As the gates to Safeco Field opened for the Mariners vs. Angels game, thousands of fans streamed past a rally held near Century Link Field in protest of oil trains that pass the stadiums on a daily basis. Seattle City Council Member Kshama Sawant spoke at the rally and joined the demonstration as they marched from Century Link to Safeco in a silent procession holding photos and names of the 47 people who died in Lac-Mégantic Quebec during an oil train explosion in 2013.

Safeco Field and Century Link Field both sit within 200 yards of a rail line that sees several trains pulling the same Baaken Crude that exploded in Lac-Mégantic. The same rails carry Baaken laden trains through a tunnel that sit directly beneath downtown Seattle, including the King County Administration Building, Benaroya Hall, and Pike Place Market, not to mention several hotels and businesses and the thousands of people downtown at any given moment.

From the Facebook event page…

“On July 11th at 5:30 pm at 656 Occidental Way, join us to stop oil trains in Seattle!

On July 6, 2013, an oil train exploded in Lac Megantic, Quebec, killing 47 people. Two years later, and big oil is pushing harder than ever to move more and more oil trains through North America, while oil trains keep exploding, and carbon emissions keep rising.

The new US Department of Transportation rules on oil train safety will not protect the 25 million Americans who live in the oil train blast zone, because there is NO safe way to transport extreme tar sands and Bakken crude.

Attendees please wear black. The rally will begin at 5:30PM to be followed by a processional (an 8 minute walk) to Safeco Field. We will perform a die in or silent, standing vigil in front of Safeco Field representing the 47 lives lost in the Quebec tragedy.

Please arrive by 5:15PM if you are willing to hold a sign or prop during the event. There will be music, voices from labor and front-line communities and a vision of a fossil free future.

No more exploding trains. No more Bakken oil or tar sands. Join our event on July 11th!

We will meet at 656 Occidental Ave South (next to Century Link Field parking lot).

Host Contact Info: davidperk@comcast.net or holmeskatherine@hotmail.com” – Seattle Oil Train Rally and Vigil