Each Wednesday for four years, Jeanne Poirer stood on a corner with a friend in her small hometown of Cashmere, Wash., protesting fossil fuel exports along the Columbia River.
She didn't feel so alone
-- by land and river -- peacefully practicing a blockade of the Interstate-5 bridge and the Columbia River below should
.
said Poirer, 59, surrounded by between 400 and 500 protestors on the bridge while 150 boats, mostly kayaks floated in the river. "I'll be back for the real thing."
The daylong event was organized by the
, which aims to raise awareness about the climate and risks to it. Supporters from across the Portland metro area were out, along with folks from Eugene, Seattle, Bellingham and Vancouver, B.C.
Leila Tienhaara, 7, holds a sign to protest exporting coal, oil and gas in the Pacific Northwest on the I-5 interstate bridge.
Along with discussing the increased push by several out-of-state companies to export coal along the Columbia River,
. While commissioners said safety issues will be addressed before operations begin, the vote clears the way for Tesoro and Savage Services to begin plans for a terminal capable of shipping up to 360,000 barrels a day. That's nearly half of what runs through the Midwest along the controversial Keystone XL pipeline.
"These proposals are dead ends," said Paul Sansone, 61, of the Columbia Clean Energy Coalition, speaking to the crowd before boats hit the water around 1:30 p.m. "I have sat across the table from these 'carbon baggers' and heard them say that we're in the way. This is a funnel," he said pointing up river toward the gorge and rattling off the many ports along the way.
"We're the last stronghold."
Most folks said this was their first protest by kayak. That's likely the case for the folks out in several sailboats, a couple paddle boards, several jet skis, a party barge and a fishing boat.
"I'm here to protest coal exports and hopefully today, we'll save the planet," said Jessica Klein with a smile. She'd driven down from Seattle with a friend. "We'll be back if we have to."
and waved to boats that blocked the area near the bridge's lift. The only transgression came as three people rappelled from the bridge toward the water. That's unlawful, mentioned a nearby Vancouver police officer. But, he added, it was on the Oregon side.
Lorie and Wilbur Wood, both in their 80s, are long-time peace activities who joined protestors on the Interstate-5 bridge to fight the export of fossil fuels.
Lorie and Wilbur Wood were among the many protestors holding up "Draw the Line" signs as cars passed and many honked. The Vancouver couple has protested many times before, they said, on many other bridges.
They were glad to be out on this one, they said, even as they made the long walk back along a hot asphalt path to the park where they event began.
"We're both in our 80s," said Lorie Wood, adding she isn't sure whether she'll be out for the real thing. "We don't make any promises."
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