Occupy NCSU gathered students and community members and journeyed to Washington, D.C. to fight the construction of an oil pipeline.

Senior in international studies Tara Beck and graduate student in sociology Ryan Thomson ensured two bus loads of people had the opportunity to protest the Keystone XL pipeline, which would extend from northern Alberta, Canada, to the Gulf Coast in Texas. President Barack Obama has all authority in the matter, as it is up to him to decide whether to sign a construction permit.

The proposed pipeline is a cousin to the Keystone already in service, which carries oil extracted from tar sands in Canada and transports it to refineries in the U.S. It has leaked 12 times in the past year, according to Beck.

The XL pipeline will carry “at least 200 times more oil” than the original, and those pitching its construction have said it will not leak, Beck said.

Environmentalists spoke on the dangers of the pipeline extracting oil from tar sands harms from a stage set up in Lafayette Park, located directly across from the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue.

In a show of strength, the 12,000 people in attendance left the park and surrounded gates around the White House. Standing five people deep, they condemned the pipeline in unison through chants such as “Power in our voices; power in hands; say yes to the Earth; so no to tar