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Protestors express dislike from a distance

By Nicole DiDonato
Posted by Mike Mardis

Just over a dozen protestors showed up right before the start of the I-69 groundbreaking ceremony carrying signs and walking up and down Locust Street in downtown Evansville.

Protestors were allowed to come voice their concerns, but they had to stay behind a fenced in area across from the Centre.

Sondra Tokarski, protestor, said the event seems hypocritical.

"They want the homes and land of 400 other families, and yet we're not invited," Tokarski said.

Bill Boyd with Citizens for Appropriate Rural Roads claims I-69 will not only destroy land, but cause a financial burden on taxpayers.

"We have greater needs in this state than to build a road we cant afford and maintain," Boyd said.

Tokarski said she thinks the event is celebrating the wrong things.

"The governor's having a celebration of destruction today and we think it's scandalous," Tokarski said.

Tiga Wertz is also against the I-69 project. She's been arrested in the past for protesting the project she claims will cause more pollution and destroy wildlife.

Wertz and a few others defended their reasons for protesting at the Four Freedoms Monument Wednesday morning.

"Recent acts of civil nonviolent acts have become necessary," Wertz said. "I-69 would facilitate a global economy that would disconnect local communities from resources, jobs and production."

For the most part, the demonstration was civil, but police did have to enforce boundaries.