Oil Train Blockade Rolls Bakken Tanks to a Stop
Climate Activists set up their blockade near Vancouver
When police arrived at the scene responding to an oil train blockade, what they saw was not a trifold or rally, but a community garden. In a call for Governor Inslee to shut down the Tesoro Savage crude oil export terminal proposal, climate activists locked down in a rolling blockade in front of a Bakken oil train. The lock boxes were built into flower pots with sunflower umbrellas surrounding them.
Three people were arrested in this two-stage blockade that took place in Vancouver and south of Olympia. One of the protesters who locked down on the tracks, Chris, stated “If I can stop an oil train, Governor Jay Inslee can stop an oil terminal.” Last year, it was a train holding Bakken oil that exploded near Mosier as a wake-up call that oil trains are not safe at ANY speed. As more oil terminals get approved, too comes the promise of more trains and more disasters.
We won’t accept more bomb trains harming people and planet. The truly special responses are those that embrace the philosophy of making activism beautiful in the face of destruction and greed. This act of creative resistance is not the last – there is more to come!
August 23rd is the final hearing for the Tesoro Savage export terminal, and the last chance for Governor Inslee to do the right thing – so show up and make sure our demands are paid attention to!
Written by Rachel Levelle
