Nine Tufts students were arrested alongside 389 others in Washington, D.C., on Sunday as they protested the Keystone XL pipeline, which the Obama administration may approve for construction.
No charges were filed against the students, according to junior Evan Bell, one of the protest coordinators. Approximately 1200 students and activists attended the protest - 20 of them from Tufts, Bell said.
The protest began early Sunday morning in front of Georgetown University, where President Obama delivered his climate speech this past summer, and lasted until late at night, Bell said. Protesters laid large black tarps on the ground, as mock oil spills, and tied their hands to the White House fences.
According to Bell, the event was non-violent.
"On the night of Saturday, there was a civil disobedience training which taught us how to conduct ourselves as peacefully and respectfully as possible," he said. "We aren't crazy people. We have a message and the best way to get that out is to be poised and respectful but also tactfully aggressive."
The impending construction of the Keystone XL pipeline and "broken promises" from President Obama drove the protest, Bell said.
"We wanted to do more than a simple narrative of 'Obama, do the right thing' and really say 'we were the young people that wanted change and got you in your office,'" Bell said. "I cast my first ever vote for Obama because we all needed change and we all thought he was the man to do it. Instead, he's proven culpable to the interests of fossil fuel companies. Now, what we are trying to show is that we have the power and the agencies to do it ourselves and make the change."
Sophomore Rachel Thomas, a member of Tufts Divest who went to Washington, D.C., last weekend, described the protest as exhilarating and hopeful.
"I was amazed that there were people my age so energized about climate justice," Thomas said. "The protest itself was so energizing. The adrenaline flows in your veins, and you're surrounded by so much positive energy that it just puts hope in you, and to feel that hope was invaluable."
The idea for the protest began in a conference call in October, and organizers have been planning it since then.
According to Bell and Thomas, potential leaks from the pipeline into the Ogallala Aquifer could impact millions of people who rely on it for fresh water. Bell said the pipeline threatens the environment as well as minority and low-income families.
"Communities of color and low income are being sacrificed for the sake of industrialization and development," Bell said. "If we truly are trying to advocate justice, we have to support those who need our help. This could mean standing next to them in the front lines or leveraging our abilities as students to do whatever we can."
Sophomore Shelby Carpenter, a protest participant, explained how the experience differed from other protests she has witnessed.
"Not to devalue the experience, it was just a really privileged situation," Carpenter said. "We had the privilege as college students to go away for the weekend, with reduced fees and peaceful negotiations with the police ... In no way was this a civil rights protest nor could you compare it to one. People were waving at us, cheering at us, and there was absolutely no danger."
Bell said he hopes the protest and other student actions can help create momentum.
"By spreading the divestment narrative we can leverage student power and student influence," Bell said.
