Torch Lit March Through Streets of Bloomington
Anti-I69 activists staged a raucous torch-lit march through the streets of downtown Bloomington, Indiana on Saturday evening to protest the arrest of two tree-sitters and six ground supporters at the I-69 construction site just north of Evansville. One marcher was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and obstructing traffic after having taken pictures of the police following the march. He was later released on his own recognizance. I-69, the NAFTA superhighway, is a proposed massive north-south corridor that will eventually include electricity, natural gas, and rail lines as well as up to twelve lanes of traffic. The route will link Canada, the U.S., and Mexico.
Torches lit up the night sky at the Saturday action. Activists carried banners, banged drums and set off bottle rockets. Bloomington police remained on the sidelines as activists took the streets and stalled traffic. As they passed the jail, activists taunted the police with “no more roads, no more jails,” “you can’t put our friends in jail, we will drive the final nail,” and “we will win!” Bloomington police officials apparently selected its burliest officers to stand side by side in a show of force at the I69 Planning Office for section 5. Numerous bystanders joined the march throughout the route.
A number of activists were followed by police as they left the march. Anti-I69 activists have been tailed by uniformed and plainclothes police in both the Evansville and Bloomington areas. One group of activists traveling between Louisville and Evansville was followed for several hours and then detained for an additional two hours as police searched their vehicle without a warrant.
Opponents of I-69 argue that the Indianapolis to Evansville route is a waste of taxpayer dollars that only serves multi-national corporations who seek to profit from cheap labor and cheap natural resources in Mexico. Further, they note that, if built, I-69 will seriously harm some of the remaining forest land in central Indiana, threaten the habitat of endangered species, and undermine the rural character of small communities along the proposed route.
Pictures to come soon!