August 31, 2011 —
Virginia Kennedy of Dingmans Ferry, PA was arrested on August 20 in front of the White House during a peaceful sit-in organized by Tar Sands Action to stop the Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline.
Kennedy and her 17-year-old daughter Marygrace traveled to Washington, DC to join thousands of other citizens asking President Obama not to grant a “presidential permit” for the Canadian company, TransCanada, to begin construction of the 1,700 mile pipeline from the Canadian tar sands to refineries on the Gulf of Mexico.
Arrested along with Kennedy and others on August 20 was author, environmentalist and 350.org founder Bill McKibben. NASA climate scientist Dr. James Hansen and a large group of religious leaders were later arrested on August 29 with 140 other Americans who want President Obama to deny the permit for the massive pipeline. As of August 30, 522 people have been arrested in the largest civil disobedience protests in the environmental movement’s recent history.
The sit-in will continue through September 3. Visit www.tarsandsaction.org [1] for more details. Click "My View" at left to read a personal account of the Kennedys’ experience and Virginia's Open Letter to President Obama.