By Jack Detsch
Police arrested 28 environmental activists blockading San Francisco’s Federal Building Wednesday. The group was protesting the proposed Keystone XL pipeline on the first day of public comment related to the State Department’s final environmental report on the project.
The barricade lasted for just over an hour, preventing dozens of employees from entering. One frustrated woman attempted to wrestle through the line, yelling "Get out of my way,” but was unable to break through.
The hostile response from federal workers upset some demonstrators. “They’re not really receptive to why we’re here” said Iris, a protest organizer, from behind a sequined red bandana. “We’re here for them. They just don’t know it.”
The State Department’s new report concludes the pipeline would not adversely impact climate change, President Obama’s primary criterion for approval of the project.