Line 3 Pipeline Protestors Occupy Downtown Bemidji Streets

For more than four hours today, protestors stood their ground in downtown Bemidji to express their opposition to the Line 3 pipeline. The protest started in the intersection of 3rd Street and Beltrami Avenue with more than 50 people involved.

The activists say their main goal was to urge Governor Mark Dayton to stop the Line 3 pipeline. As the protest went on, police were called onto the scene. The demonstrators were given a few warnings to leave the intersection before police escorted them off peacefully.

26 people were issued misdemeanor citations for refusing to leave the intersection today. The protestors were told that Governor Dayton did watch parts of the livestream of the event.