Joe Hamsher, Mike Roselle, and Tom Smyth locked down this morning to Marfork Coal Company, Inc.’s office in order to deliver a citizen’s arrest warrant to Christopher Blanchard, president of Marfork, and Don Blankenship, CEO of Massey Energy. Currently they are being held for a combined cash-only bail of $17,500. Though all received the same charges of conspiracy, trespass asked to leave, and obstruction, Roselle received a bail amount of $7,500 cash-only while Hamsher and Smyth both received a bail amount of $5,000 cash-only.
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Thank you to everyone who has already donated or loaned money, but as the campaign continues, the need for legal funds increases. Many who risk arrest in this campaign are not able to pay all the fines that they may be sentenced to after trial and some loans need to be repaid.
As Massey accuses Hamsher, Roselle, and Smyth of terrorism and endangerment, we need to remember who the real criminals are: those who endanger thousands of lives by allowing the Brushy Fork impoundment to remain in violation of over 100 documented permit infringements. Help us stop the blasting, donate now to Climate Ground Zero.
Get a real fucking job! The money you earn can pay your own fucking bail.
I, for one, would definitely count protecting children from a toxic coal sludge dam burst to be a pretty important job, Larry.
If you want to protect the children of coal river from a toxic situation, protect them from the drugs that these so called “earth friendly” people bring into our neighborhoods. Brushy Fork dam is safe and the water quality is good!!! You all are really starting to piss off all the wrong people!!!
Brushy – you identify a real problem. There is a lot of prescription drug abuse here and we definitely all do need to work together to support people in getting over their drug addictions. Do you have any ideas for how to do that?
Also, are you saying that the water quality in Brushy Fork is good?
Larry you are so right, they will never understand the importance of a real job or what it like to work hard for a living! As for us people who was born and raised here we dont want these so called “tree huggers” here they have done nothing here!! You cant go against a big coal company so give it up. Your wasting your time! I have took the time to read all the garbage and lies that you guys write on this web site and its a joke! I hope whoever else reads this they have half a brain to research it for themselves. My 14 yr old kid has enough common sense not to believe all garbage hes read. The people that you so claim want your help to save them please thats crap! Everyone around here wants to live in peace and take care of their families but you guys seem to want us to live in poverty along with you. Sorry thats not gonna happen. We dont make websites asking for handouts because we get in legal trouble which is all I see you do!! We work hard for what we have and will continue to do so. Just go back to where you came from and fight for a cause that means something like finding a cure for cancer, aids or trying to feed the hungry! What your doing is making a public joke of yourselves. Have a little self respect and walk away!!!
If they need the money, where is good ole Darryl Hannah, Kathy Mattae or Ken Heckler, these three were so big, bold and brave to come out and march against the MarFork Protest back in the summer or have voiced their opinion about MTR, I just figured they would come across with their money since they were so quick to jump and slam our boys!
Oh and Kathy Mattea has a nephew who works for Walker CAT s and truth being told the WV coal miner gave her most of the money she has now, so maybe she will help out.
I would try calling these three to see if they can give some of their “hard earned” money to help you guys out.
Thanks for the advice Raychel. Unfortunately, as I’m sure you know, the actions of a few celebrities is only enough to raise the profile of an issue – and its on the shoulders of common Appalachians, coal miners most of all, and their allies to throw off the yoke of their economic and political tyrants – the coal companies.
Tracy – cures for cancer or aids and feeding the hungry are all really worthy causes. And you’re absolutely right – everyone does want to live in peace and take care of their families – but for many, maybe not for you (I don’t know where you live) – strip mining robs them of that. How can you live in peace when the land all around you is being destroyed? And you know as well as I that getting bought out by the coal companies is no way to replace a home – home is much more than the house in which you live and the things you put in it!
And frankly, an anti-strip mining campaign is an anti-poverty campaign – what’s going to be left here twenty years from now if they keep on stripping like they are today? If you want to lift this area out of poverty, put more folks to work, it’s time to stop begging the coal industry for jobs – Massey will use as few workers for a mine as possible – and start working together to make this place the best it can be.
Controlled blasting has been going on for centuries. Coal is one of our natural resources, clean and effective. Protest the people killing the whales! Get a real JOB!!!!!! Marvin D.
These three men (I use that term loosely) Joe Hamsher, Mike Roselle and Tom Smyth put my niece in the hospital by there hostile and terrorize act! How dare you! What if she had stroke or heart attack! I hope you will rot in jail. Also, this effected my sister and the rest of my family. My niece is one the most kind and loving people you would ever met!! But of course you terrorist don’t care about that!! I will do everything in my power to make sure people know what kind of sickos you are!!!
right on Andrew!
that’s right andrew! thank you for so logically and rationally addressing the issues. as a West Virginian, I am very proud of my fellow West Virginian, Joe Hamsher. He has grown up knowing what it’s like to see others always talk down about the Hillbillies and Rednecks, and yet he still has more WV pride then about anyone I know. He’s also capable and willing to take a strong, sometime unliked standon a huge issue. Thank you Joe, you are my Hero.
