Occupy NCSU gathered students and community members and journeyed to Washington, D.C . to fight the construction of an oil pipeline.
Senior in international studies Tara Beck and graduate student in sociology Ryan Thomson ensured two bus loads of people had the opportunity to protest the Keystone XL pipeline, which would extend from northern Alberta, Canada, to the Gulf Coast in Texas. President Barack Obama has all authority in the matter, as it is up to him to decide whether to sign a construction permit.
The proposed pipeline is a cousin to the Keystone already in service, which carries oil extracted from tar sands in Canada and transports it to refineries in the U.S . It has leaked 12 times in the past year, according to Beck.
The XL pipeline will carry “at least 200 times more oil” than the original, and those pitching its construction have said it will not leak, Beck said.
Environmentalists spoke on the dangers of the pipeline extracting oil from tar sands harms from a stage set up in Lafayette Park, located directly across from the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue.
In a show of strength, the 12,000 people in attendance left the park and surrounded gates around the White House. Standing five people deep, they condemned the pipeline in unison through chants such as “Power in our voices; power in hands; say yes to the Earth; so no to tar sands.”
Thomson stood on the corner of E Street and 15th Street outside the White House fence during the chants.
“We did it,” Thomson yelled from amongst the crowd.
It was the first gathering of its kind since Vietnam, according to Beck.
The chant “We are the 99 percent” broke out occasionally.
The protest was not an Occupy event, though Occupiers support the fight against the Keystone XL and tar sand oil, according to Thomson.
In fact, buses stopped at Occupy Raleigh after leaving from the McKimmon Center early Sunday morning en route to D.C . It was dark as Occupiers jumped at the opportunity to get out of the cold and join.
“Show me what democracy looks like; this is what democracy looks like,” became the overarching theme as protesters dispersed from the White House gates and took to the streets.
Traffic yielded to marchers taking over all lanes.
Violence did not break out during the hour-long march around the city. Officer Fritts of the D.C . Police Department walked in front of the crowd throughout and coordinated with other officers to ensure the safety of marchers and drivers.
“It has been decades since there was a crowd like this outside the White House that has something to do with the environment,” speaker Bill McKibbens said from the stage in Lafayette Park as marchers returned.
Thursday’s teach-in and the trip to D.C . are the largest movements Occupy NCSU has participated in — both within four days, according to Thomson. Exhausted, he sat reflecting at a pizzeria in Richmond, V.A . during a stop on the six hour trip back.
“Now Obama just needs to grow a spine,” Thomson said.
