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Two brave activists named Benjamin Franklin and Shannon Bebe chained themselves to heavy machinery to delay construction on the toxic Keystone XL pipeline. Police were initially respectful towards them, but when a TransCanada supervisor named “John” arrived on the scene and asked to privately huddle with the cops, things got ugly.
According to Benjamin and Shannon, police immediately put them in stress positions and used chokeholds, violent arm-twisting, pepper spray and even repeated tasering until they relented.
Afterwards TransCanada staff congratulated the police on “a job well done.”
Ordering the use of torture on peaceful demonstrators is outrageous, and Firedoglake, 350.org, the Tar Sands Blockade, the Rainforest Action Network (RAN) and Rising Tide North America are coming together to tell TransCanada’s CEO to denounce the dangerous treatment of these peaceful protesters.
After you sign you’ll have the opportunity to call CEO Russell Girling and TransCanada corporate offices to demand immediate action.
Luckily, Benjamin and Shannon are not the only blockaders. The “Tree-Sitters” are still directly in the path of construction, waging their protest from 80 feet in the air. They are undeterred by TransCanada’s bullying and bolstered by the overwhelming support of activists like you who donated to help us send them supplies.
Amazingly, TransCanada’s actions are only serving to harden the determination of these protesters. After word broke about Benjamin and Shannon’s story, the 8 original “Tree-Sitters” were joined by one more.
The roaring of construction crews is now roughly 300 yards from the blockade and advancing. This is an intense time and the Blockaders need our help to push back and escalate.
Can you join FDL, 350.org, the Tar Sands Blockade and others in demanding TransCanada denounce the abuse of peaceful protesters?
Sign our petition demanding TransCanada CEO Russell Girling denounce the torture of the Keystone XL Blockaders – then call TransCanada’s corporate offices to demand immediate action.
We will keep you updated on how you can stand up for these protesters and fight the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.
34 Comments
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About FDL Action
Great work again Jane. I love seeing real activism, and support for real activism, on these pages.
Wrong target. Petition the Obama administration to prosecute torturers.
Kris, you should know as a Texan than things wont end well for protesters. Those people will be seen as dirty fucking hippies and no one will give them a second thought. My advice is to reach out to Libertarians in Texas as well. None of the standard “liberal” SOP actually works here. All anyone is gonna see are a few hippies in a tree.
sorry, my bad. Fixed.
Funny, I just succeeded in leading a newly-formed non-profit organization in rallying a conservative Central Texas community into increasing their own taxes to pay for public education.
There are no real Republicans, revisionist. Only people who think they’re Republicans.
They have actually been doing great work with local landowners who have been bulldozed (literally) by TransCanada. They have been quite careful and smart about building local support, from what I have seen. They didn’t just parachute in.
Nice work Kris. You write that up yet?
I see the signing part but not the petition (unless the statement is the petition). Won’t sign a petition without reading.
A series of diaries for myFDL under the moniker Hippos United.
We’re hoping to now work with other school districts and political consulting organizations statewide to build a model for successful campaigns like ours.
The statement is the petition – there’s no other language or demand or anything like that.
Excellent, will read.
@kris… you know what gets me is that empirically it seems Home schooling is really, really big here. It irks me that people who dont even use the public schools are the ones often pushing the agenda for creationalism etc.
Take a look at Empower Texans and Texans for Fiscal Responsibility. Those organizations directly opposed our efforts and those of other school districts before us.
They’re directly funded by home-school proponents.
As for the KeystoneXL blockade, these folks are doing brave work. Whether the average citizen of Texas is with them or not, they’re doing something commendable and honorable here. I applaud them and will continue to support them in any way I can.
