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Two People Lock Themselves to Keystone XL Machinery to Defend Eight People in Tree Blockade (Day 2)

September 25, 2012

September 25, 2012

UPDATE: 9:00 PM- Two Blockaders Arrested Have Been Released

Both Benjamin and Shannon have been released from Wood County jail. With their lockdown action, they were able to shut down construction at the site for most of the day. In doing so, they protected their friends, neighbors, and community from destruction by tar sands.

All eight tree-sitting blockaders remain 80 ft above the ground. With the help of their friends actions today, construction at the site has been effectively shut down for two days. More photos from today’s action on our flickr page.

UPDATE: 4:30PM – Tree Cutting Machines Have Left – Tree Blockade Successful For Another Day!

All of TransCanada’s heavy machinery has left the Keystone XL construction site outside Winnsboro, Texas. Thanks to Shannon and Benjamin for locking themselves to machinery earlier today we have successful delayed construction for most of the day! Everyday of delay allows us to bring to light how this pipeline endangers our water, our families, and the stability of our global climate.

UPDATE: 4:00PM – Tree Cutting Machines Have Retuned! – Organizers Approach to Stop Them

After Shannon and Benjamin were arrested for locking themselves to a excavator the machine has been removed from the Keystone XL construction site making way for the advancement of tree clear-cutting machinery. Organizers went to stop the machinery’s destruction in hopes of curbing their clear-cutting operation and protecting the tree village.

When approached in plain sight by the members of Tar Sands Blockade the TransCanada machinery operator refused to turn off his machine in accordance with Federal safety regulations. He continued to recklessly clear-cut trees in full view of TransCanada supervisors who simply watched with video cameras. The feller buncher operator made eye contact with blockaders, and proceeded to drop a tree near enough to them that blockader J.G Genson had to jump out of the way to avoid being slammed by the branches.

“It felt like he was aiming a loaded gun at me and would pull the trigger any second,” says J.G. Genson who had to leap out of the way to avoid being struck by the falling tree. “TransCanada has abandoned all safety protocols to plow this toxic pipeline through our homes at any cost.”  Watch this video and see for yourself. 

UPDATE: 3:30PM – Our Lockdown Has Ended with Two Arrests

Texas-born blockaders Shannon Beebe and Benjamin Franklin have been arrested after they locked themselves to a excavator at a Keystone XL construction site outside Winnsboro, Texas. Their heroic efforts delayed construction for most of the day and helped protect the eight people currently holding an sustained blockade in 80 foot tall trees in the path of the toxic pipeline.

Support Shannon and Benjamin with a generous donation to their legal support. We are a grassroots organization funded entirely by the generosity our supports. Thank you!

NOTE:  Shannon and Benjamin were tortured by police under the active encouragement of TransCanada. We reported on this horrific incident the following day after we were able to gain enough conclusive evidence to document the abuse.

UPDATE: 1:15PM – More Law Enforcement Officers Arrive

Three more law enforcement officers have joined the Wood County Sheriff at a Keystone XL construction site that has been effectively shut down by Texas born blockaders, Shannon and Benjamin. Join them in an upcoming action to help defend our homes form this toxic pipeline.

UPDATE: 12:00PM – Wood County Sheriff Has Arrived 

The Wood County Sheriff just arrived at the Keystone XL construction site that has effectively been shut down by two blockaders who have locked themselves to construction machinery. Today’s brave action is preventing TransCanada’s machinery from approaching an eight person indefinite tree blockade just over 300 yards away.

UPDATE: 11AM – Blockaders Have Stopped All Work At Keystone XL Construction Site

All work has been halted at a Keystone XL construction site outside Winnsboro, Texas. Two Texas-born blockaders have locked themselves to construction machinery, effectively halting all construction until further notice. Photos pending.
___
Two Texas-born Tar Sands Blockaders have locked themselves to a critical piece of machinery for Keystone XL construction in order to protect a tree village occupied by eight people in the tar sands pipeline’s path of devastation outside Winnsboro,Texas.

