Bidder70 - DeChristopher: Blog

Arnold “I’ll be back” Schwarzenegger has been inciting Americans to rise up in revolt to overthrow the dirty industry that is holding back a clean, renewable energy future. And no, I’m not talking about his latest Hollywood blockbuster.

After expressing his admiration for the popular rebellions against dictators in North Africa and the Middle East at a recent US Department of Energy summit, the former Governator of California encouraged similar actions against American oil and gas barons: “we want to overturn the old energy order”.

Given the very broad definition of what qualifies as eco-terrorism under legislation like the US Patriot Act and given that the FBI has identified greens as the “number one domestic terror threat”, you’d think that Arnie would, at the very least, have been subjected to some form of official knuckle-rapping. He got away scot-free.

If ordinary citizens act on Schwarzenegger’s advice, they’re unlikely to be so lucky. The case of Tim DeChristopher proves my point.

In 2008, DeChristopher attended a demonstration outside an oil and gas lease auction organised by the US Bureau of Land Management. A last minute fire-sale by the outgoing administration of George W Bush, the auction was to distribute oil and gas drilling rights on remote patches of public land at bargain-basement prices.

By happy coincidence DeChristopher found himself inside the auction rather than demonstrating against it from the outside. On the spur of the moment, he decided to monkey-wrench proceedings by “participating” in the auction. He entered outlandishly large offers, drove up prices, out-bid oil and gas companies and ended up “buying” drilling rights to 22 500 acres of land in 13 parcels for some $1.7 million before he was stopped by a federal agent. By then he’d effectively scuttled the entire auction.

I consider DeChristopher’s action a brilliantly creative example of peaceful civil disobedience. The US legal system considers it a crime, even though the entire auction was subsequently declared illegitimate by the Obama administration. On the 3^rd of March 2011, DeChristopher was convicted of two felony counts in a Salt Lake City court and now faces up to 10 years in prison and fines of as much as $750 000. I agree with noted climate activist and author Bill McKibben, who tweeted “The government should give him a medal, not a sentence”.

DeChristopher’s criminalisation is neither unusual nor unexpected, of course. So-called democratic governments around the world have been conducting a low-level war against people prepared to act non-violently in defence of the environment for years. Militant groups of animal rights activists bore the initial brunt, but in recent times even your average garden variety eco-organisation is being targeted.

Like the FBI, the UK’s National Public Order Intelligence Unit, a private company largely funded by government, but accountable to no one in particular, has recently been revealed to maintain lists of “extremists” and employ undercover surveillance officers to infiltrate green organisations. Major companies are getting in on the act, too. Scottish Resources, E.ON and Scottish Power, three of the UK’s biggest energy companies, as well as Monsanto, one the world’s largest peddlers of genetically modified seeds, have employed private security outfits to conduct covert intelligence-gathering and monitoring operations against eco-activists.

Closer to home, the local nuclear industry is said to cultivate a watch-list of prominent anti nuke-activists and last December 14 Earthlife Africa members were arrested and charged with “illegal gathering” and “public indecency” for picketing outside a public hearing of the government’s flawed IRP2 electricity master plan.

Is it just me or are these symptoms of a world in which what’s right and what’s wrong has been turned upside down? Bradley Manning, the suspected WikiLeaks whistleblower, is potentially facing the death penalty for exposing government wrongdoings ranging from misdemeanours to war crimes. Bankers involved in precipitating a devastating global financial disaster get bailed-out instead of jailed. Not a single BP bigwig gets charged with negligent ecocide in the Gulf of Mexico.

I’m with Arnie on this one. We need to support people like Tim DeChristopher and stand up to those who threaten life on our planet for the sake of short-term material gains and financial profits. Call me an eco-terrorist if you like.

Arnold “I’ll be back” Schwarzenegger has been inciting Americans to rise up in revolt to overthrow the dirty industry that is holding back a clean, renewable energy future. And no, I’m not talking about his latest Hollywood blockbuster.

