Providence police arrested four environmental activists protesting the North Dakota Access Pipeline currently under construction by Energy Transfer Partners.
The activists with the grassroots group FANG Collective used bike locks to chain their necks and arms to the doors of TD Bank’s downtown Providence branch.
TD Bank is one of several banks funding the construction of a crude oil pipeline that will span 1,172 miles from North Dakota to Illinois.
Organizer Nick Katkevich said they are targeting this bank in particular because TD Bank hasn’t fully dispersed one of loans that Energy Transfer Partners is using to build the pipeline.
“You know, less than half of this $2.4 billion loan has been dispersed so far,” said Katkevich. “So our hope is we can put enough pressure on TD Bank so that they rescind the second half of that loan.”
Katkevich added the group does not have plans to end the demonstrations.
“This is the second lockdown action here in downtown Providence, but now there have been five lockdown actions at TD Bank, and Massachusetts and Rhode Island,” said Katkevich. “And we’re not going to stop until TD Bank stops funding the Dakota Access Pipeline.”
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota has been fighting the project for months, gathering support from many other tribes across the nation and other demonstrators. Authorities there have issued a mandatory evacuation order as winter weather approaches.
Note: This post has been updated.
