LA Pipeline Protesters Break out 'Sleeping Dragon' Move Against Police
They aren’t wailing like banshees or being violent. But these protesters have found yet another way to annoy the locals and cause problems.
In Louisiana, protesters against the Bayou Bridge Pipeline have been employing a number of tactics for years in their attempt to stop the final part of its construction. But one move in particular is getting a lot of attention lately.
According to The Daily Caller, Iberville Parish Sheriff Brett Stassi has been dealing with the protesters and their methods of demonstrating.
“They pick a piece of machinery, a piece of the pipeline, and they attach theyself (sic) to it,” Stassi told The Daily Caller in a video interview.
“What they call a ‘Sleeping Dragon.'”
The tactic is found in the Earth First! Direct Action Handbook. It describes how protesters can make it difficult for law enforcement to remove them from a protest site by holding hand through barrels and pipe.
#EcoExtremists in Iberville Parish, Louisiana were arrested for attaching themselves to equipment to interfere with the construction of the Bayou Bridge Pipeline. No word yet on why one felt the need to dress like an old school bank robber… https://t.co/J8PegiWtrd pic.twitter.com/6FZ0WdUAeS
— Power The Future (@powerthefuture) July 5, 2018
The water protectors who shut down the crane yesterday wore red to call attention to the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women. Construction of the Bayou Bridge pipeline was halted for several hours. All three have been charged with felonies. #MMIW #NoBayuouBridge pic.twitter.com/vYI4ZAjGWh
— Leau Est La Vie Camp (@NoBayouBridge) October 4, 2018
It is then time-consuming and difficult for law enforcement to extricate the protesters and get them off the site.
Stassi told The Daily Caller that one big problem with the protesters is that many aren’t even local people.
“We’ve arrested approximately 17 people. Most of these protesters are not even from Louisiana. They come from all over the United States, as far as California,” he said. “We even arrested one from France.”
That may sound odd, but France actually does have a connection to the protesting, in a way. At least the name of a fund-raising group of protesters does.
The Daily Caller noted that the front-runner group of these protests is L’eau Est La Vie and on its GofundMe page, it has already raised more than $70,000 for this particular cause.
“…delays and work stoppages only serve to raise the cost of energy for everyone, while doing little if anything to protect the environment… conflict is how they raise their money.” #BayouBridgeFacts #NoBayouBridge #Pipelines #Protest #StopETPhttps://t.co/pKjrYFwN8d
— BayouBridgeFacts (@BayouBridge) October 10, 2018
While they are raising money and disrupting construction, the protesters are allegedly leaving trash in their wake — despite their claims of wanting to protect the environment.
Deputies say protesters of Bayou Bridge Pipeline are leaving litter in the Atchafalaya Basin #PositiveEnergy https://t.co/j49yxPNkjy pic.twitter.com/I66b82NgAQ
— Rich Johnson (@ricljo) November 2, 2018
Louisiana Judge Rules Bayou Bridge Pipeline Permit Is Illegal https://t.co/ZmuN07YB0O pic.twitter.com/0hJhXglzMz
— Democracy Now! (@democracynow) May 10, 2018
They are also living in a moving camp, in the forest, on makeshift tree house-like dwellings, in order to halt construction. The situation is dangerous for them and those who try to move them.
Living In The Forest And Risking Their Lives: The Extreme Measures Enviros Will Take To Stop A Crude Oil Pipeline
–https://t.co/ABy8xB8CkK
– The Daily Caller
9:13 PM 11/10/2018 | Energy
Jason Hopkins | Energy InvestigatorThe Bayou Bridge Pipeline, an 163-mile crude oi… pic.twitter.com/w1Af5ORy1Q
— FullMagazine❌ (@FullMagazineUS) November 11, 2018
And they are impacting the livelihood of the locals and the economics of the community.
“The people that work on these pipelines, they have a right to make a living too,” Stassie said.
“(The protesters) are putting the livelihood of some of these workers in jeopardy, and they’re putting their own selves in harm’s way.”
Supporters of the pipeline see the protesters as misinformed. One reason is that the monitored pipeline can be safer than transporting crude oil via other means such as truck and train.
Once pipelines begin operating, they are monitored around the clock. Operators have the ability to remotely mitigate issues and if necessary, shut down the pipeline within minutes. pic.twitter.com/ev9Lzj0IDp
— Infrastructure Now (@GAINNowAmerica) October 15, 2018
Another is the interest in further protecting the environment. Partnerships with environmentally minded organizations help achieve this.
#EnergyTransfer is proud to partner with #DucksUnlimited, #ConocoPhillips, and the South Lafourche Levee District to restore coastal wetlands in #Louisiana.#BayouBridgePipeline pic.twitter.com/dN5lVITcV1
— BayouBridgeFacts (@BayouBridge) October 2, 2018
According to The Daily Caller, the project has gotten a lot of support — and not only from locals, who are not happy with the antics of the protesters.
Despite the protests and lawsuits thus far, the project is expected to reach completion by the end of the year.
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