The two landowner advocates and climate justice organizers are risking arrest to delay deforesting work along the Keystone XL pipeline’s path, which threatens to destroy a magnificent tree village on property that TransCanada now claims ownership of through court action. The machinery involved, an excavator, was being used to build a bridge across a gully in the massive path of destruction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. WIthout the bridge construction has effectively been halted for the day. Help spread this breaking story  on Facebook and Twitter.

TransCanada’s heavy machinery has clear-cut its way within just over 300 yards of the 80-foot tall tree house village occupied by landowner advocates in the pathway of Keystone XL just outside Winnsboro, Texas. The eight people in trees have held strong despite the advancing roar of TransCanada’s clear cutting machinery and are determined to hold their blockade as long as needed.

This action is to protect the eight people sitting in trees, as their blockade enters its second day – the longest halt to construction since Tar Sands Blockade, which organized the tree sit, began in August.

Lake Dallas, Texas-born blockader Shannon Beebe, 26, has united with Houston-native and small business owner, Benjamin Franklin, 34, to support rural and neighboring communities who feel abused by TransCanada’s extremely aggressive land grabs and threatened by their toxic pipeline’s diluted bitumen slurry.

Franklin, whose family traces its lineage to pre-independence Texas, relates, “As someone who has a religious dedication to nonviolence, I have a duty to assist nonviolent tactics. This is a path to change that works. I had a childhood spent in the piney woods of Texas, and they contain a beauty that haunts me, still. Driving up here and then walking amongst the trees and their sitters reminded me of the beauty I experienced in childhood. That in and of itself is reason to be here defending it.”

He continues, “The theft and destruction of people’s homes, the contamination that’s likely to occur once the pipeline is completed, and the release of the carbon bomb that is the Athabascan tar sands formation make the need for action now unignorable.”
Tar Sands Blockade is a coalition of Texas and Oklahoma landowners and climate justice organizers using peaceful and sustained civil disobedience to stop the construction of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. We have already successfully shut down Keystone XL construction for about two-and-a-half days in Livingston, Saltillo, and Winnsboro.

Watch the high energy video from our recent actions and sign up to join us.

“The risk of inaction is far greater than the risk of taking action – even risky action like this,” suggests Ron Seifert, a Tar Sands Blockade spokesperson. “We are committed to undertaking a campaign of nonviolent civil disobedience to stop construction of Keystone XL, and Tar Sands Blockade will continue to protect the Winnsboro tree village. It is a symbol of all the homes and families crudely threatened by this tar sands pipeline. Sometimes, one must simply stand one’s ground in the face of eminent threats like those posed by this dangerous pipeline in order protect the health and safety of their families, loved ones, and that of their neighbors.”

Permanent link to this article: http://www.tarsandsblockade.org/tree-sit-day2/

21 comments

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  1. tejasbarrios

    September 25, 2012 at 5:15 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment

    Good work guys.

    1. RamseySprague

      September 25, 2012 at 5:30 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment

      WOOT!

  2. Doug Grandt

    September 25, 2012 at 6:06 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment

    Hope all are well and safe … the lavender cell walls will be soothing, and hopefully you will be out of harms way with huge messages sent to TransCanada, Barack Obama and all who are involved. Tar Sands Blockade be safe and effective!

  3. Doug Grandt

    September 25, 2012 at 6:08 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment

    Oops, make that Wood County … I trust the cell walls are lavender just like Franklin County.

  4. ronnie mitchell

    September 25, 2012 at 6:34 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment

    My sister and I own a house 10 miles north of Paris Tx. (I live in Washington State but she lives there) and I want to know if there is anything we can do to help. We don’t have money to give but we do have a house. Thanks for all you are doing HEROES ALL.