After expressing his admiration for the popular rebellions against dictators in North Africa and the Middle East at a recent US Department of Energy summit, the former Governator of California encouraged similar actions against American oil and gas barons: “we want to overturn the old energy order”.

Given the very broad definition of what qualifies as eco-terrorism under legislation like the US Patriot Act and given that the FBI has identified greens as the “number one domestic terror threat”, you’d think that Arnie would, at the very least, have been subjected to some form of official knuckle-rapping. He got away scot-free.

If ordinary citizens act on Schwarzenegger’s advice, they’re unlikely to be so lucky. The case of Tim DeChristopher proves my point.

In 2008, DeChristopher attended a demonstration outside an oil and gas lease auction organised by the US Bureau of Land Management. A last minute fire-sale by the outgoing administration of George W Bush, the auction was to distribute oil and gas drilling rights on remote patches of public land at bargain-basement prices.

By happy coincidence DeChristopher found himself inside the auction rather than demonstrating against it from the outside. On the spur of the moment, he decided to monkey-wrench proceedings by “participating” in the auction. He entered outlandishly large offers, drove up prices, out-bid oil and gas companies and ended up “buying” drilling rights to 22 500 acres of land in 13 parcels for some $1.7 million before he was stopped by a federal agent. By then he’d effectively scuttled the entire auction.

I consider DeChristopher’s action a brilliantly creative example of peaceful civil disobedience. The US legal system considers it a crime, even though the entire auction was subsequently declared illegitimate by the Obama administration. On the 3^rd of March 2011, DeChristopher was convicted of two felony counts in a Salt Lake City court and now faces up to 10 years in prison and fines of as much as $750 000. I agree with noted climate activist and author Bill McKibben, who tweeted “The government should give him a medal, not a sentence”.

DeChristopher’s criminalisation is neither unusual nor unexpected, of course. So-called democratic governments around the world have been conducting a low-level war against people prepared to act non-violently in defence of the environment for years. Militant groups of animal rights activists bore the initial brunt, but in recent times even your average garden variety eco-organisation is being targeted.

Like the FBI, the UK’s National Public Order Intelligence Unit, a private company largely funded by government, but accountable to no one in particular, has recently been revealed to maintain lists of “extremists” and employ undercover surveillance officers to infiltrate green organisations. Major companies are getting in on the act, too. Scottish Resources, E.ON and Scottish Power, three of the UK’s biggest energy companies, as well as Monsanto, one the world’s largest peddlers of genetically modified seeds, have employed private security outfits to conduct covert intelligence-gathering and monitoring operations against eco-activists.

Closer to home, the local nuclear industry is said to cultivate a watch-list of prominent anti nuke-activists and last December 14 Earthlife Africa members were arrested and charged with “illegal gathering” and “public indecency” for picketing outside a public hearing of the government’s flawed IRP2 electricity master plan.

Is it just me or are these symptoms of a world in which what’s right and what’s wrong has been turned upside down? Bradley Manning, the suspected WikiLeaks whistleblower, is potentially facing the death penalty for exposing government wrongdoings ranging from misdemeanours to war crimes. Bankers involved in precipitating a devastating global financial disaster get bailed-out instead of jailed. Not a single BP bigwig gets charged with negligent ecocide in the Gulf of Mexico.

I’m with Arnie on this one. We need to support people like Tim DeChristopher and stand up to those who threaten life on our planet for the sake of short-term material gains and financial profits. Call me an eco-terrorist if you like.

 Friends and countrymen,^*

People tell us it takes courage to do some of the things we've done to make life a bit harder for heartless elites.

But that's absolutely nothing compared to the courage and sheer brilliant chutzpah of our friend and comrade Tim DeChristopher, who made history two years ago in Utah, and who's going on trial TODAY for defending the planet against those who would drill, drill, and drill until there's nothing left of anything.

