At roughly 6 A.M. this morning more than 20 peaceful protesters participated in a lockdown with steel barrels at the construction site for a giant new coal-fired power plant in Wise County, VA.
Right now, at 7:19 A.M. the lockdown, which is the first project of RAN’s new Action Tank, continues at the site where Dominion Virginia wants to build a 585 megawatt plant.
Pictures from the action deployment are up on RAN’s Flickr site and you can follow all the news and updates today at www.wiseupdominion.org
Note that the solar panels on the barrels are functional and provide power for the illuminated banner.
This plant has been the focus of a major local struggle to resist the expansion of coal industry and support strong sustainable economic development. The area has been devastated by mountaintop removal coal mining and the local economy, despite the huge presence of the coal industry, is struggling.
I toured a mountaintop removal site in Wise County this weekend. The pictures speak for themselves:
Personally I am just so inspired by these activists from across the region, and the country, who have converged to shine a bright light on this issue, to escalate the pressure on the coal industry to stop destroying Appalachia and to take a stand for real prosperity.
Twitter Updates
As an individual who has been living in Wise for some time and working on these campaigns, I can’t express how excited I am about this lockdown!!!
Great Job everyone! We will stop this power plant!
Keep it up guys, show them we’re not going to step down.
Nice work. Amazing blockade.
Just wanted to say thanks! I’m there with you in spirit even if not in body.
The first of many more victories. For the mountains!
Hip hip hooray!!!!
clever things, I love yall. someday over a beverage you must tell me how you switched out the powerpoint.
Al Gore has said he doesn’t understand why young Americans are not being arrested for blockading coal fired power plants. Well Al, young people ARE getting arrested. Come to Appalachia and get arrested with us !! You too Woody Harrelson, Kathy Mattea. You’re talkin’ the talk, come on and walk the walk!
thanks so much for all that you do. you’re my heroes! can’t wait to celebrate and hear stories.
I was celebrating during our our short lived blackout. I send much love to everyone who gave their energy and sacrifice yesturday. Thanks yall.
Watching you from Britain, where protesters were acquitted after scaling a smokestack in protest at more coal-burning power plants… Proud of my son who did a fantastic job organizing, and proud of all of you who stand up (sit down!) for what’s right and carry on the great American heritage of Thoreau!
I thank you all are foolish and trying to knock people out of work in this area you all need to go back where you come from and let southwest virgina miner’s mine america’s energy and this future plant turn the coal into america’s energy
Hummmm…. If we have this “Victorious Blackout”, where are we going to get the electricity to run our computors?
One other question. Are those signs that were so proudly raised at the protest made of PLASTIC?
NIICE.
Please contact me re: speaking at a class at UCSC…
Awesome work guys! This is the kind of action that keeps me in awe of the work of RAN and its allies. You guys rock!