earthfirst – Page 20 – Earth First!

USA: 15 Arrested as Anti-Gas Blockade in Finger Lakes Enters Third Week

November 3rd, 2014

Entering the third week, starting at 7:00 AM this morning protesters blocked the gates of Texas-based Crestwood Midstream’s gas storage facility on the shore of Seneca Lake. 15 people were arrested at about 9:00 AM after Crestwood called the police. Last week, ten protesters were arrested in acts of civil disobedience blocking the gates, just as the 15 people did today. Protesters have held blockades at the Crestwood gate since Thursday, October 23; on Wednesday, October 29, they began blocking two of the gates to Crestwood. Notably, the ongoing protests also included a rally with more than 200 people at the Crestwood gate on Friday, October 24^th.

Friday, October 24^th marked the day that major new construction on the gas storage facility was authorized to begin. The ongoing acts of civil disobedience come after the community pursued every possible avenue to stop the project and after being thwarted by an unacceptable process and denial of science.

The unified action is called ‘WE ARE SENECA LAKE’. More information and pictures of the actions over the previous weeks are available at www.WeAreSenecaLake.com.

The protests are taking place at the gates of the Crestwood compressor station site on the shore of Seneca Lake, the largest of New York’s Finger Lakes. The methane gas storage expansion project is advancing in the face of broad public opposition and unresolved questions about geological instabilities, fault lines, and possible salinization of the lake, which serves as a source of drinking water for 100,000 people. A Capital New York investigation recently revealed that Governor Cuomo’s DEC excised references to the risks of underground gas storage from a 2011 federal report on methane contamination of drinking water and has allowed key data to remain hidden.

*Note that the WE ARE SENECA LAKE protest is to stop the expansion of methane gas storage, a separate project from Crestwood’s proposed Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) storage project, which is on hold pending a Department of Environmental Conservation Issues Conference.

The 15 people arrested today are: Lyn Gerry, John Dennis, Mariah Plumlee, Bob Henrie, Laura Salamandra, Elan Shapiro, Lindsay Clark, Darlene Bordwell, Jodi Dean, Ruth Young (former Schuyler County Legislator), Paul Passavant, Stephanie Redmond, Joanne Cipolla Dennis, Martha Ferger, and Kenneth Fogarty.

Ruth Young of Horseheads, a former member of the Schuyler County Legislature, was among those arrested today, said, “We’re standing on what used to be a part of my legislative district in Schuyler County. I am embarrassed and saddened to see what is going on here, I’m sad to see that some of the people in this district are actually supporting this endeavor to store gas in a very unstable salt formation.”

John Dennis, PhD, of Lansing, who was arrested today, said, “I’m worried about water quality, there are severe salinity problems already, and I’m almost certain those will get worse because we think the existing problems are caused by gas storage started in 1964.”

Mariah Plumlee of Covert, a mother of three who was also arrested today, said, “I think it’s really important to do this, and if everybody did this then we wouldn’t have this problem. We moved here almost ten years ago because we knew it would be a wonderful place to raise a family.”

Lyn Gerry of Watkins Glen, a radio host in Schuyler County, arrested today, said, “Our elected officials have let us down, so we have to take matters into our own hands. I love Seneca Lake, I love this area. I’m not from here originally, I’ve traveled 3,000 miles to come to this beautiful place by this beautiful lake to live, and I’ve come from a place that greed has already destroyed. So I know what a land being destroyed looks like. So now, my back is to the wall and I must defend what I love.”

Note, press are encouraged to come to the court arraignment – for the ten protesters arrested on October 29^th – on Nov. 5th starting at 6:00 PM at the Reading Town Hall, 3914 County Rt. 28, Watkins Glen.

As they have for a long time, the protesters are continuing to call on President Obama, U.S. Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, Governor Cuomo, and Congressman Reed to intervene on behalf of the community and halt the dangerous project.

Recently, the Tompkins County Legislature approved a resolution that opposes gas storage on the lakeshore, as well as the Yates County Legislature. In so doing, they joined the Board of Supervisors of both Ontario and Seneca counties, which previously passed motions opposing gas storage, along with the Geneva City Council and the Watkins Glen Village Board.

