Hundreds of young protestors marched to the White House on Sunday to oppose the Keystone XL Project.
Over 500 young people gathered around the White House demanding that President Obama reject the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline, reports The Washington Post. Some even strapped themselves to the White House fences with plastic ties.
The pipeline extension would potentially carry 830,000 barrels of crude oil daily from Canada to the Gulf Coast. The project costs approximately $5.4 billion.
Members of the protest carried signs reading things such as “There is no planet B” and “Columbia says no to fossil fuels”. Others chanted, “Hey, Obama! We don’t want no pipeline drama.”
“If the Democratic Party wants to keep our vote, they better make sure President Obama rejects that pipeline," said Nick Stracco, a student at Tulane University.
According to The Chicago Tribune, many protesters refused to leave the area surrounding the White House and were willing to risk arrest. Approximately 400 people were arrested.
“People need to be aware of the fact that fossil fuels at this point are obsolete,” said Nicholas Umpleby, a student at the University of Vermont. “There is no valid reason why we should continue building any type of infrastructure that supports fossil fuels.”
Supporters of the pipeline believe it would be beneficial in creating temporary construction jobs and improving U.S. energy security. However, environmentalists fear that the pipeline would cause oil spills and catalyze climate change.