From the Niagara Falls Review:
Two men and a woman climbed onto the observation tower at the Niagara Falls State Park early Tuesday and rappelled 300 feet to unfurl a giant banner protesting what they call dirty oil being imported to the U. S. from Canada.
The trio, whose efforts were broadcast online moments after they began, rappelled from the catwalk beneath the tower.
As they descended, they draped a banner that spelled out “Clean Energy Future,” and “Tar Sands Oil,” with two arrows pointing in opposite directions to indicate tar oil sands are harmful to the environment.
The three rappellers, wearing 40-pound harnesses, apparently climbed onto the catwalk beneath the tower about 6 a. m. to unfurl the banner.
State park police arrived shortly after the action began and tourists gathered to watch as the three dangled for several hours about 100 feet above the bank of the Niagara River.
A drop would have landed them on a paved access road below.
“This is as bad as somebody trying to go over the falls in a barrel,” said Sgt. James Comfort of the park police.
“Everybody has a right to protest but they should do it peacefully in a manner accepted by society.”