In spite of overwhelming opposition, grave geological and public health concerns, Crestwood has federal approval to move forward with plans to store highly pressurized, explosive gas in abandoned salt caverns on the west side of Seneca Lake. While the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has temporarily halted plans to stockpile propane and butane (LPG) in nearby caverns—out of ongoing concerns for safety, health, and the environment—Crestwood is actively constructing infrastructure for the storage of two billion cubic feet of methane (natural gas), with the blessing of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

Background:

Local businesses and wineries are part of broad opposition to Texas-based Crestwood-Midstream’s proposal to use old abandoned salt caverns along Seneca Lake to store millions of barrels of liquid petroleum gas (LPG) and billions of cubic feet of natural gas. The proposal has generated opposition from over 200 businesses, over 60 wineries, 13 municipalities (including neighboring Watkins Glen) and thousands and thousands of residents in the Finger Lakes region who are concerned about the threat it poses to public health and safety, one of the state’s largest supplies of drinking water, the local economy, and the area’s growing wine and tourism industry.

Residents, wineries and other local businesses have issued emergency calls to President Obama, U.S. Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, Congressman Reed and Governor Cuomo to immediately step in and stop this reckless project that threatens the heart of the Finger Lakes, many people’s health and the drinking water source for 100,000 people.

Additionally, an investigative journalist with DC Bureau recently uncovered other scientific objections to the project, to which FERC did not give due consideration in issuing approval. Independent scientists have warned about the unstable geology of the salt caverns, including the fact that a 400,000 ton chunk of rock – roughly the size of an aircraft carrier – had given way in the very cavern that the company proposed to use for gas storage.

Furthermore, in August, Dr. Rob Mackenzie, a retired CEO of Cayuga Medical Center, a hospital about 20 miles east, raised objections. An experienced risk analyst, Mackenzie prepared a formal quantitative risk analysis of the Crestwood methane gas proposal. Mackenzie analyzed accident events — major fires, explosions, collapses, catastrophic loss of product, evacuations — at salt cavern storage facilities in the United States dating back to 1972. He concluded that the risk of an “extremely serious” salt cavern event within Schuyler County over the next 25 years is more than 35%.

According to Energy Information Administration data uncovered by Mackenzie – reported by Peter Mantius of DC Bureau – gas storage facilities in salt caverns in the United States have had high rates of problems. Between 1972 and 2012,there have been 18 “serious or extremely serious incidents” at U.S. salt cavern storage facilities, Mackenzie wrote, citing EIA data. That translates to an incident rate in the US of about 60%.

Mackenzie also found that nine of the 18 salt cavern incidents involved large fires and/or explosions; six involved loss of life or serious injury; eight involved evacuations of between 30 and 2,000 residents; and 13 involved extremely serious property losses.

Seneca Lake is economically critical to the region and New York State. A recent report on the state’s grape and wine industry showed that it contributes $4.8 billion to the New York State economy every year, supporting the equivalent of 25,000 full-time jobs, paying over $408 million in taxes, and generating over 5.2 million wine-related tourism visits. The Finger Lakes region, in particular, has gained increasing prominence as home to world-class wines, with many wineries earning awards in national and international competitions. Governor Cuomo highlighted the success of the industry at his 2013 Governor’s Cup Wine Competition in Watkins Glen, exactly where the gas storage facility is being proposed for location and this past summer, a Seneca Lake winery won the 2014 Governor’s Cup.

The region has become so widely known for its winemaking that vintners from the international community have begun to invest in the area as well.

The Finger Lakes is also considered a world-class tourism destination, with Shermans Travel naming it the #1 Lake Vacation in the world last year.

In addition to the over-industrialization such a storage facility would cause, salt cavern storage is historically unsafe. It presents the potential for explosive accidents and water contamination along the Finger Lakes. Salt cavern storage represents only a small percentage of gas storage facilities, but is responsible for the majority of instances of catastrophic failure. In 2001, gas migrated 7 miles from a salt cavern storage facility in Kansas, came up in abandoned brine wells and exploded, killing two people, destroying buildings and evacuating residents. There are many such abandoned brine wells just three miles from the proposed facility in downtown Watkins Glen, NY.

Australia : Mass Protest Against Whitehaven Coal

November 2nd, 2014

The bats have been released! Mass protests against Whitehaven Coal.

Maules Creek Mine Main access: A young woman has locked herself to the inside of a car, blocking the main access point for Maules creek mine.

