Olympia Police are clearing an anti-fracking protest camp downtown early Friday morning.

Police are tweeting that protesters are lighting fires in the streets and trying to block traffic.

Police are recommending that drivers avoid the area of Seventh Avenue and Jefferson Street.

Scanner traffic is indicating that roads will be closed at Legion Way and Cherry Street.

The group is protesting the oil and gas removal process known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, and the port’s ties to that industry. The Port of Olympia handles a cargo called ceramic proppants, or fracking sand, that is used in that extraction process in places like North Dakota and Wyoming.

Critics of fracking say it is harmful to the environment, fouling ground and surface water, and has caused earthquakes in places not known for seismic activity. Supporters say the environmental effects are inconclusive and that it promotes energy independence for the U.S.