HOUSTON (Reuters) – Federal and state authorities on Friday criminally charged climate change protesters for shutting down the largest U.S. energy-export port for a day by dangling from a bridge.
The protest organized by Greenpeace closed part of the Houston Ship Channel on Thursday. The Harris County District Attorney’s office said its charges were the first under a new law that makes it a felony to disrupt energy pipelines and ports.
“This action cost our community many, many millions of dollars in lost commerce,” said Sean Teare, a Harris County prosecutor, citing day-long shipping disruptions.
Those charged include 31 people who dangled on ropes off a bridge or who provided logistical support, said Teare. Most of the protesters were expected to appear Friday before a magistrate for a probable cause hearing, he said.
All 31 face up to a $10,000 fine and two years in prison if convicted. The district attorney’s office plans to convene a grand jury to consider other criminal charges, he said.
Federal prosecutors separately charged 22 members of the same group with misdemeanor obstruction of navigable waters, according to a filing on Friday. They could face up to a year in prison on the federal charges.
“This is a bullying tactic that serves the interests of corporations at the expense of people exercising their right to free speech,” said Tom Wetterer, Greenpeace’s general counsel.
Texas was one of seven states this year that passed laws seeking to curb protests over energy projects such as the Dakota Access Pipeline and Bayou Bridge pipeline.
Hi-vis vests, safety helmets and ropes all made from hand-grown and hand-spun natural fibres.
I think not
About time the authorities take action on this green rubble. Enough is enough.
Sentence them to hard labor cleaning up toxic waste sites at pipeline protest camps.
So sad to see Greenpeace, once an idealistic environmental group, become just another anti-human Progressive cult member. I could respect their stands against nuclear testing and whaling, but when they started talking about banning the element fluorine and reducing human population dramatically it became clear that they had become just another watermelon.
Unfortunately, the public does not understand the extent of this subversion of Greenpeace and most other such groups by the Cultural Marxists whose main aim is to destroy Western Civilization along with the liberty and prosperity it has brought to all Mankind! We, the people, have a long row to hoe to get these blithering idiots properly educated and the disease excised from our schools and culture!
What’s the status of the Nazca line vandalism?
Have not heard anything more about it. Quietly “disappeared” me thinks. First hit on a Google search;
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/01/world/americas/perus-nazca-lines-damaged.html
Then the Greenpeace stunt, but it’s all OK they said sorry;
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/dec/10/peru-press-charges-greenpeace-nazca-lines-stunt
“All 31 face up to a $10,000 fine and two years in prison if convicted. The district attorney’s office plans to convene a grand jury to consider other criminal charges, he said.”
Is that 31 fines of up to $10,000 each or 1 fine of up to $10,000 spread across 31 offenders? Because if it is the latter that is only $322 each, which won’t be a deterrent at all.
“All 31 face up to a $10,000 fine and two years in prison if convicted. The district attorney’s office plans to convene a grand jury to consider other criminal charges, he said.”
Prison is not a deterrent because it does not cost them a cent. In fact if convicted and sent to jail, they would have access to all kinds of services like health, education, legal assistance, job finding assistance after serving the term etc etc. Some might actually enjoy two years without having to work in the real world.
“Prison is not a deterrent”
Sheriff Joe – Maricopa County – Arizona. Ran the County prison. Meals- anything with no nutritional value wasn’t served – no coffee. Of course, no cigarettes. Prisoners ran the County animal shelters. The county had been gifted with some acreage – prisoners grew vegetables for the jail. A federal judge ruled the the prisoners must have television. Joe gave them two channels – Disney and the Weather Channel – so they would know hot it would be on the work gangs. When an inmate complained, Joe’s answer was, “If you don’t like it, don’t come back.” I haven’t heard of any study being done on recidivism for this establishment, I think it would be instructional.
The expression I heard in California, relating to a men’s prison, “The Chino Country Club”…..
Prisons in each state in the US are considerably different to those in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. There are some who would consider a “two year stretch inside” to be a badge of honour. I think these people fall in to that category because they “believe” they are doing the “right” thing for the “cause” and with that mindset ingrained in their minds there is no limit to what they will do for the “cause”.
“Prison is not a deterrent because it does not cost them a cent.”
Until they have tits tattooed on their back and are Bubba’s bitch.
“This is a bullying tactic that serves the interests of corporations at the expense of people exercising their right to free speech,” said Tom Wetterer, Greenpeace’s general counsel.
These fools have no concept of their anti-social behavior. The public and businesses have the right to go about their daily business without being harassed and bullied by the likes of greenpis and its assorted lackeys.
So if I vandalize Tom Witterer’s car I’m just rightfully expressing my views according to Tom.
Only if you paint “Denialist” on his hood
terrorists to go on the ‘no fly’ list, that will hurt them more than any thing else
Entitled twats forcing their world view on everyone else. I wonder what their ropes and harnesses are made from??
Hemp. There is nothing hemp cannot do.
31 x $10,000 doesn’t even begin to approach the cost to businesses of shutting down the ship channel. This should be an opportunity to sue Greenpeace out of existence.
IMO this will be an epic turn of events against the rabid progressive eco terrorist left.
I hear there are vacancies at the Muslim detention centers in western China.
If they are truly committed to their cause, they should demand the maximun sentence, as Ghandi did.
Next time, just cut the ropes and carry on.
Why do “Law Enforcement” and the “Legal” system refuse to charge those who fund them under RICO???
They think they have a right to interfere with other people’s lives.
Green Party of Canada ‘leader’ Elizabeth May committed the criminal act of Mischief by blocking lawful access of workers drilling to validate an alternative route for the Trans-Mountain Pipeline.
The judge let her off with a $1000. fine despite her action being pre-meditated for 6 months.
(For TMPX the pipeline company wants to get the final leg out of a residential area by tunneling under the mountain. It will install three pipes there, whereas the mainline will have two – existing and added.)
May and others are violent people.