Protesters, as in the photo above, put on crawfish costumes to emphasize the threat of the Bayou Bridge oil pipeline through a wild crawfish habitat in the Atchafalaya Basin, a National Heritage area. The pipeline spans south Louisiana from Lake Charles, near the Texas border, to St. James, along the Mississippi River. The pipeline is the tail end of Energy Transfer Partners’ Dakota Access pipeline network, which begins in North Dakota.
Protests against the Dakota Access pipeline have been widespread, and are cited as the inspiration for new anti-protest laws in some states which liken the actions of pipeline protesters to “terrorist activities.” The bills were drafted by the oil and gas industry to protect its interest by taking away our first amendment right to protest, and legislators support it. The Louisiana bill before their legislature now parallels the Oklahoma bill which passed in 2017. It increases the penalties for any damage to or interference with pipeline and other critical infrastructure sites. Sentences range from one to 15 years in prison with a $10,000 fine or six to 20 years plus a $25,000 fine if the damage could threaten human life or disrupt site operations. In addition, Louisiana’s bill criminalizes “conspiracy to commit trespass.” Anyone involved with organizing a protest like the one on April 5 in Louisiana could face long prison sentences and fines if a judge rules they are part of a conspiracy that threatens life or the operation of critical infrastructure.
Organizers felt the Louisiana action was a success. One of the goals of the action was to get the word out that climate change is a huge issue and that there is real opposition in Louisiana.
Information above is from an article by Julie Dermansky. See https://www.desmogblog.com/2018/04/06/bayou-bridge-protesters-arrested-louisiana-advances-bill-toughening-penalties-pipeline-protests/
