For those who don’t know: there’s a new giant fracked gas pipeline, the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP), that was proposed by a private corporation (EQT) in 2014, “approved” by government regulators in 2018, and since then has been in the process of being forced through the Appalachian mountains & rivers stretching from WVa through VA, including running through Roanoke and nearby areas. Not only is this *and any new* pipelines completely unnecessary (as we don’t need more fossil fuel infrastructure but less, and it’s only being built for the company to make money off exporting gas out of the country) but more importantly it’s detrimental to the community’s safety, the land we live on, and the water we drink. Pipelines are not only prone to leak: poisoning everything around them, but also explode: killing everything around them. There has been a struggle against it’s construction since the public heard of it being proposed, starting with speaking out at forums, holding rallies, and taking legal actions, to (in the past 2 years) more committed and defensive direct actions like tree sits & physical blockades in the path of the MVP, and pipeline fighters locking themselves to equipment.
Since February of 2018 up until now (almost 2 years later) there have been around 28 direct actions *that we know of* against the MVP. TWENTY EIGHT different instances of regular people (youth, adults, working or retired parents and grandparents) taking power into their own hands, putting their bodies literally in harms way, and doing anything they can to prevent this threat to public safety. Here’s a glimpse of what fighting a 42-inch wide, 303-mile long, fracked gas pipeline in Appalachia looks like (most photos courtesy of Appalachians Against Pipelines):
Some of these direct actions stopped work on the pipeline for a few hours, others a few days and even months, and one (now the longest-standing blockade at least on the East Coast) for over a full year: the Yellow Finch treesits, which started in Sept of 2018. Many groups including Appalachians Against Pipelines have worked to set up, sustain, and keep the Yellow Finch sits strong, whether helping establish a camp beneath them, bringing food and ice and nourishment and supplies, being a lookout or legal observer of cops & pipeline staff, or just visiting and sharing some time & love. One of our RPPN comrades, Crystal (a working grandmother) lives near there and joined the treesits in May of 2019. Here’s why in her words:
“Many actions have been taken against this very dangerous project but when they started charging our friends with terrorism is when it clicked for me. I had to learn to climb and live in a tree. The actions taken against my friends and neighbors by this company and our so-called govt should be charged with terrorism. When white supremacists can freely walk the streets in Cville without question and peaceful protectors are starved, slammed, falsely charged and constantly harassed, there’s a real problem. But that’s the American way right?! My time at the Yellow Finch treesits/blockade reminds me how much we can learn from each other and the value of that is priceless. Join us!!”
As Crystal alluded to, the state has consistently sided with the capitalists funding the MVP, as is their job (to serve & protect the rich). They’ve arrested 54 people since construction started, and have brought 12 trumped-up charges upon folks from tresspassing, to obstruction of such-and-such, to “threat of terrorism”. TERRORISM?! For just bein in a space blocking a company from working; but it isn’t terrorism for a company (with the pigs behind them) to come *continue* the centuries-long raping of indigenous land & water and stealing of resources? If the continuing oppression of Black & Brown folks in Roanoke (poverty doubling in the past 50 years, police brutality, deaths & inhumane conditions in city jail, unaffordable housing) hasn’t shown some people (namely white liberals & petty bourgeoisie) that we cannot rely on politicians or pigs, who the enemy of the public is, and the necessity of starting to protect our own communities (including lands & waters around us), hopefully this struggle does. In fact, if nothing else, the fight against the MVP has been an experiment & experience in what might be required to rebuild community and protect each other: sharing resources & wisdom, teaching each other survival & self-defense skills, making collective decisions & putting actual democracy into practice, and loving.
Support of all types is needed. Please donate legal/bail funds if you can:
bit.ly/supportmvpresistance
And come visit the Yellow Finch treesits! They’re only 20 min away from
Roanoke!
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