Peaceful anti-pipeline protesters will be prosecuted under new West Virginia law

West Virginia activists protesting the Mountain Valley pipeline are facing serious criminal and civil charges under a new law that increases penalties for those who oppose fossil fuel infrastructure projects.

Nina Lakhani and Hilary Beaumont report for The Guardian.

In summary:

• Climate activists protesting the Mountain Valley pipeline are facing charges under a West Virginia law that imposes harsh penalties on protests against critical infrastructure.
• More than 50 activists have been arrested and many face both prison sentences and lawsuits from pipeline companies for damages.
• The fossil fuel industry supports these laws to quell protests as the environmental movement grows.

Key quote:

“Legal intimidation is a tactic aimed at scaring people and incapacitating the movement.”

— Organizer of the Pipeline Resistance

Why this is important:

As governments fail to address the climate crisis, anti-protest laws target activists who challenge fossil fuel projects and restrict free expression and public dissent. This suppression risks hindering necessary action against environmental threats.

Related: This is what Indigenous resistance to fracking looks like in Pennsylvania