Jill Stein Arrested During Keystone XL Pipeline Protest

Posted on Oct 31, 2012

Screenshot via YouTube

Jill Stein.

Jill Stein was arrested Wednesday after she attempted to deliver supplies—including food and Halloween candy—to demonstrators in Texas who are trying to block construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. The Green Party’s presidential candidate was charged with criminal trespassing and released from Wood County Jail shortly thereafter.

In a statement written before her arrest, Stein criticized both President Barack Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney for their stance on fossil fuels:

“I’m here to connect the dots between super storm Sandy and the record heat, drought, and fire we’ve seen this year – and this Tar Sands pipeline, which will make all of these problems much worse. And I’m here to connect the dots between climate devastation and pipeline politicians – both Obama and Romney – who are competing, as we saw in the debates, for the role of Puppet In Chief for the fossil fuel industry. Both deserve that title. Obama’s record of “drill baby drill” has gone beyond the harm done by George Bush. Mitt Romney promises more of the same.”

The southern portion of the TransCanada-owned Keystone XL Pipeline will run from Cushing, Okla., to the Texas Gulf of Mexico coast and is already under construction. The northern part of the pipeline, which would run from Steele City, Neb., to Canada, has not been approved by the State Department yet.

Stein explained why she joined the Tar Sands Blockade in this video posted to YouTube on Wednesday.

Stein was previously arrested—along with her running mate Cheri Honkala—at the second presidential debate this month when they tried to enter the Hofstra University site.

—Posted by Tracy Bloom.

More Below the Ad

New and Improved Comments

If you have trouble leaving a comment, review this help page. Still having problems? Let us know. If you find yourself moderated, take a moment to review our comment policy.