TransCanada has only continued to jeopardize the safety of our friends as we move forward on the fourth day of our sustained tree-sit. A worker operating a feller buncher, a heavy machinery used for clear-cutting forests, attempted to drop a felled tree on a peaceful blockader late Tuesday.
After Tuesday’s incident in which blockader’s witnessed TransCanada supervisors actively encouraging the torture of two peaceful blockaders, they immediately turned their heavy machinery back on and continued to plow toward nine people in a tree blockade. Before they could get close enough to the 80-foot-high tree village, a team of four nonviolent blockaders intent on protecting the safety of their friends, and stopping TransCanada’s reckless clear-cutting machinery intercepted them.
When approached in plain sight by the members of Tar Sands Blockade the TransCanada 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.”
“We are here on the front lines of the fight to stop tar sands extraction, and we need more people to join us here because they are trying plow right through us.”
TransCanada’s spokesman, David Dodson, told the Huffington Post a different interpretation of the video evidence:
TransCanada has “standing instructions to contractors that they are to stand down when confronted by an activist and I have to assume that’s what happened here,” he said.
The operator “stops and he considers what he’s doing,” Dodson said. “He lays [the log] down as gently as he can, and that’s where the video ends.”
Below is a personal account of from the Tar Sands Blockader member, J.G. Genson, who was almost struck by the falling tree:
After Tuesday’s lockdown action had been cleared up [TransCanada] finished the timber bridge, and we heard that a feller buncher was approaching. We went out there, and saw two TransCanada supervisors with vests and hard hats, standing 100-feet from a feller buncher. It was clear they had seen us, and they were filming us the whole time.
We moved in right after we saw that the feller buncher had cut a tree and dropped it, so we knew the feller buncher wasn’t about to drop another tree and we could approach.
We approached slowly in plain sight of the TransCanada supervisors, keeping in mind that it was a dangerous situation. We walked past the supervisors calmly, and got about 60-feet from the feller buncher.
That’s when the feller buncher began to back up. I thought, “OK, the supervisors have radioed him, and told him to back up because there are peaceful blockaders approaching,” but instead of leaving he turns and cuts a dead tree that falls into four big pieces, and he threatens us by dropping the lower section in our general direction.
We are 50-feet away at this point. On the machine it says stay back 500-feet. We are trying to stop this feller buncher from cutting the trees and building this pipeline, and advancing toward the wall [40-foot-high timber scaffolding where sitters are nearby], so we began walking towards it again.
He cut a very tall tree and swung it around, pointing it right at us like a loaded gun. I’m thinking, “This guy thinks we’re just going to run away,” and I wanted him to know that we’re not here to run away, we’re here to stop this dangerous project, so I sat down. I knew that the operator had full control over that tree, because the machine has a tight grip like a fist around the tree trunks, and it will only let go of that tree when it wants to.
The operator kept that tree pointed at us for what seemed like forever. It felt like he was aiming a loaded gun at me and would pull the trigger any second. Then he turned it back a bit, and basically dropped the tree. As it fell it hit another tree which broke and fell straight towards me. I managed to roll out of the way right before the top of the tree slammed down right were I had been sitting. Others were right next me. The operator fully retreated back across the bridge, and regrouped with the supervisors.
After that, two supervisors hung around and filmed us, telling us that the cops would be here soon.
We went back and retook the bridge where are our friends did the lockdown earlier in the day. We had effectively run them off because it was the end of work day.
****
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Fateh Singh
September 27, 2012 at 6:35 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Keep reporting and logging these incidents!
alma terry robinson
September 27, 2012 at 6:52 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
This is happening in Texas, isn’t it?
Will there be a lawsuit filed?
alma terry robinson
September 27, 2012 at 6:53 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Is this in Texas? Will there be a law suit filed?
jd
September 27, 2012 at 9:59 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Yes they should be one filed, aimed at the protesters for stupidity.
jd
September 27, 2012 at 10:00 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
I know it will not be posted because it is not in your favor.
Caroline K.
September 28, 2012 at 1:04 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
People are so ignorant sometimes. They don’t realize that the oil companies pollute wherever they go, and do only minimal cleanup, make huge profits, and are given government subsidies to do this on top of their huge profits. The average person is the one affected by the pollution and their local economy and health, and studies show very few jobs are ever generated for any length of time, or really at all. Yet, there are still people who defend the oil industry like it is something good for us. Some people are very slow to catch on, and don’t realize they are shooting their families and themselves in the foot. It is so sad.
I hold all of you standing for the betterment of the Earth in my heart. Cheers to you!
