BREAKING: Mass Arrests in DC- Activists Demand An End To Mountaintop Removal

[Panaconda]

Mass Arrests in DC: We Shall No Longer Be Crucified Upon the Cross of Coal

by Jeff Biggers



Over one hundred protesters from the Appalachian coalfields were arrested in front of the White House today, defiantly calling on the Obama administration to abolish mountaintop removal mining. As part of the Appalachia Rising events, the coalfield residents took part in a multi-day series of events to bring the escalating human rights, environmental and health care crisis to the nation's capitol.

Kentuckians for the Commonwealth leaders Teri Blanton and Mickey McCoy, the first arrested in today's nonviolent act of civil disobedience, were joined by allies from around the country, including NASA climatologist James Hansen. Meanwhile, protesters led by the legendary Rev. Billy Talen staged a nearby sit-in at the office of the PNC bank, which remains one of the last major financiers of coal companies engaged in this extreme form of strip-mining in Appalachia.

In a stark reminder of the national connection to the coalfields, the Obama administration officials looked on from their White House offices, as their electricity came from a coal-fired plant generated partly with coal stripmined from Appalachia.

As a litmus test of the administration's commitment to science and the rule of law, Appalachian residents are calling on the EPA to halt any new permit on the upcoming decision over the massive Spruce mountaintop removal mine.

...

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/09/27-7

Here is the item from Jeff Biggers:

Over one hundred protesters from the Appalachian coalfields were arrested in front of the White House today, defiantly calling on the Obama administration to abolish mountaintop removal mining. As part of the Appalachia Rising events, the coalfield residents took part in a multi-day series of events to bring the escalating human rights, environmental and health care crisis to the nation's capitol.

Kentuckians for the Commonwealth leaders Teri Blanton and Mickey McCoy, the first arrested in today's nonviolent act of civil disobedience, were joined by allies from around the country, including NASA climatologist James Hansen. Meanwhile, protesters led by the legendary Rev. Billy Talen staged a nearby sit-in at the office of the PNC bank, which remains one of the last major financiers of coal companies engaged in this extreme form of strip-mining in Appalachia.

In a stark reminder of the national connection to the coalfields, the Obama administration officials looked on from their White House offices, as their electricity came from a coal-fired plant generated partly with coal stripmined from Appalachia.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/9/27/905752/-BREAKING:-MTR-protesters-getting-arrested-in-DC

[Kadie]

1. K&R

[me b zola]

2. K&R

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. I'm so old I remember a time when you'd march on Washington and not get arrested.

That was back in the Nixon days, kiddies, when we were freer than we seem to be now.
Hell of irony.

[WinkyDink]

4. Ummmm....John Mitchell's "Justice" Dept arrested THOUSANDS!

The next day, police used tear gas and mass arrests to keep the streets open. By 8 a.m., they had arrested 2,000 people, thwarting an attempt to tie up key bridges into the city. There were so many arrests that police stopped using arrest forms and simply scooped people up in vans. Lacking jail space, police held the arrestees outdoors at the Washington Redskins football practice field near Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium. The day would end with more than 7,000 arrests, a record, but with surprisingly little violence -- 155 injuries were reported -- considering the stakes.

After rush hour on Monday, May 3, Attorney General John N. Mitchell declared: "The traffic is flowing. The government is functioning."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/2000/vietnam092799.htm

[dixiegrrrrl]

10. Earlier...but turns out my memory is old, there were arrests.

Had to Wiki to refresh my memory.
Ramsey Clark was the AG. ( Nixon had 3 of them, ran thru them quickly looking for his yes man.)


"October 21, 1967, a large demonstration took place at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. As many as 100,000 demonstrators attended the event, and at least 30,000 later marched to the Pentagon for another rally and an all night vigil. Some, including Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin, attempted to "exorcise" and "levitate" the building, while others engaged in civil disobedience on the steps of the Pentagon, interrupted by clashes with soldiers and police. In all, 647 arrests were made. When a plot to airdrop 10,000 flowers on the Pentagon was foiled by undercover agents, these flowers ended up being placed in the barrels of MP's rifles, as seen in some famous photographs."

[Dr.Phool]

35. I remember being chased by hundreds of riot police on scooters.

Dupont Circle. They claimed we were going to trash the Vietnamese Embassy.

[Webster Green]

43. I was proud to have been arrested at that one.

Dragged off the steps of the Pentagon after the permit had expired. We had a blast in the federal lockup. It was great!

[gateley]

5. But Kent State was another matter. nt

[moriah]

23. March, yes... sit and refuse to move, I don't know about that.

Hopefully all who chose to participate in the sit-in direct action were trained in jail solidarity, and the video of them arresting the protester who used passive resistance was pretty mild.

At least, in comparison to the arrests I saw during the Iraq War protests in NYC as a legal observer. Still glad that the protesters won the lawsuit against NYC for the illegal April 7, 2003, arrests of upwards of 75 people who were not involved in a direct action.

Still wish they'd eliminate the plasticuffs tho, they cause much more wrist injuries than standard cuffs.

