Photo: James Rojas/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Five climate activists were arrested for stopping traffic during a rally in Boston protesting a natural gas conference.
The rally was organized by Extinction Rebellion Boston in Copley Square, right across the street from where The Northeast LDC Gas Forum was happening.
The centerpiece of the protest was a bright pink car with "GAS IS BAD FOR MASS" on the side of it. One of the activists then chained themselves to the car, and others chained themselves to pink barrels that were also blocking traffic.
The police and fire departments eventually arrived on the scene, using buzz saws to cut the protestors out of the chains, before arresting five of them and towing the pink car away. The process of cutting everyone out took around a half an hour, something that Susan Lemont, a media liaison with Extinction Rebellion Boston, said was entirely the point.
“It prolongs the protests instead of the police just sweeping us off the street,” Lemont said.
Despite the arrests, the cheers from the protestors and supporters seemed to signal success in getting their point across.
WBZ NewsRadio’s James Rojas (@JamesRojasMMJ) reports.
Photo: James Rojas/WBZ NewsRadio
Photo: James Rojas/WBZ NewsRadio
Photo: James Rojas/WBZ NewsRadio