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Violet Palmer and her son protesting at the gates of the Vantage Energy drilling site in Denton, Texas.
(Photo: Blackland Prairie Rising Tide/cc/flickr)
92-Year-Old Texas Woman Jailed for Protesting Pro-Fracking State Law
Despite overwhelming citizen support, Denton City Council repeals local anti-fracking ordinance
Jun 17, 2015
92-year-old Violet Palmer of Denton, Texas, said she was moved to act after the state, overriding the people's will, passed a law forbidding municipalities from enacting fracking bans.
On Tuesday, Palmer, her 64-year-old son Theron, and a small group of activists were arrested for protesting at the gates of Denton's first new drilling site since residents voted overwhelmingly to ban the practice last November.
"Really, there is so little I can do, but I do it by protesting," said Palmer, who is partially blind. "I did feel compelled. I feel like I must do something."
According to a local NBC affiliate, when officers arrived at the Vantage Energy drill site, "they found Theron Palmer had chained himself to the gate, and his mother had placed a rocking chair next to him. After officers warned the duo, Theron Palmer was cut free, and both were taken into custody."
Violet Palmer was reportedly released a short time later with no bond, while her son was released with a $500 bond for trespassing and a $1,000 bond for obstructing a highway.
On Wednesday morning, the Denton City Council announced it had voted to repeal the local fracking ban. The council cited the city's pending lawsuits and the new state law as reasons for the decision.
"This is not about my age. This is about my vote."
--Violet Palmer, 92
The council said repealing the ban was "in the overall interest of the Denton taxpayers to repeal the ordinance strategically." They added that the decision "was not taken lightly" by the Council, which voted 6-1, "balancing all concerns and concluding the litigation on the matter."
Ahead of the City Council meeting, Palmer said of the state's influence on the local ban, "I didn't think it could happen here...To have their vote just taken away, just destroyed, ignored, destroyed, and it was very upsetting."
"This is not about my age," she said of her protest. "This is about my vote."
The Palmer family said this is the first time that she had been arrested. Her mugshot, below, was posted online:
\u201c06/16/2015 09:20:18\nViolet, 92 yrs old \u2649\nCRIM TRESPASS\nOBSTRUCTING HIGHWAY PASSAGEWAY\nhttps://t.co/rWrSAYThKV\u201d— Arrests by @DentonPD (@Arrests by @DentonPD) 1434472475
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Lauren McCauley is a former senior editor for Common Dreams covering national and international politics and progressive news. She is now the Editor of Maine Morning Star. Lauren also helped produce a number of documentary films, including the award-winning Soundtrack for a Revolution and The Hollywood Complex, as well as one currently in production about civil rights icon James Meredith. Her writing has been featured on Newsweek, BillMoyers.com, TruthDig, Truthout, In These Times, and Extra! the newsletter of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. She currently lives in Kennebunk, Maine with her husband, two children, a dog, and several chickens.
92-year-old Violet Palmer of Denton, Texas, said she was moved to act after the state, overriding the people's will, passed a law forbidding municipalities from enacting fracking bans.
On Tuesday, Palmer, her 64-year-old son Theron, and a small group of activists were arrested for protesting at the gates of Denton's first new drilling site since residents voted overwhelmingly to ban the practice last November.
"Really, there is so little I can do, but I do it by protesting," said Palmer, who is partially blind. "I did feel compelled. I feel like I must do something."
According to a local NBC affiliate, when officers arrived at the Vantage Energy drill site, "they found Theron Palmer had chained himself to the gate, and his mother had placed a rocking chair next to him. After officers warned the duo, Theron Palmer was cut free, and both were taken into custody."
Violet Palmer was reportedly released a short time later with no bond, while her son was released with a $500 bond for trespassing and a $1,000 bond for obstructing a highway.
On Wednesday morning, the Denton City Council announced it had voted to repeal the local fracking ban. The council cited the city's pending lawsuits and the new state law as reasons for the decision.
"This is not about my age. This is about my vote."
--Violet Palmer, 92
The council said repealing the ban was "in the overall interest of the Denton taxpayers to repeal the ordinance strategically." They added that the decision "was not taken lightly" by the Council, which voted 6-1, "balancing all concerns and concluding the litigation on the matter."
Ahead of the City Council meeting, Palmer said of the state's influence on the local ban, "I didn't think it could happen here...To have their vote just taken away, just destroyed, ignored, destroyed, and it was very upsetting."
"This is not about my age," she said of her protest. "This is about my vote."
The Palmer family said this is the first time that she had been arrested. Her mugshot, below, was posted online:
\u201c06/16/2015 09:20:18\nViolet, 92 yrs old \u2649\nCRIM TRESPASS\nOBSTRUCTING HIGHWAY PASSAGEWAY\nhttps://t.co/rWrSAYThKV\u201d— Arrests by @DentonPD (@Arrests by @DentonPD) 1434472475
Lauren McCauley
Lauren McCauley is a former senior editor for Common Dreams covering national and international politics and progressive news. She is now the Editor of Maine Morning Star. Lauren also helped produce a number of documentary films, including the award-winning Soundtrack for a Revolution and The Hollywood Complex, as well as one currently in production about civil rights icon James Meredith. Her writing has been featured on Newsweek, BillMoyers.com, TruthDig, Truthout, In These Times, and Extra! the newsletter of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. She currently lives in Kennebunk, Maine with her husband, two children, a dog, and several chickens.
92-year-old Violet Palmer of Denton, Texas, said she was moved to act after the state, overriding the people's will, passed a law forbidding municipalities from enacting fracking bans.
On Tuesday, Palmer, her 64-year-old son Theron, and a small group of activists were arrested for protesting at the gates of Denton's first new drilling site since residents voted overwhelmingly to ban the practice last November.
"Really, there is so little I can do, but I do it by protesting," said Palmer, who is partially blind. "I did feel compelled. I feel like I must do something."
According to a local NBC affiliate, when officers arrived at the Vantage Energy drill site, "they found Theron Palmer had chained himself to the gate, and his mother had placed a rocking chair next to him. After officers warned the duo, Theron Palmer was cut free, and both were taken into custody."
Violet Palmer was reportedly released a short time later with no bond, while her son was released with a $500 bond for trespassing and a $1,000 bond for obstructing a highway.
On Wednesday morning, the Denton City Council announced it had voted to repeal the local fracking ban. The council cited the city's pending lawsuits and the new state law as reasons for the decision.
"This is not about my age. This is about my vote."
--Violet Palmer, 92
The council said repealing the ban was "in the overall interest of the Denton taxpayers to repeal the ordinance strategically." They added that the decision "was not taken lightly" by the Council, which voted 6-1, "balancing all concerns and concluding the litigation on the matter."
Ahead of the City Council meeting, Palmer said of the state's influence on the local ban, "I didn't think it could happen here...To have their vote just taken away, just destroyed, ignored, destroyed, and it was very upsetting."
"This is not about my age," she said of her protest. "This is about my vote."
The Palmer family said this is the first time that she had been arrested. Her mugshot, below, was posted online:
\u201c06/16/2015 09:20:18\nViolet, 92 yrs old \u2649\nCRIM TRESPASS\nOBSTRUCTING HIGHWAY PASSAGEWAY\nhttps://t.co/rWrSAYThKV\u201d— Arrests by @DentonPD (@Arrests by @DentonPD) 1434472475
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