Police surround wooded area in Lincoln amid ongoing protest

Police surrounded a wooded area in Middlesex County after several protesters tied themselves to trees and construction equipment.

Officers were lined along a forest on Route 2 in Lincoln.

A group called “Protect the Lincoln Forest” shared photos with Boston 25 News inside the treeline Wednesday afternoon.

They say that in the last two days, four protesters have been arrested by police. Two were allegedly taken into custody on Tuesday for refusing to leave the trees and two were arrested Wednesday for chaining themselves to construction vehicles.

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The director of “Protect the Lincoln Forest” say they’re demanding the Northern Tree Service to stop the process of cutting down trees in the area as part of Enbridge’s plan to remove trees for an extended pipeline project. Enbridge is a Canadian fossil fuel company.

The group says the trees are a critical habitat for endangered species. “Protect the Lincoln Forest” has been conducting a tree sit-in for three days now, according to the group director.

Traffic was severely impacted during the protest, with dozens of local and state police crews working the northbound side of Route 2 for hours. Construction crews are remaining on scene.

In a statement, Enbridge said:

The Lincoln Meter Station rebuild project in Lincoln, MA is a maintenance project to help support the ongoing safe operation of Algonquin Gas Transmission to continue meeting everyday energy needs in Massachusetts. We’ve worked closely with the City of Cambridge as the landowner, and the Town of Lincoln to minimize the number of trees being removed for this project, and have consulted with state officials regarding compliance with regulations relating to wildlife habitat management.

As a company, we recognize the rights of individuals and groups to express their views legally and peacefully. Our preference is always to seek to resolve differences of opinion through dialogue – peacefully and respectfully.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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