Police arrest 65 near White House in oil protest

A U.S. Park Police officer handcuffs and arrests a protestor over a proposed pipeline to bring tar sands oil to the U.S. from Canada, in front of the White House in Washington, Saturday, Aug. 20, 2011. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) The Associated Press A U.S. Park Police officer handcuffs and arrests a protestor over a proposed pipeline to bring tar sands oil to the U.S. from Canada, in front of the White House in Washington, Saturday, Aug. 20, 2011. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) The Associated Press U.S. Park Police officers handcuff and arrest protestors over a proposed pipeline to bring tar sands oil to the U.S. from Canada, in front of the White House in Washington, Saturday, Aug. 20, 2011. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) The Associated Press Gay West Point graduate and U.S. Army officer Dan Choi, left, is led by a U.S. Park Police officer to a police van after being handcuffed and arrested during a protest over a proposed pipeline to bring tar sands oil to the U.S. from Canada, in front of the White House in Washington, Saturday, Aug. 20, 2011. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) The Associated Press Gay West Point graduate and U.S. Army officer Dan Choi, left, is led by a U.S. Park Police officer to a makeshift tent for processing after being handcuffed and arrested during a protest over a proposed pipeline to bring tar sands oil to the U.S. from Canada, in front of the White House in Washington, Saturday, Aug. 20, 2011. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) The Associated Press A protestor flashes a 'V' sign as she is loaded to a police van after being handcuffed and arrested during a protest over a proposed pipeline to bring tar sands oil to the U.S. from Canada, in front of the White House in Washington, Saturday, Aug. 20, 2011. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) The Associated Press Protestors over a proposed pipeline to bring tar sands oil to the U.S. from Canada, gather in front of the White House in Washington, Saturday, Aug. 20, 2011. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) The Associated PressWASHINGTON (AP) — Environmentalist protesters have been arrested outside the White House on the first day of a planned two-week protest over a proposed oil pipeline from Canada to the U.S. Gulf Coast.U.S. Park Police spokesman David Schlosser tells WJLA-TV (http://wj.la/qNGfzE ) that 65 people were arrested Saturday. The protest is scheduled to run through Sept. 3.The protesters want President Barack Obama to deny a permit for the 1,700-mile Keystone XL pipeline. It would go through Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas to refineries in Houston and Port Arthur, Texas.Gus Speth, co-founder of the Natural Resources Defense Council, and one of the protesters tells the Wall Street Journal (http://on.wsj.com/qC3ZFp ) the pipeline would continue the nation's reliance on fossil fuels.TransCanada says its pipeline would provide jobs and needed oil.