Wyoming Cracks Down on Pipeline Protests

[Marina Schwarz + 1,576]

Wyoming has joined Ohio and Iowa in cracking down on pipeline protests with a bill that would criminalize protest activities. Would we see more pipeline protests now?

[Rodent + 1,424]

We'll see more protesters jailed. Not for protesting, but for "“impeding critical infrastructure”" as the bill says. Protesting is different from impeding. 

The bill reads:

."..prohibit criminal mischief, criminal trespass, and aggravated trespass on a critical infrastructure facility," and "impose fines for organizations that are complicit in those offenses, and impose civil liability for damage caused by trespass on a critical infrastructure facility."

We're talking about damaging, trespasses on not public property, criminal mischief, etc. I love how the media frames this as anti protesting. You can protest. It's America. But that doesn't give you the right to trespass on private property or to damage property or to interfere with the workings of a business. I mean, of course you CAN do that. You just can't do it with impunity.

 

[Missy + 43]

taxpayer dollars hard at work. Cost of DAPL protests just to clean up the 48 million pounds (filling 835 dumpsters) of trash the protesters left behind: $1.1 million. Taxpayer dollars? Yes. Oh, the hypocrisy. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/mar/13/dakota-access-case-army-finishes-11-million-cleanu/

Well, I PROTEST YOU, LITTERING PROTESTERS!!

[Rodent + 1,424]

What gets me is that, um... isn't it already illegal to criminally trespass and criminal mischief, etc? Why do we have to have yet another law that says you can't break the law? Maybe I'm just missing some intricacy here or something.

 

[Marina Schwarz + 1,576]

Maybe it wasn't spelled out until now? Or it's a "Watch it" hint?

[Missy + 43]

The laws include steeper fines.