WTKR-TV
April 28, 2017

By Brian Hill

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – An anti-drilling rally took place Friday in Virginia Beach.

The rally came after President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday morning reversing former President Barack Obama’s offshore drilling ban.

At 2 p.m. near the King Neptune statute, several guest speakers talked about the dangers of this executive order.

Laura Habr, a founding member of the Business Alliance for Protecting the Atlantic Coast, helped organize the event.

Habr wants to “show the president that Virginia Beach residents and business owners don’t want to gamble with the beauty of the beach or the city’s the tourism economy.”

Friday morning President Trump stated the order allows for the creation of thousands of high paying American energy jobs.

He said Obama’s ban deprives the country of billions of dollars in wealth.

Retired Navy Capt. Joe Bouchard, a former commander of Naval Station Norfolk, also spoke at the rally.

He said drilling could cost the Resort City to lose the navy.

“The military requires unencumbered, encroached training ranges. The department of defense has made it clear since the 1960s that drilling is incompatible with offshore training ranges,” Bouchard said.

Many protestors plan to attend the climate march in Washington, D.C on Saturday.

http://wtkr.com/2017/04/28/anti-drilling-protestors-to-gather-in-virginia-beach/