UPDATE: Police rescue have arrived on the scene

Maules Creek Mine, inside: The railway line being built inside the mine site has been blocked by a woman suspended in a tree with the rope going across the construction site.

UPDATE: Workers have been able to go under the ropes, trucks are still being held up.

Maules Creek Mine Hitachi Digger: 1 woman has scaled the super digger while another woman has locked herself to the huge machine.

Leard Forest Alliance Spokesperson

Murray Drechsler

0418754869

MAULES CREEK 3/11/2014
Over eighty people have set up separate blockades on and around the construction site of the controversial Maules Creek mine, near Narrabri, in a ramp up of peaceful action to prevent the mine from depressurising the water table.

Whitehaven Coal’s Maules Creek mine has been seriously delayed by a growing movement of farmers, environmentalists and other supporters concerned that farm bores will fail due to the 600 megalitres of water the mine would use each year.

The Leard Forest Alliance is calling on NSW Planning Minister Rob Stokes to stop construction work on the mine while a parliamentary inquiry into planning decisions is underway.

Spokesperson for the Leard Forest Alliance Murray Drechsler said “The amount of water Whitehaven plans to use over the life of the Maules Creek mine would fill a third of Lake Burley Griffin and this is water that should be used for food production.”

“The community has the courage to stand up for water ahead of coal and we expect Planning Minister Rob Stokes to do the same.” Continued Mr. Drechsler.

The mine’s state and federal approvals were granted before Whitehaven had finished their water management plan and that fact was included in a submission to the parliamentary inquiry.

Twitter:

@FLACcoal #Leardblockade

France Halts Dam Construction after Protester’s Death & solidarity protest news

2 November 2014

French local authorities have decided to suspend work on a controversial dam after the death last week of an activist protesting against the project.

The executive council in charge of the project in the south-western Tarn region decided to freeze work on the dam but did not definitively scrap it.

It was impossible in the light of the tragedy to continue any work at the site of the Sivens dam project, said Thierry Carcenac, head of the region’s executive council. “What happened was terrible and should never happen again,” he added.

Remi Fraisse, 21, died in the early hours of Sunday during violent clashes between security forces and protesters against the project. It was the first death during a protest in mainland France since 1986.

Initial investigations showed traces of TNT on his clothes and skin, suggesting he may have been killed by a police stun grenade.

France’s interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, who has come under fire over the incident, has since banned the use of the grenades, which are designed to stun rather than kill.

The already unpopular government of President François Hollande has come under more pressure over a perceived slow response to the death, as well as allegations that police mishandled the riots.

The death has been followed by renewed clashes. Overnight on Thursday, 200 protesters rampaged through the western city of Rennes, with some overturning cars and breaking shop windows. Further protests are planned throughout the weekend and authorities are bracing for further unrest.

Ecology minister Ségolène Royal will next week gather together all warring parties to discuss the future of the Sivens dam.

Those opposed to the project say the dam will destroy a reservoir of biodiversity and will only benefit a small number of farmers. Those promoting the project, meanwhile, retort that the dam is in the public interest as it will ensure irrigation and the development of high-value crops.

from The Guardian

—

In running battles during an unauthorised demonstration in eastern Paris, 66 young protesters were arrested for attacking police and possession of offensive weapons. In Nantes and Toulouse more than 30 activists were arrested and six policemen injured on Saturday. Other demonstrations on Sunday – including a sit-in beside the Eiffel Tower and a silent march at the scene of last week’s death – passed off peacefully.

Rémi Fraisse, 21, a young botanist and pacifist, was protesting against the building of a dam in an unspoiled valley in south-western France eight days ago when police stun grenade exploded behind his back. His death – the first in a political demonstration in France for many years – has caused widespread consternation and has become a cause célèbre for French hard-left and green activists.

Radical protesters and some mainstream green politicians have blamed the young man’s death on the allegedly “authoritarian” and right-leaning policies of the reformist, Socialist Prime Minister Manuel Valls. When protesters attacked buildings and hurled molotov cocktails and acid at riot police in Nantes on Saturday, Mr Valls attempted to turn the tables. He accused the protesters of “dirtying” the memory of the young victim who was not just a “militant ecologist” but also a “convinced pacifist”.

