We believe that laws should protect the common good and the community, not corporate interests, and particularly not foreign corporate interests. (Photo: Four Necessity Valve Turners)
Taking Nonviolent Action in Defense of Mother Earth
Our case will be tried before a twelve-person jury, who will decide whether ours was an act of criminality or one of necessity. But the last word will not come from the jury, the judge, or the lawmakers.
In February 4 of this year, four farmers and Catholic workers from the Midwest, myself included, attempted to shut off the flow of deadly, poisonous tar sands oil through Minnesota and the treaty territory of several Ojibwe nations. As the "Four Necessity Valve Turners," we felt compelled to take this necessary, nonviolent action in the face of the imminent threat of the climate crisis - which, according the United Nations' October 2018 report, requires an immediate response.
Given the dramatic failure by governmental bodies to adequately respond to this threat, we felt, as people of faith, that we had to act. Our intent was to responsibly call for a "timeout" from the pumping of poison through the heart of Mother Earth.
Our group - which besides myself includes Brenna Cussen-Anglada, Allyson Polman and Daniel Yildirim - was fully informed of the safest way to proceed with the shutdown process. We put no one in danger. We called Enbridge Energy Corporation (a Canadian company) before attempting to close the valve ourselves, suggesting that they shut off the pressure remotely, which they did. We took responsibility for our action, and waited for the police to arrive. We were charged with a felony and a misdemeanor, and we intend to invoke the necessity defense at our trial.
Actions such as these - combined with a strong Indigenous-led frontline resistance movement, pushback from the nonprofit environmental movement, and the development of new community-based viable green energy projects - seem to be scaring fossil fuel industries. That's why they are insisting on harsher criminal charges, prosecution and consequences.
Since 2016, about three dozen states across the country have considered bills and executive orders explicitly designed to stop dissent against the fossil fuel industry.
Since 2016, about three dozen states across the country have considered bills and executive orders explicitly designed to stop dissent against the fossil fuel industry. Many focus on pipelines that pump tar sands crude oil from Canada through the United States and out to foreign markets.
In March the South Dakota legislature passed and Republican Gov. Kristi Noem signed SB 189, the "Riot-Boosting" bill, which targets anyone who participates in, supports, or encourages protest against pipeline construction infrastructure. In Minnesota, Enbridge has spent 11 million dollars lobbying lawmakers and the state's public utilities commissioners to push forward its Line 3 expansion project, which runs through pristine Mississippi headwaters and wild rice lakes.
Last year, the Minnesota House and Senate passed a punitive bill to end a state water quality standard designed to protect wild rice that was (thankfully) vetoed by then-Governor Mark Dayton. However, with the recent delay in obtaining the necessary permits for Enbridge to go forward with construction, stronger bills against dissent are heading towards the legislature in hopes that current Governor Tim Walz will capitulate. (Both Dayton and Waltz are Democrats.)
We believe that laws should protect the common good and the community, not corporate interests, and particularly not foreign corporate interests.
As for the Four Necessity Valve Turners, our case will be tried before a twelve-person jury, who will decide whether ours was an act of criminality or one of necessity. But the last word will not come from the jury, the judge, or the lawmakers. It will come from our Mother Earth herself.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
In February 4 of this year, four farmers and Catholic workers from the Midwest, myself included, attempted to shut off the flow of deadly, poisonous tar sands oil through Minnesota and the treaty territory of several Ojibwe nations. As the "Four Necessity Valve Turners," we felt compelled to take this necessary, nonviolent action in the face of the imminent threat of the climate crisis - which, according the United Nations' October 2018 report, requires an immediate response.
Given the dramatic failure by governmental bodies to adequately respond to this threat, we felt, as people of faith, that we had to act. Our intent was to responsibly call for a "timeout" from the pumping of poison through the heart of Mother Earth.
Our group - which besides myself includes Brenna Cussen-Anglada, Allyson Polman and Daniel Yildirim - was fully informed of the safest way to proceed with the shutdown process. We put no one in danger. We called Enbridge Energy Corporation (a Canadian company) before attempting to close the valve ourselves, suggesting that they shut off the pressure remotely, which they did. We took responsibility for our action, and waited for the police to arrive. We were charged with a felony and a misdemeanor, and we intend to invoke the necessity defense at our trial.
Actions such as these - combined with a strong Indigenous-led frontline resistance movement, pushback from the nonprofit environmental movement, and the development of new community-based viable green energy projects - seem to be scaring fossil fuel industries. That's why they are insisting on harsher criminal charges, prosecution and consequences.
