‘Fear and intimidation’: how peaceful anti-pipeline protesters were hit with criminal and civil charges

West Virginia is among 22 states to have approved laws that can punish people protesting against oil rigs, gas pipelines, dams and other so-called critical infrastructure with long prison terms and hefty fines.

Jerome Wagner was charged with four misdemeanors trespass, two counts of obstructing an officer and one charge under West Virginia’s controversial new Critical Infrastructure Protection Act .

Pipeline construction halted by the courts for almost two years after Biden caved to Biden ’s demands singling out the pipeline as being “required in the national interest” The International Energy Agency has made clear that no new fossil fuel infrastructure can be built if the world is to have any hope of avoiding catastrophic global heating.

The MVP , a joint venture in which the gas giant EQT Corporation is now the majority shareholder and operator, is claiming millions of dollars in alleged damages resulting from peaceful and mostly brief acts of civil disobedience.

Such lawsuits can chill free speech and debate, which are vital for a healthy democracy, according to the UN and other legal experts.

MVP activists are facing numerous serious charges for peaceful blockades.