Protesters against an Ohio law criminalizing anti-pipeline protest filled the hall outside a hearing room in the statehouse Wednesday. (Photo: screenshot/Tyler Buchanan/Twitter)
Jan 29, 2020
Demonstrators filled the halls near a hearing room in the Ohio statehouse Wednesday to make their opposition to a bill criminalizing protest that ultimately passed through the state House Public Utilities Committee and is now headed to the floor.
"You aren't the people's government! You're the oil and gas industry's government!"
--Ohio demonstrator
The legislation, Senate Bill 33, institutes stiff penalties for demonstrations that cause damage to infrastructure--a standard that the bill's opponents say is aimed at stopping protests against pipelines and other fossil fuel projects.
"It's meant to intimidate us into not using our voice," Rev. Marian E. Stewart of the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbus told the Columbus Dispatch on Wednesday.
As the Dispatch reported, the legislation is part of a pattern in states looking to curtail the right to protest fossil fuel infrastructure:
Ten states so far have enacted similar laws, starting in the wake of 2016's protests of the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota to which Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers were dispatched. It would make it a first-degree misdemeanor to "knowingly enter or remain on" pipeline rights of way even when they're on public land or when protesters have property owners' permission to be there.
It also would make it a third-degree felony to "knowingly destroy or improperly tamper with" a pipeline or other critical infrastructure. But its supporters in October wouldn't define "tamper."
Further, the bill would subject groups to which people committing such felonies belong to fines of up to $100,000 -- an amount that could devastate nonprofit environmental groups and churches, the bill's critics say.
Protesters in the hearing room voiced their disapproval.
"You aren't the people's government," shouted one demonstrator. "You're the oil and gas industry's government!"
The demonstration continued outside of the hearing room.
\u201cCrowd at the Ohio Statehouse protesting a bill that would create tougher penalties for people who protest at places considered \u201ccritical infrastructure\u201d ... this can impact pro-environmental protests at pipelines for example\u201d— Andy Chow (@Andy Chow) 1580318082
\u201chttps://t.co/PIIp1R5pN7\u201d— Tyler Buchanan (@Tyler Buchanan) 1580316397
The bill passed out of committee largely along party lines with Republicans in favor of the legislation.
Advocates hope to pressure the full state House to reject the bill.
"We the people have the right to protest," said one opponent of the bill.
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Demonstrators filled the halls near a hearing room in the Ohio statehouse Wednesday to make their opposition to a bill criminalizing protest that ultimately passed through the state House Public Utilities Committee and is now headed to the floor.
"You aren't the people's government! You're the oil and gas industry's government!"
--Ohio demonstrator
The legislation, Senate Bill 33, institutes stiff penalties for demonstrations that cause damage to infrastructure--a standard that the bill's opponents say is aimed at stopping protests against pipelines and other fossil fuel projects.
"It's meant to intimidate us into not using our voice," Rev. Marian E. Stewart of the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbus told the Columbus Dispatch on Wednesday.
As the Dispatch reported, the legislation is part of a pattern in states looking to curtail the right to protest fossil fuel infrastructure:
Ten states so far have enacted similar laws, starting in the wake of 2016's protests of the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota to which Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers were dispatched. It would make it a first-degree misdemeanor to "knowingly enter or remain on" pipeline rights of way even when they're on public land or when protesters have property owners' permission to be there.
It also would make it a third-degree felony to "knowingly destroy or improperly tamper with" a pipeline or other critical infrastructure. But its supporters in October wouldn't define "tamper."
Further, the bill would subject groups to which people committing such felonies belong to fines of up to $100,000 -- an amount that could devastate nonprofit environmental groups and churches, the bill's critics say.
Protesters in the hearing room voiced their disapproval.
"You aren't the people's government," shouted one demonstrator. "You're the oil and gas industry's government!"
The demonstration continued outside of the hearing room.
\u201cCrowd at the Ohio Statehouse protesting a bill that would create tougher penalties for people who protest at places considered \u201ccritical infrastructure\u201d ... this can impact pro-environmental protests at pipelines for example\u201d— Andy Chow (@Andy Chow) 1580318082
\u201chttps://t.co/PIIp1R5pN7\u201d— Tyler Buchanan (@Tyler Buchanan) 1580316397
The bill passed out of committee largely along party lines with Republicans in favor of the legislation.
Advocates hope to pressure the full state House to reject the bill.
"We the people have the right to protest," said one opponent of the bill.
Demonstrators filled the halls near a hearing room in the Ohio statehouse Wednesday to make their opposition to a bill criminalizing protest that ultimately passed through the state House Public Utilities Committee and is now headed to the floor.
"You aren't the people's government! You're the oil and gas industry's government!"
--Ohio demonstrator
The legislation, Senate Bill 33, institutes stiff penalties for demonstrations that cause damage to infrastructure--a standard that the bill's opponents say is aimed at stopping protests against pipelines and other fossil fuel projects.
"It's meant to intimidate us into not using our voice," Rev. Marian E. Stewart of the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbus told the Columbus Dispatch on Wednesday.
As the Dispatch reported, the legislation is part of a pattern in states looking to curtail the right to protest fossil fuel infrastructure:
Ten states so far have enacted similar laws, starting in the wake of 2016's protests of the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota to which Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers were dispatched. It would make it a first-degree misdemeanor to "knowingly enter or remain on" pipeline rights of way even when they're on public land or when protesters have property owners' permission to be there.
It also would make it a third-degree felony to "knowingly destroy or improperly tamper with" a pipeline or other critical infrastructure. But its supporters in October wouldn't define "tamper."
Further, the bill would subject groups to which people committing such felonies belong to fines of up to $100,000 -- an amount that could devastate nonprofit environmental groups and churches, the bill's critics say.
Protesters in the hearing room voiced their disapproval.
"You aren't the people's government," shouted one demonstrator. "You're the oil and gas industry's government!"
The demonstration continued outside of the hearing room.
\u201cCrowd at the Ohio Statehouse protesting a bill that would create tougher penalties for people who protest at places considered \u201ccritical infrastructure\u201d ... this can impact pro-environmental protests at pipelines for example\u201d— Andy Chow (@Andy Chow) 1580318082
\u201chttps://t.co/PIIp1R5pN7\u201d— Tyler Buchanan (@Tyler Buchanan) 1580316397
The bill passed out of committee largely along party lines with Republicans in favor of the legislation.
Advocates hope to pressure the full state House to reject the bill.
"We the people have the right to protest," said one opponent of the bill.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.