Tree Sitting Protests Resume on Coal River Mountain

Before anyone starts judging these young people and calling them names, you should check their backgrounds out first. Walk is a Facebook friend of mine — he is a very educated, kind, and gentle person who cares about the future of our state and our children’s future.

I thank these young people who come to our state to protest the destruction that is happening to our Mountains. MTR ruins drinking water, the air we breath, and leaves it looking like a bomb went off leaving behind nothing but dust. A little more on the current protest:

Two young people took to the trees this morning in an effort to halt the destructive practice of strip-mining on Coal River Mountain.  Becks Kolins 21, and  Catherine-Ann MacDougal 24, have perched themselves roughly 80 feet in the air on wooden platforms on trees on the outskirts of the actively mined areas of the Bee Tree surface mine.  Below them stood their direct support – Elias Schewel 27, and Junior Walk, 21, both of whom trained extensively in conflict mediation before their act of non-violent civil disobedience.

Alpha Natural Resources halted all work on the Bee Tree surface mine while WV State Police and mine security spent over four hours attempting to locate the position of the four young people – even with the company helicopter.  Upon discovering them, Walk and Schewel, were arrested, and Kolins and MacDougal remain in their respective trees.  They plan to stay there as long as they are physically able, in order to prevent Alpha from conducting further surface mining operations on Coal River Mountain. Blasting on the entire Bee Tree site was shut down for the whole day.

Walk and Schewel were released from Southern Regional Jail at around 9:45pm. Each was held with a $1000 bail.

Funny how this county will release Meth Lab maker’s on a $50 PR bond, yet set someone who is doing something good for our state a bond of $1000. At least now we know who owns the Judges in that county — King Coal does, just like they rule and rein over everything in our state.

UPDATED:  The press release from RAMPS added:

Lisa Henderson, Judy Bonds’ daughter and Coal River Valley resident, sees this action as a continuation of her mother’s work.

“I hope that today’s actions serve as a symbol that the struggle to live peacefully and pollution-free in the Coal River Valley did not end when my mother’s life did. My mother and I often compared the fight to survive here on Coal River to the civil rights struggles of the 1960s. I am sure that generations from now, our children will look back on this movement also and the actions of the people involved, and ask the question of their elders, ‘Whose side were you on?’”

Read More: RampsCampaign.org

3 thoughts on “Tree Sitting Protests Resume on Coal River Mountain”

    1. You are very welcome my friend. I have lived in west Virginia for 40 years, I know first hand how Strip mining has destroyed our state and continues too.
      It was an honor to cover this for you guys I will do an update soon. Keep up the great work, most in west Virginia are backing you. Thanks again
      shellee tyler

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