[newtothegame]

36. You're not unfree if you're arrested for a sit-in on someone's private property.

"sit-in at the office of the PNC bank"

That is not a right you have and I'm glad for that. I wouldn't want a pro-Nazi march thinking it's ok to sit in my office just cause they have something to say either.

ed for sp.

[katty]

39. arrested for WHAT?! police state U.S.

[Enthusiast]

45. No question about it.

And they can read every E-mail and listen to every communication we have. The raid on the anti-war group says it all.

[WillyT]

6. K & R !!!

:kick:

[TBF]

7. K&R

:kick:

[fascisthunter]

8. the Problem here is the gov works for big business interests

so peace activists and environmental activists are now enemies from within. Wow...

[Overseas]

9. K&R! //nt

[Hannah Bell]

11. kr. mountaintop removal = obscenity.

[handmade34]

12. in the same vein

work to stop mountaintop removal

http://www.350.org/mountains-and-gardens-save-us

[G_j]

13. K&R

[antigone382]

14. A group from my school went...I was too late (and too broke) to sign up

:(

Hope they did us proud! Save our mountains!

[ManiacJoe]

15. Bad reporting?

How can one write about hundreds getting arrested without any mention of the possible charges?

[TBF]

16. You have to read down in the "updates" to the original article -

something about folks refusing to move off a sidewalk in response to park police request (took me awhile to find it too)

[ManiacJoe]

33. Thanks.

The CommonDreams site made no mention. I stopped reading the Kos site too soon....

[live love laugh]

17. Those are my peeps! I was born in Appalachia. God Bless Them. nt

[G_j]

18. Over one hundred protesters from the Appalachian coalfields were arrested

Think about it ! :think:

[Subdivisions]

42. I would, but going there is too scary. n/t

[Lorien]

19. K&R. nt

[inna]

20. damn.

kr, of course.

[avaistheone1]

21. They must be "terrarists" if they are protesting.

:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[maryf]

22. Big K&R

They are raping the planet and don't care, all for profit. Capitalism is killing everything. I'd say "go tell it on the mountain", but it's gone. :(

[era veteran]

24. I would like to thank the protesters.

I wish I could have gone.

[theHandpuppet]

25. Why isn't this headline TV news?

Wait -- Lindsay Lohan is going back to the slammer. Time's up! :sarcasm:

This issue and these people aren't considered newsworthy because the MSM -- like Congress and the vast majority of this country -- doesn't give a crap about Appalachia. If the devastation caused by mountaintop mining got 1/10 the the coverage of an oil spill, there would be outrage.

[KoKo]

32. Because they aren't "Tea Partiers" ...and what you say. n/t

[blindpig]

26. Solidarity.

Pretty apparent which side the Administration is on.

Capitalism, that's all it is, Capitalism.

[DirkGently]

27. A worthy cause. I'd like to see the administration take a stand here.

[femrap]

28. Why the hell did they have

to arrest them? Too much free speech? Too much dissent? That mountaintop removal destroys the rivers, creeks, the water supply, etc.

Make these Coal Supporters go live next to the mountaintop removal...let them drink the water.

Mother Nature is gonna get these coal boys and shake them by their nuts.

[Capitalocracy]

30. Guilty of protesting without a Fox News camera present

Guilty of assembling without a permit signed by Glenn Beck and Rupert Murdoch.

Guilty of petitioning the redress of grievances not directly derived from GOP talking points.

[felix_numinous]

29. Seriously what was their crime?

Did they not have a permit? Was it sitting in front of the bank building?

If we have lost the right to peaceably assemble, I missed the memo. I know DC gives permits for demonstrations, did these people have one?

[caraher]

34. All I can find is this:

"The protesters were arrested Monday after refusing orders from U.S. Park Police to leave the sidewalk outside the White House. They staged a rally at nearby Freedom Plaza earlier in the day." from an AP article

But the protesters themselves describe this as an act of civil disobedience and seem to be viewing the publicity associated with the arrests as a strategic good. I hope it turns out that way!

[2 Much Tribulation]

31. kick

[Starry Messenger]

37. k & r

!!

[Altoid_Cyclist]

38. I live in an area that doesn't have MTR mining.....yet.

This is a link to show that your power could still very well be coming from the disgusting practice. Just put in your zip code. I discovered that we are indeed receiving some of our energy from MTR.

http://ilovemountains.org/myconnection/

[maryf]

49. Great link...

thanks

[xchrom]

40. Recommend

[Uncle Joe]

41. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Panaconda.

[old mark]

44. Thanks to all who marched, especially to those who were arrested.

Well, Mr. Obama, you wanted the people "fired up" - here's an issue for ya if you have the guts for it.



mark

[theHandpuppet]

46. Some links for everyone

http://endmtr.com/
http://www.earthjustice.org/our_work/campaigns/stop-mountaintop-removal-mining
http://www.ilovemountains.org/

[Enthusiast]

47. Mountaintop removal illustrates

just how far the fossil fuel industry will go to acquire profits. They expect us to believe this is essential? That is ridiculous. West Virginia's greatest treasure is the wilderness and they would destroy it for short (very) term gains.

[Enthusiast]

48. K&R

If ever a protest was justified................