  5. kim hunter

    September 25, 2012 at 8:00 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment

    If they can ban fracking in countries and states citing contamination and seismic damage, tarsands bitumen extraction practices are much more toxic and devastating. Why not ban these practices? When so many proven alternatives exist today and are profitable for citizen and state, expanding these practices seem preposterous. To “move 2-4000 lbs of our Boreal Forest floor for ONE barrel of bitumen oil is absurd. To harvest and contaminate 3 barrels of water from national glaciers @ millions daily, stored, seeping toxic slew now seen from space, contaminating our waters and air each and every day is causing water security and disease concerns already. Our own gov. answer to the 7x cancer rates downstream is 20 years of litigation and unprecedented taxpayer subsidies to the “Oil Sands” (re-branded due to bad publicity?) Allowing the expansion of these unconventional dinosaur practices will drive us all over the cliff of extinction. The only motivation to endorse these practices must be the mandate of maniacal madmen, driven by greed. 806-oil-spill-Enbridge needs to maintain it’s 40 years worth of toxic seeping messes before they should be allowed to consider more bitumen pipes. Enbridge’s 40 year old chemical spill delays work in Regina (Leaderpost) I see bitumen is exempt from oil spill taxes in the US because “It isn’t even oil”(newyorktimes). When I read “Enbridge knew” years in advance of the compromised Kalamazoo line, I learned much about the practices of this company that now threaten BC and Canada’s entire west coast. 806-oil-spill-Enbridge admitted they can’t clean up their spills to the Review Panel. (Tyee) Their spill estimate were “not even for bitumen”.
    I can understand why people put their bodies on the line to stop the devastation from devouring their lives. The people of BC have the same threats looming, with over 1000 miles of 806-oil-spill-Enbridge / China owned Alberta bitumen pipe-dreams threatening our entire province. Threats to 700+ salmon bearing streams and creeks, traversing the most inaccessible seismically active lands in Canada, the Great Bear Rainforest and our entire west coast is at risk. And we saw how they “covered up” the highly accessible, populated Kalamazoo bitumen spill. Every town and city threatened including over 100 First Nations communities have submitted their official opposition.
    Sorry to go on, but people need to know about these issues because it seems our own public servants are not acting in the best interest of their citizens. I commend these activists for bringing these threats and these underhanded tyrannical bitumen practices to the forefront. “We didn’t evolve out of the stone age because we ran out of stones”.

    1. Andy

      September 26, 2012 at 6:55 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment

      !!! agreed…

      interesting about the exemption of bitumen from oil spill tax, didn’t know about this, will look it up though,

      cheers from Fernie.
      a

      1. Chris Young

        October 2, 2012 at 12:17 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment

        Thanks for that information about Enbridge. I’ve saved it for future reference. As someone with close friends on Vancouver Island and who has seen this beautiful part of the world, I will do my best to help protect it from the assaults of the tar sands companies. If anyone needs to be imprisoned for ecocide, it’s the execs at Enbridge, Trans Canada and the rest. They’re bringing on climate Armageddon at the same time as they destroy the local habitat.

  6. rc

    September 25, 2012 at 11:17 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment

    Hugs peace and joy, heroes – love y’all

  7. God

    September 26, 2012 at 4:45 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment

    People who actually do something, as opposed to whine about it, to change the world are worth the utmost respect. Karma is on your side, brothers and sisters.

  8. Andy

    September 26, 2012 at 6:50 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment

    LOVE the big smiles!!!
    you had me smiling all day as I followed your action.

    Thanks many times over from BC, Canada.

    ac

  9. tom

    September 26, 2012 at 12:39 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment

    Good on you guys, keep it up and stay safe
    Cheers

  10. Andy

    September 26, 2012 at 4:06 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment

    so, Democracy now is reporting that your two were tased and put in a choke hold as you were being arrested???????? is this true? seems to be excessive force? I am hoping that Democracy now was wrong?

  11. BSbafflesbrains

    September 26, 2012 at 4:25 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment

    Civil Disobedience is our best hope but vote third party this Nov. President Stein will cancel this disaster in the making. Vote Green!

  12. Skye O'keefe

    September 26, 2012 at 5:52 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment

    Thank you brave humans for doing what the rest of us are either afraid or unable to do. Solidarity!

