Thirty-two people, including some famous names, were arrested. NASA climatologist James Hansen, former United States Congressman Ken Hechler and actress Daryl Hannah were among those charged with impeding traffic and obstructing an officer. Meanwhile one mine supporter was arrested for striking Judy Bonds, a leader of the environmental group Coal River Mountain Watch.
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| By Rachel Lucas |
But a group of miners got a head start in order to block a bridge to keep the activists from entering.
Michael Ramsey was one of those miners.
“When they come here and try to mess with our livelihood, uh-uh, it ain’t going to happen,” he said. “West Virginians stand up for what we believe in.”
The coal miners greeted the protesters wearing their uniforms with the telltale reflective orange and yellow stripes.
Instead of crossing that line, protesters sat down on Route 3 and were arrested by police. With her hands zip-tied behind her back, Daryl Hannah said it was worth the record. She says the long trip to southern West Virginia was to join the fight against mountaintop removal.
“I am here to join the people who are trying to put in a call for sanity and stop blowing up our mountains and killing the streams and the communities below and endangering our health,” she said. “To stop mountain top removal mining and to secure jobs.”
Also bound by zip-ties, NASA climatologist James Hansen said it was worth it to get the attention of officials in Washington.
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| By Rachel Lucas |
“They can’t compromise their way out of this,” he said. “They’ve got to realize they’ve got to phase out coal emissions and they have to start with mountaintop removal and all it does.”
A woman wearing a miner’s uniform, was arrested for striking Judy Bonds. At one time the miners even chanted Judy Bond’s name.
There were several people from out of states that joined this fight against mountaintop removal mining. Some signs read things like, “stop poisoning our kids” while coal miners held signs like “outsiders” or “tree huggers go home.” The coal miners say they don’t want to be told how to live.
Franci Robinson is a coal miner’s wife said she was there to support her husband.
“It angers me,” she said. “This is how we live. That’s how we’ve done it here for generations and generations and generations.”
The crowd lingered after the arrests. Miners chanted and claimed victory.
Protesters say they are satisfied with the protest as well. They hope the reports catch the attention of Washington officials.
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| By Rachel Lucas |
Seargent Micheal Baylous says the protesters were cited and set free. The woman charged with battery was sent to the county magistrate.
And after the crowd settled, miners put up their own banner that says, “Coal keeps the lights on” at the Massey Mine entrance.