For a second straight day protesters staged rallies outside local branch offices of TD Bank. About 40 climate-change activists spoke out Wednesday in downtown Burlington,criticizing the bank for investing in a controversial North Dakota oil-pipeline project. Some fear the pipeline route under the Missouri River could leak, threatening drinking water for native people. They also say the pipeline's fossil fuel will only make global warming worse in the years ahead. "We went in there and took money out of our savings accounts and some ofus closed our accounts entirely," said Elise Greaves, of Burlington. "TD Bank has invested $365 million into the pipeline project and we're here today to say we don't want our money invested in this complete mess of a situation. This is a climate-change issue." Organizers with the group Rights and Democracy said they would now try topersuade state leaders in Montpelier to switch state government accounts fromTD Bank as well. "These kinds of (pipeline) projects are happening in Vermont, and happening across this country and if we don't stand up for these people who are being targeted now it won't be long before our own land is being taken," said Burlington resident Garret White, who added that he had closed his account at TD Bank. "TD supports responsible energy development. We employ due diligence in our lending and investing activities relating to energy production," A bank spokeswoman, Judith Schmidt bank spokeswoman Judith Schmidt said. In a written statement, Schmidt added that the bank, "respects the rights of people to voice their opinions and protest in a peaceful way." Wednesday's rally followed a series of demonstrations across our region the dayearlier, from Plattsburgh, N.Y. to Hanover, N.H. -- including a march throughVermont's capital city that attracted about 300 people.

For a second straight day protesters staged rallies outside local branch offices of TD Bank.

About 40 climate-change activists spoke out Wednesday in downtown Burlington,

criticizing the bank for investing in a controversial North Dakota oil-pipeline project. Some fear the pipeline route under the Missouri River could leak, threatening drinking water for native people. They also say the pipeline's fossil fuel will only make global warming worse in the years ahead.


"We went in there and took money out of our savings accounts and some of

us closed our accounts entirely," said Elise Greaves, of Burlington. "TD Bank has invested $365 million into the pipeline project and we're here today to say we don't want our money invested in this complete mess of a situation. This is a climate-change issue."

Organizers with the group Rights and Democracy said they would now try to

persuade state leaders in Montpelier to switch state government accounts from

TD Bank as well.

"These kinds of (pipeline) projects are happening in Vermont, and happening across this country and if we don't stand up for these people who are being targeted now it won't be long before our own land is being taken," said Burlington resident Garret White, who added that he had closed his account at TD Bank.

"TD supports responsible energy development. We employ due diligence in our lending and investing activities relating to energy production," A bank spokeswoman, Judith Schmidt bank spokeswoman Judith Schmidt said.

In a written statement, Schmidt added that the bank, "respects the rights of people to voice their opinions and protest in a peaceful way."

Wednesday's rally followed a series of demonstrations across our region the day

earlier, from Plattsburgh, N.Y. to Hanover, N.H. -- including a march through

Vermont's capital city that attracted about 300 people.