August 22nd, 2011

It’s difficult to tell how much protesters at the tar sands action in Washington D.C. are accomplishing — at this point.

A group of 70 , gathered to oppose the proposed Keystone XL pipeline that would carry tar sands oil across the midsection of the US, was arrested on Saturday, the first day of the planned civil disobedience action. The group included environmentalist Bill McKibben, former White House official and Yale dean Gus Speth and gay rights activist Lt. Dan Choi and dozens of lesser known, but no less concerned, citizens. Forty-five of those arrested were held until Monday, after sleeping on cold jail floors. That was far longer than they’d anticipated based on earlier US Park Police statements that protesters would be quickly released after processing.

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