Raychel, I was going to point that out about Mattea a few months ago but I waved on it. I say enough recognition for her. She has done nothing for this state. If it wasn’t for the media reminding her she was born and raised here, she would have forgotten it by now. Randy Moss has given back more to this state than her, and doesn’t even seek and notoriety for it.
Progress Miner, I am sure you have watched the “Coal Country” video? Didn’t that just make you really sick to think that Mattea rolls in here when she needs “publicity” and “voices” her opinion about MTR and how this state is going nowhere but yet, she was born and raised here and she has been around MTR all her life, but now out of nowhere she decides to come here and just say with tears in her eyes how this makes her so sad? I mean come on who is she kidding? Who is she trying to fool. She just did that for the notoriety of it and tried to make people think she is really trying to “help” WV when she could care less about the state.
I don’t care much for Randy Moss, never have but like you, he has given more to this state than she has….
I wish Mattea all the best of luck with her career but I find it so funny that she is doing her new “CD” just in the time when MTR is a big deal here and look at what most of the songs are about. Maybe she will give half of her proceeds to CGZ.
Raychel, ltns sister. Actually I never watched it. Matewan, Rocket Boys yeah, not Coal Country. I tell you what I have been watching, 500 new jobs @ Workmans Creek in the near future. Making a trip through Whitesville I still do not see a company or investors holding job fairs for alternative energy. On the other hand I hear Patriot Coal did and has more job fairs planned around the area this week. For underground mines I believe, but it’s still coming about because the supply has to meet the demand, huh?
andrewmunn you did not touch on any subject worth hearing about. I am from Beckley and my husband works for Massey on the grounds that you guys just love to march into and on to cause havoc. I have family and friends that live in the area that you guys continue to harass and none of them claim their lives have been robbed of a normal life in anyway. We are not bought out by any coal company and our house is just a vessel we live in a home is where my family is. Not any earthly item but we have to eat, take care of our kids, live, and pay taxes here unlike any of these so called “tree huggers” we are what keeps this state running and so is these coal companies. The roads you drive on here are here in part of all the coal companies and all the independent coal truck owners they pay taxes here as well and they pay road fees and other things that I’m sure you haven’t taken the time to research. Why don’t you go to Welch, Matewan and Bluefield and see what happens when the Coal Company leaves none of you are over there trying to get a wind mill or any type of alternative energy going or help them. You just want your name in the paper or you just want to be known by the public for doing some meaningless act. You’re not really doing anything!!! Massey Energy has support groups for the so called community that you claim hates them. Every time it snows or trees get downed in the roads my husband and the crew he works with is out there keeping them clean for the people of Whitesville and surrounding areas to use. They also have a street cleaner that is run by a Massey Employee (On his time off) to keep the streets clean. Every year they help people by giving back to the community! What do you people do for all those people? Nothing you can’t even help yourselves get out of jail. Why can’t you guys understand YOUR NOT WANTED HERE!!! So what some no name says they are proud of you, meanwhile the rest of us just see you as a nuisance! Until you do something to show the people of here that you’re trying to help them and not yourself you are nothing!! “Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, and small minds discuss people.” Eleanor Roosevelt Why don’t you take some great advice and come up with solutions and put them into effect instead of all the talking that you’re doing. Please be more educated and help!!!!
Tracy, well said. I travel to Whitesville each day for work, thank your husband for me. Thank you for being a wife dedicated, to a hard working WV coal miner! God Bless you!
Well Tracy, that was worth my time to click over here to see what was going on. God Bless You and your family!
Tracy, I am also a native West Virginian and you should speak for yourself when you say “you are not wanted here” because I want them here and so do many other WV natives. Let it be known that there are many of us WV natives that proudly call ourselves tree huggers and the numbers are growing daily. We may not be able to stop MTR but we sure the hell are gonna try.
Hey, I try to not use personal attacks, but don’t we agree that unemployment is up, eM?
Ok Em, once again you are of a very small minority. West Virginians need jobs and if you’re not doing anything to help then you are part of the problem!!!! If you don’t go out there and make sure you can fill all those job slots of hundreds of thousands of workers that live here in West Virginia then you will help in the destruction of the quality of life here in your “HOME” State!!! We have to be rational about this; it’s not just the coal mines that will be affected here, its every job including those at Wal-Mart and any other job that is supported in part of these miners. Will Wal-Mart or any smaller business continue to thrive if there is no one to buy products from them? NO, EVERY JOB HERE IS AFFECTED BY THESE MINES!!! So if you are so proud then fix the problems!!!! Don’t just talk about do something!!!!!! When you guys do something I will be impressed until then its just empty words!!!!!!
Badda Bing Badda Boom, you go Tracy.
Thank you Progress Miner and Raychel!
Your most welcome Tracy! I think it’s about time for a miner rally…..
Holler at me when you guys are ready, Progress Miner. I was up your way Saturday evening and there were men out fishing in the middle of that “nasty” water.