Since 2016, about three dozen states across the country have considered bills and executive orders explicitly designed to stop dissent against the fossil fuel industry.
Since 2016, about three dozen states across the country have considered bills and executive orders explicitly designed to stop dissent against the fossil fuel industry. Many focus on pipelines that pump tar sands crude oil from Canada through the United States and out to foreign markets.
In March the South Dakota legislature passed and Republican Gov. Kristi Noem signed SB 189, the "Riot-Boosting" bill, which targets anyone who participates in, supports, or encourages protest against pipeline construction infrastructure. In Minnesota, Enbridge has spent 11 million dollars lobbying lawmakers and the state's public utilities commissioners to push forward its Line 3 expansion project, which runs through pristine Mississippi headwaters and wild rice lakes.
Last year, the Minnesota House and Senate passed a punitive bill to end a state water quality standard designed to protect wild rice that was (thankfully) vetoed by then-Governor Mark Dayton. However, with the recent delay in obtaining the necessary permits for Enbridge to go forward with construction, stronger bills against dissent are heading towards the legislature in hopes that current Governor Tim Walz will capitulate. (Both Dayton and Waltz are Democrats.)
We believe that laws should protect the common good and the community, not corporate interests, and particularly not foreign corporate interests.
As for the Four Necessity Valve Turners, our case will be tried before a twelve-person jury, who will decide whether ours was an act of criminality or one of necessity. But the last word will not come from the jury, the judge, or the lawmakers. It will come from our Mother Earth herself.
In February 4 of this year, four farmers and Catholic workers from the Midwest, myself included, attempted to shut off the flow of deadly, poisonous tar sands oil through Minnesota and the treaty territory of several Ojibwe nations. As the "Four Necessity Valve Turners," we felt compelled to take this necessary, nonviolent action in the face of the imminent threat of the climate crisis - which, according the United Nations' October 2018 report, requires an immediate response.
Given the dramatic failure by governmental bodies to adequately respond to this threat, we felt, as people of faith, that we had to act. Our intent was to responsibly call for a "timeout" from the pumping of poison through the heart of Mother Earth.
Our group - which besides myself includes Brenna Cussen-Anglada, Allyson Polman and Daniel Yildirim - was fully informed of the safest way to proceed with the shutdown process. We put no one in danger. We called Enbridge Energy Corporation (a Canadian company) before attempting to close the valve ourselves, suggesting that they shut off the pressure remotely, which they did. We took responsibility for our action, and waited for the police to arrive. We were charged with a felony and a misdemeanor, and we intend to invoke the necessity defense at our trial.
Actions such as these - combined with a strong Indigenous-led frontline resistance movement, pushback from the nonprofit environmental movement, and the development of new community-based viable green energy projects - seem to be scaring fossil fuel industries. That's why they are insisting on harsher criminal charges, prosecution and consequences.
Since 2016, about three dozen states across the country have considered bills and executive orders explicitly designed to stop dissent against the fossil fuel industry.
Since 2016, about three dozen states across the country have considered bills and executive orders explicitly designed to stop dissent against the fossil fuel industry. Many focus on pipelines that pump tar sands crude oil from Canada through the United States and out to foreign markets.
In March the South Dakota legislature passed and Republican Gov. Kristi Noem signed SB 189, the "Riot-Boosting" bill, which targets anyone who participates in, supports, or encourages protest against pipeline construction infrastructure. In Minnesota, Enbridge has spent 11 million dollars lobbying lawmakers and the state's public utilities commissioners to push forward its Line 3 expansion project, which runs through pristine Mississippi headwaters and wild rice lakes.
Last year, the Minnesota House and Senate passed a punitive bill to end a state water quality standard designed to protect wild rice that was (thankfully) vetoed by then-Governor Mark Dayton. However, with the recent delay in obtaining the necessary permits for Enbridge to go forward with construction, stronger bills against dissent are heading towards the legislature in hopes that current Governor Tim Walz will capitulate. (Both Dayton and Waltz are Democrats.)
We believe that laws should protect the common good and the community, not corporate interests, and particularly not foreign corporate interests.
As for the Four Necessity Valve Turners, our case will be tried before a twelve-person jury, who will decide whether ours was an act of criminality or one of necessity. But the last word will not come from the jury, the judge, or the lawmakers. It will come from our Mother Earth herself.