More on the climate change protest

The protest that Ashvegas told you about over the weekend happened, though apparently the protesters had a hard time getting their act together.

WLOS reported that the protesters had planned on demonstrating outside the Progress Energy plant in south Asheville, but then ended up protesting outside the Bank of America branch downtown on Patton Avenue. The protesters claimed Progress Energy was never their target, but the Citizen-Times reported that there was dissent among the protesters ranks and even kicked someone out of their group.

Who knows. This blog from some of the activists gives this account:

This past weekend over 100 activists converged outside of Asheville for the Southeast Convergence for Climate ActionThe camp was hosted by Southern Energy Network, Rising Tide, the Nuclear Information Resource Service (NIRS), and Energy Justice Summer.

The Convergence was a week of trainings, workshops, and strategy sessions focused on building a no-compromise movement against the fossil fuel industry and “false solutions” to climate change like nuclear energy, “clean coal,” and carbon trading.

Today our friends at Climate Convergence took a bold direct action against Bank of America over concerns regarding their investment throughout the coal cycle and their promotion of climate injustice.

Two activists locked down inside the main lobby and other activists blockaded the entrance to the downtown branch of Bank of America. The protest included a large, lively group of concerned citizens dressed as canaries and polar bears.

Activists carried signs and banners that read: “Bank of America Stop Funding Climate Change,” “Bank of America Stop Mountaintop Removal,” “No Coal, No Nukes, No Kidding” “Bank of America Climate Criminal.”

WLOSers covered the protest pretty extensively, showing the protesters and their signs. Some were wearing polar bear heads. Others were dressed like canaries i.e. canaries in a coal mine. WLOSers showed video of Asheville police totally decked out in riot gear, with helmets and body armor. WLOSers quoted one protester as saying the cops used Tasers on two or three activists. The cops said nobody was Tasered.

WLOSers said that after the bank protest, the group walked down to the Buncombe County jail, where Sheriff Van Duncan came out and talked to them and told them where they could peacefully protest.

Here are flickr photos posted by the protesters

Comments

[Don Talley]

Environmentalism Requires Responsibility....and Credibility.....The issues are far too important to be playing games....and creating diversions instead of solutions....

For the past 3 decades, countless numbers of citizens have labored in the trenches to create real solutions aimed at combatting the destruction of our environment. In the seventies, publicity stunts were a first step to raising awareness. The seventies ended over 25 years ago.

Today is 2007. Environmentalism has now moved into the conciousness of every single citizen in our country. For 3 decades, environmentalists have layed down there placards and have actually begun crafting solutions and alternative energy sources.

Environmentalism is no longer the realm of protesters who simply cast stones and call on the power structures to bow down, to listen, and to change their policies because someone in a canary costume closes down a bank.

Wake Up Concerned Environmentalists!!!!!

If you want to change the world you have to "Become the change"....you have to get off the streets and actually work to create solutions rather than "demanding" the bank presidents, politicians, and corporate investors solve our problems.

YOU have the ability to make a difference by joining local environmental groups who have a proven record of results and who desperately need you help.

Reject self-serving, attention-grabbing, approaches which have a 30 year track record of failure and which only serve as obstacles to real progress.

Before putting on a Canary costume, before chaining yourself inside a bank, THINK !!!!!

And...before speaking out...GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT.....before diverting our energies by false claims of taser use...think about how hard true environmentalist have worked to acheive credibility and what damage you are doing to the bigger picture????

I'm sorry you missed the 1970's but please, for our planets sake, learn something from history.

Invest your time, energy, brains, and bucks in something other than poorly-planned, poorly-executed publicity stunts which are doomed to failure....