Work on the dam at Sivens in the Tarn departement was suspended last Tuesday, three days after the death of Mr Fraisse. The environment minister, Ségolène Royal, broke with government policy in an interview yesterday by suggesting that the dam was too large and should never have received planning permission.

from The Independent

Australia: Batman Blocks Coal Mine with Tripod

October 30th, 2014

Kicking off a weekend of action against Whitehaven’s controversial Maules Creek coal mine, a concerned citizen has scaled a tripod, blocking access to Whitehaven’s Tarrawonga haul road, blocking access for trucks trying to leave Tarrawonga coal mine. This comes as people from around the country converge at the Leard Blockade to defend water, climate and our democracy from Whitehaven coal.

Phil Evans, 33, a climate campaigner with 350.org has today put himself on the line to draw attention to Whitehaven dodgy dealings and destruction of our water and climate.

Leard Forest Alliance Spokesperson, and tripod activist, Phil Evans says,” I’m here to call ‘trick or treat’ on Whitehaven coal. Whitehaven need to be held responsible for the destruction of the community, water and the climate.”

Due to Whitehaven’s Maules Creek mine, the aquifers are predicted to drop by up to 2m. Previously during drought the agricultural community has not had water for their livestock and their farms. The Maules Creek mine, as the largest new coal mine under-construction in Australia, will contribute significantly to climate change causing further droughts for the local community and instability of global proportions.

“We hope the NSW parliamentary inquiry into the planning process will send the Maules Creek project back to square one, if any of the allegedly corrupt relationships between Aston executives and senior politicians from both sides have found to influence the approvals process in anyway.” said Mr. Evans.

Whitehaven’s planning, approval and construction processes have been plagued by questionable dealings and clouds of corruption. The multiple problems of the planning process have been brought to the attention of the NSW parliamentary inquiry into planning by community groups.

“The state ICAC has raised very serious concerns about the undue influence of coal on our democracy, but it has not gone far enough. The Leard Forest Alliance is calling for work to stop on the Maules Creek project, and an audit of the planning and approval process that allows Whitehaven to continue with this atrocity. We need a federal level ICAC and we need to take our democracy back.” said Mr. Drechsler.

“The time of coal getting special treatment is over. The corruption has got to end. It is up to all of us to reclaim our voice, and democracy” said Mr. Evans.

There have been over 265 arrests this year as part of the ongoing community lead campaign of peaceful civil disobedience against Whitehaven Coal.

from Front Line Action on Coal

Two Blockades Evicted at Hambach Forest Occupation

October 30th, 2014

RWE Wachschutz injures activists. One person losing consciousness due to beating by the security. Activists choked and arrested with cable ties.

Today was another blockade of cutting and logging in the Hambacher Forest, within the campaign “No Tree is Falling”.
At this blockade the RWE Security attacked the activists with batons and pepper spray. At this point some activists got injured.

In response a second blockade happened to make the security and the loggers aware that they injured activists. At this point security attacked the activists harshly with batons and pepper spray. In addition the logging machine was heading directly towards the activists. During this attack three activists were injured, one of them losing consciousness for a moment. Also the RWE private security arrested three people, they choked them and bond them with cable tie. Activists defended themselves. After one hour police showed up and arrested 3 more persons. The police came from Düren and also the Arrested people will be brought there.
Come around and support the Blockades. Show Solidarity everywhere, thats what the people need here.
Press Contact: 015754136100

The Hambacher forest is the site of an ongoing land defense campaign in Germany. The forest sits at the edge of a lignite (brown coal) mine and is under imminent threat from mine expansion.

News Ticker:

– several ambulance cars driving in the forest.
– police is evicting the blockades together with RWE Security
– The „Pile“ (Fort on the way to the Squatted Trees) is surround and activists are on Tripods and Trees.