Stopping by to say Signed and thanks Jane.
and…
((KrisAinTX & Hippos))
((((demi))))
Signed and called. Fuckers just piss me off. We have a jackup rig parked at the end of the spit that was supposed to be there 10 days and now going on a month. The word from those who are working on it is that it will end up being here all winter. This big ugly thing i am looking at out my window is just their way of softening the local ignorati to the local fracking they have in their plans. This frikkin thing is now parked in a critical marine habitat. To borrow from Tut “GAH”
I best go to the woodshop and vent before i say something i might regret.
Shannon seems to be keeping the brave face.
http://judicial.co.wood.tx.us/Scripts/UVlink.isa/wcdp/WEBSERV/JailSearch?action%253Dview%26track%253D267031301
You’re the best, Homeroid!
Keystone is run by unscrupulous people and Obama is basically supporting them along with Hillary and our bought and paid for Congress so the people in the trees are our only real hope.
I’m sodding the places in my front lawn right now.
In between other stuff.
Lawnshedding. :)
Good going, homeroid. Hugs to you too.
It appears the Blackout of the Blokade by the MSM is holding. None of the major eco-lobbies seem to be involved either but Bill McKibben did post an article at HP. He voiced his condemnation of the torture but stared he was too busy with other stuff to get involved until after the election.
I still believe we should be calling this Obama’s Pipeline since this is not just a local issue.
Good suggestion, let’s do everything and make this an “all of the above” solution to global warming. Hmmm..now where have we heard that before.
O will own it after Nov. 6 that is for sure.
this PIPE DREAM – as bad as the u.s. needs jobs – is a FRONT to provide the framework and precedence to allow thieving owners of corporations to STEAL LAND AT WILL from people.
People count. But arrogance of corporations thrive under the false preseumptions that if not for them, people would cease. The reality is, people come first. The land under your feet comes first. Corporations violate this and prefer that life shall be subject to the whims of corporate managers who believe that having power OVER the lives of others is a good thing. IT IS NOT.
It is not a GOOD thing. It is a bad thing. This type of decision and policy has a built in FLAW, a vulnerability, an exploit, that attracts the next generation of ambitious power hungry tyrant personalities. THAT IS THE PROBLEM. It really is all about our operating environment.
Once ANY PERSON is made subject to the whims of another, that person’s life is confined, restricted, hope lessened, and stunted by lost opportunity. This adds up to loss of the value of life. Loss of the value of life. Human life. And you may consider this analogy… it renders all society to the same type of mastery, the BORG.
you can see the passion for life in Jane, a real leader.
get out the vote first. cap’n romney – a pirate from the cayman’s – is probably invested in this. wanna bet? 10,000 bucks?
here? where here? OT… that would be the stupid radical taliban style fake fraud (non)christian repuber textbook sham.
We know from public records that Boehner is. Update on twitter that excavator and chainsaw approaching tree people.
the oil people believe that the earth is invinceable to anything that their trampling shoddy lowlife uncaring ignorant shit-on-you ways could possible do. oh, and if they kill you? that was an accident ad your life is worth somehow all the good they do. and if they poison your children with their slop? that’s ok too because in NEW YORK CITY their lives are fine while you suffer and pay for their parties.. get the picture?
OT? wallstreet has a new plan to steal more land and homes. This is just a part of the LAND THEFT sham.
I called twice, just got forwarded to voicemail. Receptionist sounded a bit flustered though, think they are getting lots of phone traffic. Keep it up! Thanks, Jane!
Facebook is abuzz with this, even if the corporate media are squashing it.
It’s a good thing to take action as well as blogging here.
Is this a different petition than the one I just signed through Credo Action? I don’t consider it redundant to sign two petitions to the same end, but I just want to be clear. I’m for shining as much light on this horrible behaviour as possible.
The intimidation is increasing as an operator tried to drop a tree on demonstrators today at the Blokade. The demonstrator managed to move out of harms way before this criminal act injured him.
It appears that Obama’s Pipeliners have no fear of punishment for their actions.
Just think of them as Bankers or hedge Fund Managers doing God’s work. Obama has an all of the above plan for energy which must include torture and intimidation of any who get in his way.