VHS Riptide Online

Activists with the Rainforest Action Network, Nick Simmons, Logan Price, and Aleythea Dolstad traveled to New York to speak out against the oil sand industry now booming in the northern region of Alberta, Canada. On September 15, these three Islanders, along with the support of dozens of other people, hung 200 feet above the ground below the U.S. Niagara Falls observation deck displaying an enormous banner, protesting the Canadian extraction of bitumen, a thick viscous type of petroleum, commonly called tar sand oil.
The open-pit mining of the bitumen has increased in the past several years and has become especially controversial due to the huge amount of destruction it causes on the natural environment and the levels of pollution created during the extraction process. The timing of their demonstration coincided with the start of the U.S.-Canadian summit at the White House where President Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper discussed top issues regarding both sides of the border.
This form of demonstrating through direct-action is a more effective way of protesting than going through the bureaucratic system of legislation, said Simmons.
“It’s a super rewarding experience, one you can stand behind,” he said.
Putting this project together required the support of many individuals. There were people that supported the demonstration by publicizing the event through YouTube and Twitter, providing support on ways to take direct action against these sorts of issues, constructing the banner to be hung below the deck and through handing fliers out to people at the falls.
After five hours of hanging with the enormous 70 foot long banner that read Clean Energy Future with an arrow towards the U.S. and Tar Sands Oil pointing towards Canada, Simmons, Price and Dolstad returned to the observation deck. There the park officials promptly placed them, and several other members who were there supporting the demonstration, under arrest. They were released after pleading not guilty and posting a $500 bail at a hearing several days after their arrest. Simmons commented that this did not dampen the success of their protest and hopes to continue with direct-action demonstrations on future controversial issues.