12:00: Policenews: Activists got arrested because of breaking Civil Laws. Probably to MünchenGladbach, Bergheim, and Düren. (Not Confirmed)
– around 100 Cops are in the Forest.
– Police and RWE Security tried to evict the „Pile“ with heavy Machines, although activists where in the blockade and there life was put at risk.
13:00 Work was stopped. Police said they want to finish the eviction until 15:00. 4 Persons are in the „Pile“
13:05 Until Now 6 Persons got arrested. But they‘re still in the Forest.
Black flag flying Song
13:50 Police is driving with heavy eviction machines in the Forest. Also more Cops are on the way in the forest.
14:00 Logging Work is started again. Trees on the way to Treeblockade are cuted to make way for the eviction.
14:10 Activists are transported out of the Forest. Cherry Pickers are driving in the Forest.
15:30 Seven more Police Cars drove to the forest. Now there are 3 Riot Units in the Forest.
– In the „Pile“ Blockade are actually 4 activists. One in the Trees, One in the Tunnel, Two on Tripods. The „Pile“ is completely surrounded by police
– At the Treeblockade until now there is no Security and Police. Only the way for heavy machines is ready.
15:45 Eviction of the Pile started. Cherrypicker is build up.
16:07 Police in Plain Clothes is watching the Meadow occupation.
16:30 Activists locked themselves to the barricade (Pile)
16:50 One Person got evicted from Tripod at the „Pile“
– Another Unit of Riot Police drove to the Forest.
– Tree Blockade „Grubenblick“ is surrounded.
– Cherry-Picker and Floodlight is at the Blockade.
– One Person is in the Trees above the „Pile“
17:30 I seems like the Police is stopping the evictions.
– The „Pile“ is evicted. One Person is still in the Trees. 3 more Persons got arrested.
18:00 The Barricade is pushed together by the police with heavy machines. The police is touching the tree on which the last person is sitting. Due to that the police risk the life of the activist. That has been pointed out to the police several time but the dont stop the work.
– Climbing Police arrived at the Tree Ocupation „Grubenblick“.
18:20 Nine Policecars are on the way to the part of the forest near the meadow.
20:30 The Searching on the Meadow by the Police is finished. More Information soon.
21:45 In the last 3 hours the following things happened:
– The Treeocupation „Grubenblick“ is evicted. The activists got arrested.
– The activist on the tree at the „pile“ blockade is still up there. Climbing Police is on the spot. At the Moment the Cherry-Picker is raised up.
– The first Person got released at the police station in Düren.

modified slightly from Hambach Forest Blog

USA: Burnaby Blockade, Encampment Stops Kinder Morgan Suveyors for a Second Day

October 30th, 2014

Angry protesters stopped crews from conducting pipeline survey work on Burnaby Mountain Wednesday, forcing the company to reassess how it will finish work needed for a National Energy Board decision.

October 30th, 2014

Angry protesters stopped crews from conducting pipeline survey work on Burnaby Mountain Wednesday, forcing the company to reassess how it will finish work needed for a National Energy Board decision.

RCMP officers watched as some protesters confronted a Trans Mountain survey crew, yelling “go back to Texas,” while another protester crawled under a survey crew’s SUV, wrapped himself around the front tire and refused to leave.

Stephen Collis, a spokesman for the protesters who call themselves the Caretakers, said they plan to hunker down.

“We’re currently occupying the space that they have identified that they need to work in. Since we’re on public land, we have every right to be here,” he said. “They can’t really work in a space that’s filled with dozens of people. That’s the intention.”

The plan worked, at least for the day.

Workers left in another vehicle, and one man carried several signs under his arm that read No Entry Until Further Notice and Field Testing Area Under Order of the National Energy Board.

Greg Toth, senior director for Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain expansion project, said all survey work on the mountain was stopped, although other crews were still working around Burnaby.

He wasn’t yet sure if the company would ask for an injunction preventing protests.

“We have to reassess, based on today’s activities,” said Toth. “It’s quite a vocal protest. Our priority is the safety of our crews and the general public. So we’ll retrench and look at what options are available.”

The demonstration comes in the midst of a bitter battle over the company’s plans to expand the pipeline through Burnaby.

The National Energy Board granted Trans Mountain access to the sites so it can complete work through Burnaby Mountain, it’s preferred route for the pipeline. The NEB ruled the City of Burnaby can’t prevent the activity because the work is needed for the board to make a decision on the expansion application.

The City of Burnaby announced it will appeal the NEB ruling.

Mayor Derek Corrigan said he didn’t believe the regulator has the authority to consider constitutional questions concerning city bylaws.

Toth said the National Energy Board and the Federal Court have given the company every right to do work needed to support the decision-making process.

He said it’s ironic that crews haven’t been allowed on Burnaby Mountain, considering the company and city residents have determined the route is the least disruptive option.

