The ongoing campaign to stop Climate Crimes -- and the first non-violent direct action at a nuke in "Relapse" need your support -- significant fines and fees have already been awarded to the first to go before a judge -- please contribute what you are able -- we are appealing these unconstitutionally harsh sentences -- so need money for legal help too! If you know of legal resources in Virginia -- please contact Mary Olson -- 828-675-1702, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

please donate to legal support at www.asheville.risingtidenorthamerica.org

The Southeast Convergence for Climate Action [www.climateconvergence.org/southeast] August 5 -- 11, Louisa County VA -- a week-long educational / training event inspired two great actions:

On Thursday August 7, people from the local community and also folks from the Climate Convergence visited the North Anna Nuclear power station in Mineral VA -- and conducted a Truth Telling tour of the Visitor Center (adjacent to the reactor site). At Visitor Center closing time the protesters sat down and "occupied" the site in an effort to prevent further climate crimes by Dominion. Since nuclear energy cannot solve the climate crisis and yet costs more than any of the real solutions would -- it is a climate crime to misappropriate funds -- whether public or private -- when funds are so desperately needed for the real climate solutions (smart use of power to stop wasting energy, sustainable non-fuel power generation such as wind and solar and overall decentralization to community-based sustainable power generation to maximize efficiency) Thirty-five minutes later 6 of them were arrested for trespass. See below for further details.

The second action was on Monday, August 11 in Richmond, VA. Despite a massive police presence throughout the city and our major action plan derailed by law enforcement harassment, 50 activists snaked their way through Richmond today in an un-permitted march, paying visits to several climate criminals. Carrying banners reading, "No Nukes, No Coal, No Kidding" and "Social Change not Climate Change," people marched to the headquarters of Massey Energy, Dominion, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, and Bank of America.

At Massey Energy, a notorious coal company involved in mountaintop removal coal mining, activists surrounded the entrance and yelled, "Hands off our mountains!." The group then moved on to the Department of Environmental Quality which recently rubber stamped Dominion's dirty coal plant in Wise County, VA. Next the group brought the party to Dominion, who is building the aforementioned coal plant as well as proposing a new nuke plant in Louisa County, VA. Chanting "No coal, no nukes, we won't stop until you do!" the activists attempted to take over Dominion's plaza but were repelled by police on horses. In a show of interspecies solidarity one horse bucked a cop off its back.

To wrap things up for the day, the crowd moved on to the the towering Bank of America building, one of the largest funders of the coal industry. In impressive feat of stealth two activists manage to infiltrate the beefed up security at the building and locked to a sign outside of the customer entrance. Marchers supported the lockdown with a die in on the sidewalk. Police eventually cut free the two that were locked down and charged them with tresspassing.

All in all it was a great day. While the police may have foiled our original plans they couldn't stop us altogether. Pretty much every building in Richmond connected to a climate criminal had cops staked out at it and several activists cars were followed anywhere they went. Despite this we had a successful march and lockdown. Lets continue the struggle for climate justice in the southeast!

please donate to legal support at www.asheville.risingtidenorthamerica.org

All three protesters of Dominion Resources' planned new nuclear reactor in Louisa Virginia immediately appealed the unusually harsh sentences that were issued by a district judge on August 14.  The protesters were among 6 arrested for the Aug 7 non-violent takeover of the North Anna Nuclear Power plant information center. The three were subjected to fines and fees of over $1300 each in an effort by the county and state to recover the costs of the large police presence at the Southeast Climate Convergence.  "As peaceful protesters who have plead guilty to a misdemeanor trespassing charge I find these fines especially egregious considering these charges typically carry a $100 fine," said Darcy Georgia from WAND (Women's Action for a New Direction).

The Southeast Convergence for Climate action was a regional educational event focused on climate issues held in Louisa County on private land that was rented for the purpose. Camp leadership and the land owner met with the local authorities prior to the peaceful event, out of courtesy.

Spot Et Al, who was one of the protesters arrested, said "These fines are based on an association that the state never proved.  It is charging protestors for all of the costs of the police overtime spent on watching the Southeast Climate Convergence action camp when some of the protestors had no association with this camp.  Further, it is unconstitutional to base fines on the costs of errors in staffing made by the police," pointing out that the camp was completely peaceful, without even internal need for conflict resolution. Spot Et Al is part of the Charlottesville based CAGE action group.

The protesters were demanding that Dominion cease its plans to build an additional nuclear reactor at the North Anna site in central Virginia because they view it as a false solution to the Climate Crisis.  "Dominion should be thanking us for pointing out the failure in their climate change policies." Said Paxus Calta, one of the protestors charged with trespass and a member of the local group Peoples Alliance for Clean Energy (PACE) which supporters renewable alternatives and conservation solutions to the energy needs of the people of the region.

The remaining 3 protestors from the August 7 action are proceeding to a hearing. A second case is pending in Richmond proceeding from the non-violent lock-down of two young Climate Crisis protestors at Bank of America in downtown Richmond on Monday August 11.

Mary Olson
NIRS Southeast Regional Coordinator
Nuclear Information & Resource Service
PO Box 7586 
Asheville, NC 28802
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it   
www.nirs.org
828-675-1792
new cell -- 828-242-5621  (no signal at my office)

Nuclear Information & Resource Service
6930 Carroll Avenue, Suite 340,
Takoma Park, MD 20912
tel: 301-270-NIRS (301-270-6477);
fax: 301-270-4291
e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it