goods rose dramatically, and people had to cancel vacations. We don't need a repeat of that. Like it not, America needs oil. Ideally, we would become less dependent on hostile Middle Eastern countries and oil cartels. One way is to buy our oil from a friendly ally such as Canada. If and when alternative energy is readily available at reasonable prices, most of us would embrace it. Until then, we need oil.

[askagain]

mgk22 - In addition to what I already posted, people had to wait in long lines often for an hour or two to get rationed amounts of gas. There were protests, fights and even a few murders when tempers flaired out of control. A black market even emerged where gas was available if you were willing to pay the right price.

[rwsmith29456]

I don't like oil wells, pipelines, etc, but I sure like to jump in my car and drive. The oil line is badly needed.

[oldman67]

We should thank those of you who voted for Obama for our police state. Thanks!

[ge556]

Right. You think it would be better under McCain?