OLYMPIA — A team of police officers and City of Olympia staff cleared a dayslong protest camp from the railroad tracks in downtown Olympia early Friday morning, allowing a train carrying ceramic proppants, or fracking sand, to pass through.
Protesters had been blocking the tracks for a week after preventing the train from leaving the Port of Olympia on Nov. 11.
Olympia Police Chief Ronnie Roberts said 12 people were arrested, but no one was injured. Officers did use some force Friday morning in the form of pepper balls.
Protesters at the scene declined to comment.
As the train passed through the city at about 7 a.m., some protesters threw items at the train, and others yelled. Police in riot gear kept people away from the tracks.
One protester yelled, “This isn’t over. This is never over.”
Officers from the Olympia Police Department, Washington State Patrol and Thurston County Sheriff’s Office were all at the scene. The Lacey Police Department helped cover calls in Olympia during the incident. Roads near the intersection of Seventh Avenue Southeast and Jefferson Street were still closed at 8 a.m.
The protesters, who called themselves Olympia Stand, previously issued a statement saying that their overall goal was to stop the transportation of fracking materials to North Dakota, and they were showing solidarity with the ongoing demonstration at Standing Rock.
Officers arrived at the scene at about 4 a.m. and asked the group to leave. Most did, but those who refused were arrested, Roberts said. A group of about 20 people lingered near the site.
City crews began clearing the tracks, removing the wooden pallets and other items that had been placed there. By 6 a.m., crews had hauled away one truckload of debris.
City Manager Steve Hall said the city and Port of Olympia tried Thursday to end the protest without confrontation. City Councilman Nathaniel Jones and Port Commissioner E.J. Zita both went to the camp to talk with the group.
“It finally became clear that it wasn’t going to happen,” Hall said.
Only the debris on the track and city roads is being removed at this time, Hall said. People will be able to pick up their items left at the tracks.
“Anything that looks like it has any value at all, we’re going to keep that and let people come and get it,” Hall said.
Hall said he heard that there is no major damage to the tracks.