“It’s really in response to strong feedback from the local residents and the general public in the area for the alternative routing, which would have been through the streets,” he said.

In July 2007, a geyser of oil covered more 100 homes, after a crew accidentally pulled up the pipeline, spilling 250,000 litres.

The cleanup cost about $15 million.

The 5.4-billion dollar expansion plan would come close to tripling the capacity of the existing pipeline between Alberta and B.C. to about 900,000 barrels of crude a day.

Raging Grannies Blockading Entrances and Exits of WA Department of Ecology

October 30th, 2014

UPDATE: Grannies Unlock After 6-Hour Blockade

Currently, seven members of the Seattle Raging Grannies are blocking the entrance to the Department of Ecology headquarters, stalling traffic and preventing employees from entering work. The groups are sitting in rocking chairs chained together across the Department’s vehicle entrance.

They are telling workers that the Department is closed today for a “Workshop on How to Say No to Big Oil.” Today’s action coincides with hearings on a controversial study on the safety of oil trains conducted by the Department of Ecology. Hundreds are expected in Olympia to express concern at the study’s narrow scope and omission of risks to the environment or treaty rights.

Police and FBI are on the scene trying to direct traffic, and ecology management is making supportive employees move inside so they can’t talk to the media about their support of the elders.

Dale R Jense, program manager for the department’s oil spills safety program, is currently walking the line and talking to the grannies, who remain in high spirits and are singing songs. There is a group of supporters making sure that the DoE knows that fossil fuel shipments are unpopular, dangerous, and bad for the planet.

“We’re here to help the Department of Ecology learn how to say no to the oil industry,” said Beth DeRooy. “After granting permits to four illegal oil train terminals and letting former BNSF executives write their oil study, I was worried the folks over at the Department never learned how to say no and needed a little help from their grannies.”

Since 2012 the Department of Ecology has granted permits for oil-by-rail terminals at four of Washington’s five refineries. Terminals in Tacoma, Anacortes and at Cherry Point outside of Bellingham, have begun taking trains while a fourth is under construction at the Phillips 66 refinery in Ferndale. Environmental groups have argued that the these terminals are illegal under the Magnuson Act, which prohibits expansions at Washington refineries that may increase the amount of oil they handle.

Permits for a fifth oil-by-rail terminal at Shell’s Puget Sound refinery are currently under consideration. “Hot on the heels of record wildfires, Governor Inslee’s so-called Department of Ecology is going to ignore the environment in this study? They’re acting more like the Department of Oil Trains,” stated Cynthia Linet.

Last year Governor Inslee directed the Department of Ecology to conduct a safety study on the extremely controversial shipment of oil by rail. The governor’s study has been criticized for ignoring impacts on the environment, treaty rights and global warming, as well as failing to question whether they should build oil-train terminals in the first place.

The Department of Ecology has declared that impacts on the environment, tribal treaty rights or local economies are “ancillary” and not being considered. The Department has also come under fire after revelations that a number of the study’s authors are former BNSF executives.

“You’d think bringing exploding trains to help oil companies devastate Native American communities in North Dakota would be easy to say no to, but it looks like the Department of Ecology needs a stern lesson from their grannies,” said Carol McRoberts.

Many of North Dakota’s oil wells are on tribal lands of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara nations. In addition to spills and other local pollution, the oil boom has brought tremendous social costs to the communities. Deaths from auto accidents, drug abuse and violent crime have exploded; housing shortages force many to live in substandard conditions; and sexual violence such as rape and sex trafficking have become prevalent in a once small community.

“My daughter is 15 months old and my heart aches that I do not even want her to be at home for fear of what she’d be exposed to,” said Kandi Mossett, a member of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara nations who submitted written testimony to today’s oil train hearings. “This oil boom using fracking has been devastating for us and no amount of money can ever give us back what’s being lost.”

Protestors handed out doughnuts and coffee as they turned away employees’ cars. They also handed out a flier explaining “How to Say No To Fossil Fuels.” The flier calls on the Department of Ecology to reject all new fossil fuel projects proposed for Washington and to explicitly link their rejection to concerns about global warming.

Climate justice activists point out that if all proposed fossil fuel terminals are built, the Northwest will be transporting five times more carbon than the Keystone XL Pipeline.