Doug Grandt
September 28, 2012 at 1:16 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Keeping a constant vigil hoping nobody gets hurt in this ultimate show down in the tree tops and on the ground.
wizardjian
September 28, 2012 at 6:50 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
This is pure madness, not only do that wish to create a pipeline to our demise. Now they are ignoring our pleads and trample all over us. What happened to all the so called “Justice?” Is this really the America we know and love? What happened to the so called “Land of the free?” Or is this freedom being taken over by people who are consumed by greed? Answer me oh government, where has thy gone!
high pr backlinks
October 9, 2012 at 7:43 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
[...]usually posts some quite interesting stuff like this. If you are new to this site[...]
seo blasts
October 9, 2012 at 9:17 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
[...]the time to read or pay a visit to the material or web-sites we have linked to below the[...]
When Big Oil Attacks « Earth First! Newswire
September 27, 2012 at 7:44 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
[...] Tuesday afternoon in East Texas, after police brutally tortured two protesters locked to a backhoe and workers resumed destruction of the forest, members of the Tar Sands Blockade, determined not to be deterred by violence, moved in to try and stop work again. One activist sat down in front of a feller buncher, a hideous machine used to rapidly cut down smaller trees, and, after making eye contact with the worker, almost had a tree dropped on him. The video shows it all, and you can read the activist’s own telling of the incident here. [...]
VIDEO: TransCanada Machine Operator Attempts to Drop Tree on Peaceful Blockader « It's Getting Hot In Here
September 27, 2012 at 8:06 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
[...] From the Tar Sands Blockade’s website down in Texas: [...]
BREAKING: Two People Lock Themselves to Keystone XL Machinery to Defend Eight People in Tree Village (Day 2) » Tar Sands Blockade
September 28, 2012 at 3:12 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
[...] “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. [...]
Tree Cutting Machines Within 20 Feet of Nine Blockaders in Trees in Path of Keystone XL (Day 3) » Tar Sands Blockade
September 28, 2012 at 3:50 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
[...] VIDEO: TransCanada Worker Attempts to Drop Tree on Peaceful Blockader (Day 4) » [...]
From the Woods: Tar Sands blockade update « Earth First! Newswire
September 29, 2012 at 1:48 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
[...] (which might’ve been the same guy operating the backhoe) decided to fell another tree and drop it right on my friend’s head. This demonstrates antisocial and potentially murderous behavior and this guy clearly should be [...]
From The Trees (Day 7) » Tar Sands Blockade
September 30, 2012 at 10:45 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
[...] despite the serious danger. I thought of the day before, when the same machine operator nearly crushed our friend with a fallen tree. I was scared for their lives. I wished for this insanity and devastation to stop. But the machine [...]
Tree Blockade Weathers an Intense Week (Day 8) » Tar Sands Blockade
October 1, 2012 at 2:27 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
[...] of blockaders. TransCanada worker then attempted to drop a felled tree on a peaceful blockader. Watch the video here and see if you have a different interpretation from what TransCanada spokesperson told the [...]
Tree Blockade Weathers an Intense Week (Day 8) | OccuWorld
October 1, 2012 at 3:50 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
[...] 4: Video: TransCanada Worker Attempts to Drop Tree on Peaceful Blockader On Thursday, we learned that a TransCanada worker attempted to drop a felled tree on top of a [...]
Love and Rebellion in the East Texas Woods « Earth First! Newswire
October 2, 2012 at 6:02 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
[...] on the internet do it no justice. Down below the pods, hideous monsters in the form of massive feller bunchers and dozers fill the air with the heinous sounds of corporate ecocide: mechanical whirs, sawing, and [...]
Why Solar Is Expensive | TP Energy Blog
October 8, 2012 at 1:04 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
[...] the panels’ worth. As protesters try to interrupt construction of the pipeline, workers try to drop a tree on them. When confronted with protesters against solar panels, the companies promise to clean up the [...]
Video: What Its Like on the Ground Defending the Tree Blockade (Day 19) » Tar Sands Blockade
October 12, 2012 at 7:32 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
[...] below the tree blockade, hideous monsters in the form of massive feller bunchers and dozers fill the air with the heinous sounds of corporate ecocide: mechanical whirs, sawing, [...]
Video: What Its Like on the Ground Defending the Tree Blockade (Day 19) | OccuWorld
October 22, 2012 at 2:40 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
[...] below the tree blockade, hideous monsters in the form of massive feller bunchers and dozers fill the air with the heinous sounds of corporate ecocide: mechanical whirs, sawing, [...]
Tree Blockade Sustains an Entire Month of Resistance! » Tar Sands Blockade
October 24, 2012 at 12:02 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
[...] Day 4 – Thursday, Sept. 27: Blockaders continue to stop some clear-cutting machines, and TransCanada workers continue to disregard federal safety regulations in full view of TransCanada supervisors who simply watch with video cameras. Other feller bunchers cut as close as 20 feet to the blockade. [...]
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November 9, 2012 at 7:18 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
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