MINNEAPOLIS - The Minnesota Vikings season finale against the Chicago Bears on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis was disrupted in the second quarter by a demonstration protesting U.S. Bank's involvement in the Dakota Access Pipeline.
Two people in rappelling gear hung from a large beam in the East end zone of U.S. Bank Stadium with a long vertical banner reading, "U.S. Bank DIVEST #NoDAPL."
The protesters and banner hung above fans, forcing U.S. Bank Stadium security to clear approximately six rows of seats underneath the protesters and banner.
The protesters climbed up their own ropes to surrender themselves unharmed to police shortly after the game ended. The banner remained hanging in the stadium into the early evening.
Minneapolis police identified the protesters as 26-year-old Sen Holiday and 32-year-old Karl Mayo. The pair were both booked on gross misdemeanor charges of burglary and trespassing. Another person, an unidentified 27-year-old woman, was also issued a trespass notice and released from custody, according to a statement from Minneapolis police.
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A press release from activists identified the two climbers as "water protectors who stand in opposition of the Dakota Access Pipeline," spokesperson Nina Roberson said.
The protesters are encouraging those with accounts with U.S. Bank to withdraw their funds from the bank, which has $175 million in credit lines to Energy Transfer Partners, a parent company of the Dakota Access Pipeline.
The press release also reiterated common protest points, including the threat to drinking water that comes from the Missouri River.
"This pipeline is dangerous for any community it passes through. It wasn't safe for the residents of Bismarck, and it's not safe for the Standing Rock Sioux," the press release read.