In December 2008, Tim decided to disrupt an auction of oil and gas leases near the beautiful Arches and Canyonlands National Parks in Utah. The auction was Bush's parting gift to his good friends in industry, and Tim intended to disrupt the event and get himself arrested. But as he walked in the door, an attendant asked Tim if he was there to bid. "Why yes, yes I am," he answered, and was given a paddle. Tim then proceeded to win several lots in a row - until the auctioneer realized something was wrong, suspended the proceedings, and had Tim arrested.

After Obama took office, his administration investigated the auction for "irregularities," and a federal judge cancelled the sale.

Tim's action - which single-handedly saved many precious acres of Utah wilderness from destruction - stands out as one of the most inspired, and successful, acts of civil disobedience in all history.

Today, Tim goes to trial, and faces ten years in prison on two felony charges for stopping that illegal sale of public land. The goal of the federal prosecutors is clear: to make an example of Tim so that anyone will think twice about speaking out or taking effective action to save their community, or the planet.

Now is the time to stand with Tim, and not let them silence one of our most inspiring defenders of climate justice and environmental sanity.Please support the group that is coordinating Tim's legal defense, and local grassroots organizing on his behalf:http://ihcenter.org/groups/peacefuluprising

And if you're anywhere near Salt Lake City, please try to find a way to join the actions, marches, and public events happening there today, Monday February 28, in solidarity with Tim on the opening day of his trial: http://www.peacefuluprising.org/climate-trial

Tim's action is unique and inspiring, and is yet another indicator - among many, from Wisconsin to Egypt to the World Wide Web of Wikileaks - of the power of purposeful, heartfelt, fun action against heartless tyranny.

With any luck, we'll be back in touch soon with news of some great new opportunities.

Andy, Mike and the rest of the gang

^*This is a reference not to men specifically, but to the citizens of ancient Rome - another historical context in which people had to rise up to stop injustice.

Let's consider for a moment the targets the federal government chooses to make an example of. So far, no bankers have been charged, despite the unmitigated greed that nearly brought the world economy down. No coal or oil execs have been charged, despite fouling the entire atmosphere and putting civilization as we know it at risk.

But engage in creative protest that mildly disrupts the efficient sell-off of our landscape to oil and gas barons? As Tim DeChristopher found out on Thursday, that'll get you not just a week in court, but potentially a long stretch in the pen.

Tim is a hero not because he knew what he was getting into. As his testimony made clear this week, he had no idea at all; his decision to become Bidder No. 70 was about as spontaneous an action as we've ever seen.

And that's what we need more of. More willingness to jump. Not blindly -- if were going to do civil disobedience on a mass scale, and I think we're going to have to, then some careful planning is necessary. But when you get right down to it, there's always going to be a moment when you have to say: time to jump. Time to leave behind the world you've known and take a chance. The furniture of power -- from stone-faced cops to imposing courthouses -- is all designed to make you turn back from that edge.

Tim took that leap. The government is going to try and make an example of him. It will be harder for them if there are more of us.

And who should that us be? Not just, or even mainly, college kids. That's too easy, and it's not fair since they still have first jobs to land, careers to build. Better those of us who have spent our lives pouring carbon into the air. I remember my old and dear friend Doris Haddock, also known as Granny D. We were arrested together a decade ago, in the first instance of civil disobedience on climate change in the country. Compared with Tim we took no real risk -- as it turned out, we didn't even spend the whole night in jail. But I remember the moment when Granny D, handcuffed to me, looked up and said, "I'm 93 and I've never been arrested before. I should have started long ago!"

If you're outraged by what happened to Tim, and if you're inspired, make sure to follow the group he's helped found, Peaceful Uprising. And if you're thinking about laying it on the line, give us your name at ClimateDirectAction.org.

If the feds think this prosecution/persecution will deter us from working for a livable planet, they couldn't be more wrong. Tim was brave and alone. We will be brave in quantity.

Cross-posted from Grist.org.