Two protesters who rappelled from the roof of the U.S. Bank Stadium during a Minnesota Vikings game Sunday have been released from custody.
The protesters — Karl Zimmerman, 32, and 26-year-old Sen Holiday — are planning to make a public statement about the incident at 2 p.m. Tuesday near the stadium.
The acrobatic couple climbed up a support beam, unfurled a 40-foot protest banner, then dangled on ropes over the crowd of Vikings fans. The banner called for Minneapolis-based U.S. Bank to divest from the $3.8 billion Dakota Access pipeline.
Related: Protesters arrested after unfurling banner during Vikings game at U.S. Bank Stadium
Minneapolis police spokesman Officer Corey Schmidt said the couple were arrested on misdemeanor burglary and trespass charges for the high-flying stunt.
In addition, Carolyn Feldman, 27, was arrested and booked into jail on suspicion of obstructing the legal process. Officer Schmidt said accusations against Feldman have been upgraded to include burglary.
Minnesota’s legal definition of burglary includes entering a building without consent and with the intent to commit a crime.
Schmidt declined to discuss Feldman’s alleged role in the incident, citing the ongoing investigation. He said a complaint with formal charges is expected to be filed Tuesday.
The game, attended by 66,808 fans, was the final game of the Vikings season. The Vikings beat the Chicago Bears 38-10.
The game was not interrupted by the protest, but eight rows of fans seated below the banner were cleared as a precaution.
The protesters rappelled into place during the second quarter of the game and hung in a seated position about 100 feet above the seats below. The pair watched the rest of the game, occasionally shifting positions or waving at spectators. Zimmerman wore a purple Brett Favre Vikings jersey.
U.S. Bank Stadium operator SMG said in a statement that the protesters apparently climbed over a guard rail to access the truss. Police spoke with them from a catwalk in an attempt to get them to stop, and by the fourth quarter about a half-dozen police and firefighters in rappelling gear were on the truss waiting to remove the pair.
The protesters willingly climbed up their ropes when the game ended, as fans booed them from below.
Vikings spokesman Lester Bagley said the team’s only concern was for the “safety of our fans and guests.”
Protesters say U.S. Bank has extended a large credit line to Energy Transfer Partners. U.S. Bank spokesman Dana Ripley declined comment.
The pipeline would carry oil from western North Dakota through South Dakota and Iowa to a shipping point in Illinois. Protesters have camped in North Dakota for months to try to stop completion of the project.
Opponents contend the pipeline could affect drinking water and Native American artifacts. Texas-based developer Energy Transfer Partners says the pipeline will be safe.
Pioneer Press reporter Bob Shaw contributed to this story, with Associated Press reporters Blake Nicholson in Bismarck, N.D., and Jeff Baenen in Minneapolis.