Today’s action marks the eighteenth consecutive act of nonviolent civil disobedience from Climate Ground Zero in what is now undeniably a sustained fight against mountaintop removal. The four protestors stopped blasting on Coal River Mountain’s Bee Tree site, resolving to lock down to a drill rig. Their direct action speaks out against mountaintop removal and the extreme danger of blasting in such close proximity to the Brushy Fork Impoundment. Brushy Fork is permitted to hold 9 billion gallons of toxic sludge. It has already been stated that this impoundment is highly unstable and that blasting will only increase this exponentially. If this were to break it would devastate not only an entire town but the entire length of the Coal River.
Coal River Valley resident Judy Bonds commented on the action earlier today, saying, “This is further proof that Nick and Dea, Laura and Grace are backing up what the community people said in the press conference: Coal River Mountain is a hope and a future. I’m thrilled! I say hooray for the brave folks that’s up there. They are my heroes.”
All four protestors have been arrested and charged with trespassing, conspiracy, obstruction and littering. They have been set $2,000 cash-only bails. Please donate to their legal fund and support their brave actions! Just click the “Legal” button below.
Littering? They charged them with littering on top of everything else?! What a joke. Massey is up there blowing the place up- leaving it in complete and utter destruction- yet, they’re charging the people who are trying to save the environment there with littering? Even if they did litter, it wouldn’t matter much when they destroyed the place, anyway. It can’t get much worse than what Massey is already going to do with it. Not to mention that I do not believe the littering claim. This is so ignorant, that there are no words to really describe it and I have nothing left to say, other than to add that this is so ridiculous, it leaves me searching for alternative meanings to littering that might help it all make more sense.
Cari, I don’t know for sure where the pic. of Mr Martin was taken, but if it’s at Climate Ground Zero HQ. someone needs to be charged with littering. Just take a look behind him.
Cari, it will be ok take a deep breath.