URGENT: Help Our Brothers and Sisters in West Virginia.

July 31, 2012

July 31, 2012

Dustin Steele

Twenty environmental activists are jailed in West Virginia after the Radical Action for Mountain People’s Survival kicked off Saturday. The RAMPS campaign successfully shut down the largest mountaintop removal site in a bold, unapologetic and historic direct action in front of Appalachia’s Hobet Mine.

The activists are being held on charges of obstruction and trespassing with a bond of about $25,000 each. The diligent activists at the RAMPS campaign need to raise a combined bail of $500,000 to get their friends out of jail.

Some of these activists have sustained injuries from the cops. Arrestee Dustin Steele was beaten by the cops while is custody.

“While we believe that these bail amounts are unconstitutionally excessive and may ultimately be reduced, we need to raise as much money as we possibly can to support those brave individuals who have put their bodies on the line to put a halt to the injustice of mountaintop removal mining. According to Dustin, he was taken into a room and beaten by law enforcement while in custody. Witnesses have reported that other protesters were brutalized by law enforcement while being taken into custody. We need to work to ensure that anyone who wants to get out of jail can do so as soon as possible.”

The Tar Sands Blockade stands in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in West Virginia as part of the Summer of Solidarity movement.