Tar Sands Blockade Activists Forced to Settle Lawsuit But Will Continue to Fight

TransCanada Claimed $5 Million in Damages

On Friday, January 25^th, a group of activists agreed to a settlement in TransCanada’s lawsuit against Tar Sands Blockade, Rising Tide North Texas, Rising Tide North America, and nineteen individuals. The SLAPP suit (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) alleged that direct action against Keystone XL has cost TransCanada $5 million. This contradicts frequent public statements by TransCanada’s spokespeople that blockaders were not impeding construction in any meaningful way.

Tar Sands Blockade Calls For Solidarity Actions November 19th

Alright, eco-warriors, consider yourselves on notice. Tar Sands Blockade is stepping our game up, and we’re calling on you to do the same.

We’ll be throwing down in a big way next Monday, November 19^th, somewhere near Nacogdoches, Texas, the heart of outlaw territory in this region for hundreds of years, and we want you to do the same. If you’re close enough or able to travel, of course we’d love to have you here with us, but we also want to see communities rising up and defending their homes from the wanton destruction of extractive industry everywhere.

Love and Rebellion in the East Texas Woods

Land cleared in East Texas by TransCanada for Keystone XL construction

I’m writing to ya’ll from a safe space nearby the Tar Sands Blockade in rural east Texas.  Early this week, heeding the call of friends and comrades already on site, we assembled a crew of Earth First!ers from the Northeast US and made the 30+ hour drive to the site to provide crucial reinforcement.  The tree village set up on site is one of the most fantastic things we’ve ever seen, and the emerging pictures on the internet do it no justice. Down below the pods, hideous monsters in the form of massive feller bunchers and dozers fill the air with the heinous sounds of corporate ecocide: mechanical whirs, sawing, and worst of the all the sound of beautiful trees hundreds of years old falling to their death, driving wildlife from their homes.

Yesterday a feller buncher began clearing through a section of the forest, rapidly advancing towards one of the tree sitters. Clearly printed in large letters on the side of the death machine read a warning to stay back at least 500 feet. A roving team on the ground that I was part of began cat-and-mousing the feller buncher, trying to keep our comrade in the tree safe. On the ground two TransCanada workers and one local sheriff operating as an armed mercenary of the corporation oversaw the operations, trying to move through the felled trees to push back our crew from the clear cut site. We continued to advance, determined not only to protect our comrade above in the canopy but to push them back and show them that we are not scared and that we will resist.   

When Big Oil Attacks

Tuesday afternoon in East Texas, after police brutally tortured two protesters locked to a backhoe and workers resumed destruction of the forest, members of the Tar Sands Blockade, determined not to be deterred by violence, moved in to try and stop work again. One activist sat down in front of a feller buncher, a hideous machine used to rapidly cut down smaller trees, and, after making eye contact with the worker, almost had a tree dropped on him. The video shows it all, and you can read the activist’s own telling of the incident here.

There’s really not much else to say. Big Oil is attacking our bodies, our homes, and the planet, and now that the cards are on the table, it’s time to fight back. Word on the street is that we’ve got a lovely crew of Earth First!ers ready for action joining us tonight or tomorrow morning, but there’s plenty of room for you to get involved too. Go here or email noneshallpass@riseup.net, and we’ll see you on the ground.

- Tar Sands Blockader

Texas Tar Sands Blockade Continues Despite Police Torture

Despite summer being over, things continue to heat up in Texas for the Tar Sands Blockade as we enter day 3 of the tree-sit.  On Monday, 8 people took to the trees to defend the land from clear-cutting that would allow for continued construction of the pipeline.  And yesterday, two ground-dwelling allies locked themselves to a piece of construction machinery that was being used to build a road to the tree village, effectively halting TransCanada’s work for most of the day.

Three Blockaders Lock Themselves to Keystone XL Machinery

UPDATE: 11:30AM – Five arrests made at Keystone XL construction site outside Winnsboro, Texas.  Three brave blockaders locked to tree clear-cutting machinery delayed operations at the site for the morning.

Join us in celebrating our latest crew of brave blockaders: Doug is a former Exxon employee turned climate justice activist, Sam is an author of a pending book on Keystone XL, and R.C. is a proud mother who was arrested today even though it means being away from her children for the day.

If you have the means, donate here to help these comrades make bail and support continued action against the Keystone XL Pipeline.

UPDATE: 11:30AM – David Hightower’s vineyard will not be cleared for the Keystone XL today, according to crews working there.

UPDATE: 10:40AM – Police have left the scene at David Hightower’s home.

UPDATE: 10:30AM – Police harassment and intimidation of protesters at David Hightower’s home. Three protesters holding signs on the public right of way next to Hightower’s home were threatened with arrest repeatedly, but are within their legal right to demonstrate.

UPDATE: 9:45AM – Police have taken signs from Tar Sands Blockade supporters standing vigil in David Hightower’s front yard. They are threatening arrests.

UPDATE: 9:30AM – While three blockaders are shutting down a Keystone XL construction site others are defending David Hightower’s home. Construction crews have arrived at Mr. Hightower’s to begin clear-cutting his trees and home vineyard. Tar Sands Blockade supporters are in David’s front yard continuing our vigil

UPDATE 9AM – Franklin County Sheriff and County Constable are on the scene. The sheriff tried to use hacksaw on blockader’s locking device and gave up in frustration.

BREAKING: Three Blockaders Lock Themselves to Keystone XL Machinery

Reposted from www.tarsandsblockade.org

Tar Sand Blockade again halts construction on the toxic Keystone XL pipeline in its sustained campaign of direct action.