This past Wednesday, on the 85th birthday of Martin Luther King Jr, dozens of activists gathered to push the President to reject the Northern leg of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, stop the southern leg of KXL from becoming operational. They also called for divestment from dangerous fossil fuel sources and more investment in renewable, and clean energy sources.

Organized by the group Interfaith Moral Action on Climate, the day started at the American Petroleum Institute with remarks from Reverend Yearwood of the Hip Hop caucus, who proclaimed that in recognition of MLK, we much become “fossil free at last.”  Activists marched to the White House where an interfaith service was held by various faith leaders and the NAACP, calling for climate action, and was followed by two volunteers who engaged in civil disobedience to urge President Obama to stop the construction of southern leg of the KXL pipeline which is scheduled to begin producing oil on January 22nd.