On February 17, 2013, residents of Denver, Colorado, took to the streets to protest the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. Organized by groups including 350.org, #OccupyDenver, the Sierra Club, Environment Colorado, and student organizations, the demonstration was one of several held simultaneously across the U.S. in solidarity with a massive climate change rally in Washington, D.C. According to 350.org, the D.C. rally drew more than 40,000 participants.
Pending government approval, the Keystone XL pipeline would carry crude oil from the tar sands of Alberta, Canada, through various western U.S. states to refineries in Texas and other U.S. locations. Among the areas to be directly affected are First Nations and tribal lands.