“It’s grandma’s common sense – we need to keep carbon in the ground to stop catastrophic global warming, and if they can’t ship it, they have to leave it in the ground,” said Rosy Betz-Zall. But while he has been widely hailed as one of the greenest governors in America, Inslee has yet to outright reject a major fossil fuel project, or even declare a moratorium on projects that would increase dangerous shipments of explosive oil.

“Governor Inslee talks about being a climate champion, but he keeps saying ‘maybe’ to new fossil fuel projects, when what we need is a solid ‘NO’,” said Deejah Sherman-Peterson.

“Take it from your granny: if you want to say yes to something good – a just, clean energy future – you have start by saying NO to something bad – building more fossil fuel infrastructure.”

Today’s protest follows an intense wave of opposition to oil-by-rail across the Northwest this summer with protestors locking themselves to barrels of concrete and sitting atop tripods to blockade railroad tracks across Washington and Oregon.

80 Arrested At Spontaneous Protests Over #ZAD Remi Fraisse’s Assassination By French Police

October 30th, 2014

80 people have been arrested simply for speaking up against state terror and capitalism, by a total panicked riot police force in Paris desperate to repress spontaneous demonstrations over the execution of 21 year old Remi Fraisse at Testet.

The streets of Paris, Lyon and other cities have been covered in anti-capitalist, anti-police and anti-state messages; the signs of rage over the assassination by the police of a 21 year old pacifist, and defender of the Testet forest.

Cops encircled people, trapped them, captured them and dragged them to police vans simply for being on the streets and speaking up, such police brutality and abuses simply remind of well known totalitarian regimes, deplored by Europe all over the world, except in Europe.

Remi Fraisse died on the spot when he was hit by a tear gas grenade fired by riot police Saturday night during the repression of a protest in the Testet forest to stop a dam which will profit some industrial farmers at the cost of destroying 40 ha of forest.

Witnesses’ testimonies forced cops to admit they killed Remi. A state official called him “stupid” for “dying for an idea”. While state officials are trying to control the public rage over the police killing by claiming that patience is needed for “proper investigation”, the boss of riot police said that Remi’s murder was a fatality and that no cop will be suspended. He hinted no cop will be held accountable either. Images filmed just prior to Remi’s assassination expose the barbarism of the police and their brutality in repressing the protests.

Images above have been aired by France 2 aired and they prove the barbarism of the police repression against ZAD. Cops fired with intent to kill, unlike what their boss says, they fired tear gas grenades at people who were several meters from them.

Hundreds gathered in spontaneous demonstrations, called “illegal” by the French media, in Paris, triggering a massive deployment of cops. 200 people were interrogated by police for simply being on the streets. Cops tried to stir violence, they encircled over 100 protestors around the town hall and tried to kettle them. Protests are announced in Italy tomorrow, too.The chief of riot police claims that cops have the right to kill because “they did not have the intention” to murder Remi, he says it’s not “conceivable” to suspend cops over the assassination of Remi. This cop positioned himself above any state law, since prosecutors claim that the “investigations” of Remi’s assassination continue. Apparently, anyone’s life is cancelled just at the sight of cops in Europe, since they are not responsible when they fire their lethal projectiles. Remi’s death is also another proof that police riot weaponry cause death, but it seems that since they are called non-“lethal” by the apologists of state barbarism, cops who use them are absolved of any responsibility. Death is what awaits anyone who stands in the way of profits which in Europe are placed above all, life, human needs and environment.

Footage from protest in the evening of October 26th in the town of Gaillac in the Tarn department:

http://youtu.be/jUQjY1tRVAw

http://youtu.be/rbeBMBHxixM

Argentina: Quechua Community Members Occupy Airport During Second Day of Protest Against Plupetrol

October 29th, 2014

Inhabitants inform the authorities that, if their requests are not respected, they will be taking more direct measures, such as manually closing pipeline valves. They ask that DINOES (Special Operation Division) does not intervene.

October 29th, 2014

On the second day of protesting against the negligent decisions of Pluspetrol, a dominating E&P private company originating from Argentina, Quechua inhabitants took their retaliation to the airport.

