UPDATE: The four blockaders and one journalist were arrested at Massey’s headquarters. The protesters are charged with trespass, destruction of property, failure to obey a lawful command, conspiracy and resisting arrest. The journalist is charged by trespass, failure to obey a lawful command, and conspiracy. All Climate Ground Zero protesters abide by a non-violence and no property destruction policy. “All four have pledged to not participate in property destruction — these are likely just trumped up charges,” Charles Suggs of Climate Ground Zero said. All activists are being held on $5,000 bail and the journalist is being held at $3,000 bail. As of 5:00 p.m., one blockade member, Roland Micklem, featured in this video, was being bailed out.
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The campaign of non-violent civil disobedience against mountaintop removal coal mining in West Virginia continues. Today’s action is an inter-generation endeavor with one West Virginian youth locked down beside three movement elders ages 53 to 81. Here is the initial press release from www.climategroundzero.org:
JULIAN, W.Va.—Four concerned citizens are locked arm-to-arm across the road to Massey Energy’s regional headquarters off of Corridor-G in Boone County, W.Va. The four men, ranging in age from 22 to 81 years, are halting all traffic coming into the corporate office in an act of protest against Massey Energy and their use of mountaintop removal (MTR) coal mining.
The signs read “Stop MTR,” “Stop Blowing up America,” “Protect God’s Creation,” and “People Over Profit.” The protesters insist that Massey pay damages and health care costs to people who live within a one-mile radius of Massey MTR sites, that the federal government ban MTR immediately, and that a full investigation is conducted into Massey’s business, labor, and environmental practices.
“I am exercising a spiritual obligation as a steward of Creation. It was not God’s intent that these mountains be destroyed to enhance the wealth of a few individuals,” said Roland Micklem, 81. “This should not be solely a young person’s campaign. Now that they have provided the example and inspiration, we seniors need to make a statement with our own actions and share the risks that are part of this ongoing effort to stop the obliteration of West Virginia’s mountains.”
Alongside Micklem are James McGuinness, 53, Joseph Hamsher, 22, and Fred Williamson, 75.
This protest follows on the heels of the week-long tree occupation that stopped blasting above Pettry Bottom for a week and the Massey-sponsored Friends of America event, at which Massey Energy Chief Executive Officer Don Blankenship, conservative celebrities Ted Nugent, Sean Hannity and others, painted climate change as conspiracy, pointed the finger at “environmental extremists,” and called for a new conservative extremist movement.
“There were many true ‘friends of America’ at their Labor Day rally, but not a single one could be found on stage,” said Andrew Munn of Climate Ground Zero. “’Friends of America’ are people who strive to make our land and lives better through their work, including those who commit acts of non-violent civil disobedience for the common good. Don Blankenship and men of his ilk are the fiends of America who profit from the violation of our rights of organized labor, clean air, clean water, health and the pursuit of happiness. Mountaintop removal and Massey Energy violate all of those rights, and we intend to take them back,” Munn said.
Massey Energy has paid the largest fines for environmental and worker safety violations of any coal company in the United States. In 2008, the Environmental Protection Agency fined Massey $20 million for 4,500 violations of the Clean Water Act. In the same year, the Mine Safety and Health Administration fined Massey $2.5 million for the death of two workers and 1,300 safety violations in two of their underground mines. In the first quarter of 2009, Massey revenue increased 25 percent. Yet, Blankenship announced an average six percent cut in worker’s wages and benefits to investors in the same quarter.
Micklem, a military veteran, is organizing a 25-mile senior citizen’s march against mountaintop removal for early October. For more information on the march call Climate Ground Zero at 304-854-7372.
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