  13. Mike

    September 26, 2012 at 7:07 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment

    Hi,

    I was wondering what the workers think of this action. As you know, we must organize the workers to create the revolution we need. It is their hearts and minds that we need to dominate. Please let me know your progress in organizing them and telling them what they need to think and do.

    1. Mike

      September 27, 2012 at 6:38 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment

      Also, I heard there is a mayor working on part of this resistance campaign. Is this true?? If so, he should definitely use his executive powers to stop this atrocity!

      1. Alice

        September 27, 2012 at 7:19 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment

        I don’t know how I feel about this, the world we live in is very complicated. Read this: http://libcom.org/library/you-cant-blow-up-social-relationship

  14. east texas

    September 26, 2012 at 9:38 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment

    Hello, I enjoy reading through your post. I wanted to
    write a little comment to support you.

  15. Allen Schreiber

    September 27, 2012 at 5:55 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment

    The Keystone XL Pipeline Fighters and Sandhills and Ogallala Aquifer Lovers of Nebraska stand with you!

  16. Chris Young

    October 2, 2012 at 12:03 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment

    I called the police department there and told them that millions were watching and would see that the police who torture non-violent protesters would be brought to justice.

    I also called Trans Canada and told them that the protesters were trying to prevent climate Armageddon and that there were fascist bastards. Sorry I couldn’t be more eloquent, but I think they got the message.

    Thanks to you both, you are true heroes. You have brought more attention to this issue than almost anything else could have. I’m sorry you had to go through that. Will contribute what I can to your fund. Please be careful, though. You have done far more than your share.

  1. Follow Up: Tar Sand Blockade in TX. Two more Brave Activists | EcoGreen Magazine

    September 25, 2012 at 6:42 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment

    [...] http://tarsandsblockade.org/tree-sit-day2/ [...]

  2. BREAKING: Two People Lock Themselves to Keystone XL Machinery to Defend in Tree Village | Warrior Publications

    September 25, 2012 at 8:23 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment

    [...] http://tarsandsblockade.org/tree-sit-day2/ [...]

  3. Activists Take To The Trees To Stop Keystone XL Pipeline in East Texas « Motley News and Photos

    September 26, 2012 at 3:42 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment

    [...] People Climb Trees And Start Indefinite Tree Sit to Stop Keystone XL (9/24) Tar Sands Blockade: BREAKING: Two People Lock Themselves to Keystone XL Machinery to Defend Eight People in Tree Village… Tar Sand Blockade photos on Flickr Politicus USA: Corrupt John Boehner Invested In Oil Companies [...]

  4. TransCanada Actively Encouraged Torture Tactics to be Used on Peaceful Protestors » Tar Sands Blockade

    September 26, 2012 at 4:48 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment

    [...] « BREAKING: Two People Lock Themselves to Keystone XL Machinery to Defend Eight People in Tree Village… [...]

  5. Two People Lock Themselves to Keystone XL Machinery to Defend Eight People in Tree Village | Rising Tide North America

    September 26, 2012 at 5:43 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment

    [...] [ in Announcements, RT Newswire ] Two People Lock Themselves to Keystone XL Machinery to Defend Eight People in Tree Village [...]

  6. Tar Sands Blockade: TransCanada Actively Encouraged Torture Tactics to be Used on Peaceful Protestors | Rising Tide North America

    September 26, 2012 at 5:57 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment

    [...] Bebe and Franklin were exercising their constitutional rights to nonviolent protest when they locked themselves to Keystone XL construction machinery outside Winnsboro, Texas and delayed construction for most of [...]

  7. TransCanada Actively Encouraged Torture Tactics to be Used on Peaceful Protestors « It's Getting Hot In Here

    September 26, 2012 at 6:01 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment

    [...] Bebe and Franklin were exercising their constitutional rights to nonviolent protest when they locked themselves to Keystone XL construction machinery outside Winnsboro, Texas and delayed construction for most of [...]

