RESIST
banner near White House … 26 Jan 2017
Source:
Protesters
Hoist 'RESIST' Banner From Crane Near White House
·
By BEN NUCKOLS,
ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON — Jan 25, 2017, 3:59 PM ET
·
The morning after President Donald
Trump issued orders to delay environmental rules and restart pipeline projects,
seven Greenpeace protesters climbed a 270-foot tall construction crane blocks
from the White House and unfurled a massive orange
and yellow banner with the word, "RESIST."
The banner, encouraging opposition to Trump's agenda, was
clearly visible from the grounds of the White House for several hours on
Wednesday, and from some angles it appeared to hover over the building.
Protesters hoped it would get under his skin.
"There's nothing that irritates him more than to know he's
not popular and we don't like him," one of the protesters, Karen Topakian,
told The Associated Press in an interview conducted via FaceTime from high up
on the crane.
District of Columbia police took a hands-off approach while the
protesters suspended themselves from harnesses and ropes below the crane's huge
arm. Police closed three city blocks to traffic and appeared content to wait
until they climbed down to be arrested.
The protesters scaled the crane before dawn at a sprawling
construction site that was previously home to The Washington Post. They
revealed the banner after 9 a.m. and remained atop the crane into the afternoon
before beginning a slow descent.
John Evans, 46, a carpenter who works on the site, said the
protesters were clearly experienced climbers, noting that they were moving
their legs and shifting positions to maintain their blood circulation.
"Look how organized they are. They have the same equipment that
I use every day," he said. "They're professionals. Amateurs couldn't
stay up there that long."
The protest comes a day after Trump
signed orders intended to restart construction of two oil pipelines, the Dakota
Access and the Keystone XL. Former president Barack Obama halted the
Keystone XL pipeline in 2015 and the Army Corps of Engineers blocked the
construction of the Dakota Access pipeline in December after months of protests
led by the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, which gets drinking water from a
reservoir in the pipeline's path.
Also on Tuesday, Trump's
administration moved to delay implementation of at least 30 environmental rules
and froze new Environmental Protection Agency contracts and
grant awards.
Topakian said the action was intended to protest "all the
things he's promised to do to push our country backwards."
A few dozen people standing in the streets below took photos,
but many just paused briefly before moving on.
David Presgraves, 27, and Victoria Oms, 26, who work nearby in
nonprofit communications, said they agreed with the message. Both participated
in the Women's March on Washington on Saturday.
"The pipelines have got to stop," Presgraves said.
"There's no respect for the native people, no respect for the
environment."
———
Associated Press writer Sarah Brumfield and AP video journalist
Jason Dorn contributed to this report.
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