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Tim DeChristopher was sentenced to 2 years in prison on July 26, 2011 at the Salt Lake City federal courthouse. He was taken immediately into custody, being denied the typical 3 weeks afforded to put his affairs in order and say goodbye to his friends and family. (Read More Here)
Federal prosecutors asked for Tim to receive an extra harsh prison sentence in an effort to intimidate the movement that stands with him. They hoped that by condemning him to years behind bars, they would “make an example out of him” and deter all of us from taking meaningful action. (Read More Here)
In court, Tim said “You can put me in prison, but it will not deter my future of civil disobedience and it won’t deter others who are willing to fight to defend a livable future.” Immediately after the bang of the gavel, Ashely Anderson and Ashley Sanders were hauled out of the courtroom for loudly rallying people inside saying, “this court has proven itself incapable of justice. So the people will take it back – it is now our court!” foreshadowing the civil disobedience to come outside.
As Henia Belalia left the Courthouse, she made an official statement declaring, [quote]Consider this your call to action. Consider this the spark that will ignite this movement. Our hearts are broken today, because we see a charismatic, bright, concerned man who cares for the future of the next generation, be incarcerated in federal prison and treated like a criminal. If there was ever a day, if there was ever a moment in history for us to stand for climate justice, this is that moment. And we will no stop, we will not be intimidated, and we will not be deterred in our plight for climate justice. We demand today and tomorrow a healthy and just world for our children and for our children’s children. And we will not stop until the real criminals–the fossil fuel industry that is raping and pillaging our planet–be held accountable. I ask as a personal favor that we do not let this sacrifice, the sacrifice that Tim DeChristopher’s willing to make, the fact that he has never given up on his convictions, and the fact that he has never backed down–that we do not let that sacrifice go unnoticed, that we do not let that sacrifice go without a response. I ask every one of you, what is your commitment? This is your call to action, because this is our future.[/quote]
Peaceful Uprising activists did a sit-in to blockade the 2 front entrances of the Federal Courthouse, to tell the world “its ours” and emphasize that if Tim was going to jail, they were too, giving meaning to the slogan “we are all Bidder 70.” Taking their lead, members of the community began to join the blockade to show their love and outrage. 26 people were arrested. (Read More Here)
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Tim broke the law and defrauded the federal government (The Many, not the Few). The BLM has a formal protest process whereby you can protest and delay the sale of these leases.
Why can’t this organization operate within the parameters of the law?
Yes, Tim was held liable for his fraud of the government, but the sale that he participated in was found illegal by President Obama, and all of the auctions were reversed. Why is it okay to prosecute Tim for preventing the illegal sale of public lands, and not the people who initiated the auctions to begin with? Tim is an upstanding citizen without a record, until now. Why does he need to be in jail. He doesn’t! Peaceful Uprising has a right to protest on his behalf.
Actually, I’m not sure the word ‘fraud’ even applies in this case. And the ‘formal protest process’ has been completely subverted by internal corruption.
Both of these issues are covered very well in the essay Tim read before the court at his sentencing. For your edification, that link is:
http://www.alternet.org/environment/151803?page=entire
How has this organization broken the law?
When the so called Law is rigged by the politicians and the big corporations, the public have no rights at all. It does seem that the law can do anything it wants and just walk away.
While the stupid sit like toads in a slow boiling pot, others take a stand and get jailed.
So much for Freedom of Speach- especially in the USA these days under the gestapo rule of Homeland security and the suppression of anything those in power don’t agree with.
OUR WORLD SUCKS!
I can’t believe that we are imprisoning people who protest the rape of our land for the profits of the wealthy few. Tim is my hero, he is standing up for all of us. I grewup in the sixties, I thought we had gotten past locking up people who protest against injustice I can’t believe that Eric Holder, our chief law enforcement officer, thinks this is an example of American justice.
A grave injustice has taken place. My hope is that it will ignite the passion of those
might see what the future holds for them if those in power are allowed to destroy our
environment,unchecked. The 60’s held great promise but that promise was never
realized. Now we face an entrenched corporate sponsored government that responds
only to the needs of the corporate oligarchy. The Internet is now the voice of the people,
to disseminate information crucial for all of us. Use it my friends to voice your anger and
displeasure with the status quo,and to rally all of us to the cause of “All the People”
Would evironmental groups like the sierra club, national wildlife federation, and greenpeace pooling their resources, actually buy the lease, and set it in trust stipulating it never to be used for drilling for say 99 years?
By that time alternatives should be extant. If not global climate change will doom most of us anyway. Just asking.
We need to secede from this government and its economy. We need to build our own economy and move our money to it. We need to disenfranchise the corrupted political system at the federal and state levels. Starve the beast so that it can be overthrown.
Tim DeChristopher belongs in Congress, not prison. He has the passionate love for this Home and its inhabitants that can guide us to wise choices.
Hi Gay,
That’s just what they want us to do. Give up. Please do not. If there is anything that I take from Tim’s message is that it is our government and we need to fight to get it back.
There is no reason that we can’t create our own home economies AND at the same time, fight to get our federal government back. When the Powershift young people met with Obama, he said he was all for their agenda, but they had to make him do it.
That is why I was arrested with the 26 members of Tim Dechristopher’s offensive team. His defense team will work on an appeal.
We will force Obama and congress to pay attention to their responsibilities to provide a livable future for our young people and their children.
July 13, 2011 If only we could skip right to dreesst EVERY night, right?! That looks SOOOO good!!!!
I’m with Tim, a proud advocate for current and future generations, the health of the planet, and all forms of justice.
Tim DeChristopher is continuing the fine tradition of civil disobedience in the face of injustice that has defined our country’s proudest moments. From the Boston Tea Party to the Civil Rights Movement, those who have refused to cooperate with an unjust legal system have made our nation a better place and stood firm for the principles our constitution was supposed to be based on. Tim DeChristopher is showing the way, and I have no doubt many others will follow.
This young man is my hero…. he and Mr. Manning. I’m fed up with the terrorists running our government. It’s all greed and filth!
What about the criminal activity coming out of DC that adversely affects the whole world! It is rewarded.
Save the planet!
It seems that the only crime that is really punished in America is the crime against money.
I can’t believe that Tim was given a sentence this harsh for trying to save the planet. This is completely excessive.
HERO