During a press conference, Aurelio Chino Dahua, president of Fediquep (Indigenous Quechua Federation of the Pastaza), explained that the people feel deceived by both the corporation and the state. He relates such uneasiness to the the state’s disengagement from alleviating Pluspetrol’s social-environmental impacts on the community, even in the face of raw evidence.

The indigenous leader also projects his indignation towards the government’s lack of commitment, stating that, although the Quechua people have fostered active dialogue with the authorities since 2011, not one program has been implemented with the sole purpose of meeting their demands.

Dahua reiterated that, during the last months, Pluspetrol Norte has been eroding and dividing the communities, and that Fediquep has been blatantly ignoring the inhabitants’ rights. For such reasons, he proposes that the company retreats from the area and, if they wish to resume the operation, heeds to the community’s direct participation. It is also being demanded that families are connected to the electricity that is provided by Loreto Regional Government and Plustpetrol.

Meanwhile in Nuevo Andeos, the people hold their grounds in hopes that attention will finally be brought to their demands.

Not too long ego, it was them who requested a remediation process of Shanshococha Lagoon, as well as adequate compensation for Pluspetrol’s experimentation throughout the past 15 years.

As the converstation moves, it is evident that yesterday’s demonstration in Nuevo Andoas is being vigorously supported by surrounding areas within the Pastaza and that will surely resonate beyond.

[EF! Newswire Note: The following post is a loose translation of an article first published by Servindi.]

21 Year Old ZAD Activist Killed in Clashes with Police at Testet Dam Resistance

October 26th, 2014

17 hours after police attacked again the ZAD resistance in Testet, south of France, a 21 year old ZADist was found dead. During the clashes, witnesses say they saw a man collapse and noticed the police taking him away.

On Saturday, October 25th, thousands of people from all over France gathered at Testet in opposition to the dam project and the violent repression of the ZAD resistance, which is ongoing for years, and has increased in the past months.

Police attacked the protestors to remove them, and some militants battled the cops until late in the night. Police fired rubber bullets, tear gas grenades; several protestors were badly injured.

Later in the night, firefighters and police claimed they have found the body of a man in the woods, while eye witnesses who were there say the body was found at police roadblocks.

“A witness said he saw someone collapse in clashes and being removed by the police“ , says Ben has Lefetey, spokesman for the Collective for safeguarding wetland Testet, during a press conference Sunday morning.

Police blame the clashed on the resistance, to justify the brutal repression they enforced on the protestors. The commander of the gendarmerie Tarn, quoted by the AFP, claimed that “100-150 anarchists masked and dressed in black threw incendiary devices” and other projectiles at police surrounding a mobilization “2000″ opponents.

In a statement, the association Action for the Environment says: “Acting for the Environment can see that after several weeks of police violence indiscriminately and sometimes outside any legal framework (identity papers and personal effects burned, disrespect private areas …), the police have once again made use of rubber bullets, stun grenades and tear gas and even though the event took place in a good atmosphere [sic] -child. The presence of the police at the end of the day will appear again for what it is: a provocation leading to a tragedy.”

“According to preliminary information we have collected, the death took place in the context of clashes with the police at 2:00 am. We are not saying that the security forces have killed an opponent, but a witness we said the deaths happened during clashes, “he told AFP by phone Ben Lefetey, spokesperson of the group Save the wetland Testet, which includes most of the opponents of the dam project . “We do not know more about the cause of death.”

Contacted, the prefecture did not want to comment. The prosecutor in Albi, Claude Derens, refused to make any comment “before the results of the autopsy will take place tomorrow (Monday) in the afternoon.” According to a source close to the investigation, the young man who died was 21 years old and “was among those who were in the midst of clashes last night” (Saturday).

“The proposed reservoir dam 1.5 million m3 of water stored is growing figure “Notre-Dame-des-Landes Southwest”, in reference to this common Loire-Atlantique, where significant mobilization caused the freeze in 2012 the creation of a new airport. Since the beginning of clearing September 1, skirmishes and rallies have multiplied around the site. The proposed water retention is supported by the General Council of the Tarn. Opponents denounce an expensive project for, according to them, only a small number of farmers practicing intensive agriculture.”

“Member of the Paris collective support Notre-Dame-des-Landes and sympathizers es-es of the opponent Testet. According to the information available, one of us died that night during clashes with riot police in the ZAD Testet. Neither oblivion or pardon.”

Massive protests are announced later on Sunday.