At least 4 arrested at Moscow megaloads protest

MOSCOW, Idaho — Officials in Latah County say at least four people were arrested as they protested the movement of a so-called megaload through the city of Moscow. The Moscow-Pullman Daily News reports several of the protesters passively resisted arrest early today as they sat cross-legged in the street in the path of a 413,600-pound load of oil field equipment bound for an Imperial Oil/ExxonMobil oil sands project in Canada. The load was 24 feet wide, 14 feet tall and 208 feet long. Wild Idaho Rising Tide organized the protest, but community organizer Helen Yost said she was amazed and surprised with how many people showed up. Counter protesters also attended, holding signs supporting the megaloads and the oil sands project in northern Alberta. The load is scheduled to continue north tonight through Coeur d’Alene, where another protest is planned. The load will begin at the Latah/Benewah county line, travel along U.S. Highway 95 to Coeur d’Alene, then head east along I-90, stopping 15 miles east of Coeur d’Alene at milepost 33. After that it’s scheduled to continue to Montana and up Interstate 15 to Canada.