"Ban fracking now" shouted protesters during Gov. Tom Wolf's oath of office from Soldiers' Grove, who promised it will be words he will hear throughout the coming year.
After a morning rally at Grace Methodist Church on State Street, a group of about 250 from new statewide coalition Pennsylvanians Against Fracking marched to Soldiers' Grove, across from the Capitol where inauguration festivities were held.
The protest was peaceful, with state police on foot and horseback watching the crowd, who was cordoned off by plastic fencing.
Protestors marched from State Street to Soldiers' Grove at the inauguration.
There were several protesters taken into custody inside the inauguration after they began blowing whistles and yelling. The number of people apprehended, and whether arrests were made, was not yet available, said Trooper Rob Hicks of state police.
The mood was optimistic among the anti-fracking demonstrators, despite Wolf's stance against a fracking ban.
"He really needs to ban fracking, and at the very least, start off with a statewide moratorium with no new wells," said Karen Feridun, founder of Berks Gas Truth, which is on the steering committee of Pennsylvanians Against Fracking, a coalition of about 88 groups.
"He needs to change his mind," Feridun said of Gov. Wolf. "We're going to be everywhere he goes sending our message to him." So far, she said, Pennsylvania has been "the world's negative role model on fracking."
The new governor, said Sam Bernhardt, senior Pennsylvania organizer of Food & Water Watch, is the "man who can bring us what we want – an end to fracking in Pennsylvania."
"The industry's pockets are deep, but our organization is strong," Bernhardt said, adding "We promise to be a constant pressure on Gov. Wolf as he tours Pennsylvania in 2015."
Josh Fox, director of documentaries "Gasland" and "Gasland 2," said there should not only be a ban on fracking, but restoration and reparations.
"You have to start the clock in reverse, and get these chemicals out of the ground," Fox said. He said they invite the new governor "to make friends with us. We can be a powerful ally. Don't make enemies of us."
The group, carrying signs reading "No Fracking Way" and "No Future in Fracking," included contingents from Allegheny County to Erie to the Philadelphia area.
Big screens and loudspeakers allowed the protestors to hear the inauguration ceremonies. As former Gov. Tom Corbett was introduced, there were "boos" from the crowd.
"You fracked us," yelled Pam Steckler of the State College area, where she said a community "bill of rights" was enacted regarding fracking.
Some Lancaster County residents were on hand, where there are efforts to block a Williams Partners gas pipeline.
Chief Carlos Whitewolf and others supporting the rights of the Northern Arawak Tribal Nation were on hand. In Lancaster County, they have been protesting disturbance of land in Conestoga Township they believe contains sacred Indian artifacts.
Ann deVitry of West Hempfield Township said she's trying to get more people involved in fighting the pipeline. "I have children 17 and 24. I want to help ban fracking in Pennsylvania so their families are more protected against health hazards of fracking."
Kimberly McEvoy of Butler County carried a sign showing dirty water in her former home, which she said she eventually lost due to problems associated with fracking.
Bill Stroup drove from Erie Monday night to take part in the protest. "I'm an outdoorsman. I think it's pretty upsetting," he said, of what fracking is doing to the environment. "I think they should criminally charge Corbett."
Sandra Folzer of the Philadelphia area said she owns land in Tioga County that drillers wanted to lease. "I would have made half a million dollars," she said. "It's not worth it. If you wreck the water you have nothing."
Anti-fracking banner on march at inauguration.
Bill Belitskus of McKean County said he photographs and monitors his well water every evening over concern that fracking in the area will some day taint it. "That's no way to live – constantly wondering if you're water is going to be ruined."
Ron Gulla of Washington County, who said he is suing Range Resources, carried a sign with a photo of Terry Greenwood, a neighbor he said died of brain cancer. "Is it associated? We don't know that yet," he said of fracking.
Raina Ripple, director of the Southwest Pennsylvania Environmental Health Project, said citizens expect to have secure homes, right to education, to work and to lead healthy lives.
"Unconventional gas development is a serious threat to the public's health," Ripple said, adding that flawed public health policy has allowed the industry to grow without standards to ensure it will not cause harm.
"We may be at the end of a runaway public health crisis," she said. "We do not want to see our future society lamenting yet another preventable environmental tragedy."
Maya Van Rossum of the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, said "We truly can have it all when it comes to energy," while also protecting air and water quality.
Gov. Wolf, she said, should reject shale gas and invest in clean energy options and protect environmental rights. More health studies are needed, and in particular long-term effects. "This will be challenging – this is a fairly entrenched industry now," Van Rossum said.
"Gov. Wolf has promised he will only allow drilling to the extent they can make it safe. The message today is how can't make drilling safe," Van Rossum said.
"Let's have the first state that was entrenched in the gas industry ban fracking," said Wes Gillingham, program director of Catskill Mountainkeeper. The message he brings from New York state is "This can happen – you can go against the industry."
Those trying to stop Marcellus shale drilling in Pennsylvania "hit a brick wall because of the politics involved. But we won in New York," Gillingham said, referring to the recent fracking ban.
As to how this will be accomplished with the Wolf planning to use shale tax revenue to plug holes in the budget, Fox said, "This governor was elected on a progressive coalition, and there's no progressive platform that includes fracking."
"You can't educate kids by supporting an industry," Fox said of the governor's plan to use shale tax revenue for schools.
There were also smaller groups of protestors at the inauguration who lobbied against use of drones and in favor of Second Amendment rights.