  8. TransCanada Actively Encouraged Torture Tactics to be Used on Peaceful Protestors (Day 3) | OccuWorld

    September 26, 2012 at 6:43 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment

    [...] Bebe and Franklin were exercising their constitutional rights to nonviolent protest when they locked themselves to Keystone XL construction machinery outside Winnsboro, Texas and delayed construction for most of [...]

  9. Nine People Continue Blockade in Path of Keystone XL for Third Successful Day (Day 3) » Tar Sands Blockade

    September 26, 2012 at 7:10 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment

    [...] Shannon Bebe and Benjamin Franklin delayed construction for most of the day when they locked arms around construction machinery, intent on protecting East [...]

  10. Texas Tar Sands Blockade Continues Despite Police Torture « Earth First! Newswire

    September 26, 2012 at 7:15 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment

    [...] 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, [...]

  11. TransCanada Actively Encouraged Torture Tactics to be Used on Peaceful Tar Sands Protesters | Climate Connections

    September 27, 2012 at 9:32 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment

    [...] Beebe and Franklin were exercising their constitutional rights to nonviolent protest when they locked themselves to Keystone XL construction machinery outside Winnsboro, Texas and delayed construction for most [...]

  12. TransCanada Actively Encouraged Torture Tactics to be Used on Peaceful Tar Sands Protesters | Mobilization for Climate Justice

    September 27, 2012 at 10:28 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment

    [...] Beebe and Franklin were exercising their constitutional rights to nonviolent protest when they locked themselves to Keystone XL construction machinery outside Winnsboro, Texas and delayed construction for most [...]

  13. VIDEO: TransCanada Worker Attempts to Drop Tree on Peaceful Blockader (Day 4) » Tar Sands Blockade

    September 28, 2012 at 2:48 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment

    [...] Tuesday’s lockdown action had been cleared up [TransCanada] finished the timber bridge, and we heard that a feller buncher [...]

  14. Tree Blockade Weathers an Intense Week (Day 8) » Tar Sands Blockade

    October 1, 2012 at 2:30 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment

    [...] Day 2: Benjamin and Shannon Tortured for Peaceful Protest Trying to Protect Tree Blockade [...]

  15. Tree Blockade Weathers an Intense Week (Day 8) | OccuWorld

    October 1, 2012 at 3:50 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment

    [...] Day 2: Benjamin and Shannon Tortured for Peaceful Protest Trying to Protect Tree Blockade [...]

  16. Root Force » Blog Archive » Updates from the Tar Sands Blockade

    October 3, 2012 at 12:47 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment

    [...] TransCanada continues in the Texas woods. In the past few days, two Tar Sands Blockade activists locked themselves to construction machinery to defend the tree village blockade. Both were arrested by police using brutal pain compliance [...]

  17. And Action! How the climate movement is changing the world this week » TckTckTck | the Global Campaign for Climate Action

    October 4, 2012 at 6:58 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment

    [...] building the Keystone XL. The standoff has lasted 9 days so far. Even though two other activists endured actual torture and intimidation techniques from Transcanada employees and Texas police deputies while protecting their friends, their message [...]

  18. A Firsthand Account of Shannon’s Retroactive Arrest » Tar Sands Blockade

    October 6, 2012 at 3:17 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment

    [...] Shannon and told her to get out because there was a warrant coming up from Wood County (where she locked down last week and was tortured by police). As soon as they got confirmation they arrested her and I [...]

  19. A Firsthand Account of Shannon’s Retroactive Arrest | OccuWorld

    October 6, 2012 at 5:40 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment

    [...] Shannon and told her to get out because there was a warrant coming up from Wood County (where she locked down last week and was tortured by police). As soon as they got confirmation they arrested her and I [...]

  20. My Homepage

    November 9, 2012 at 3:34 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment

    … [Trackback]…

    [...] Informations on that Topic: tarsandsblockade.org/tree-sit-day2/ [...]…

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