Seven arrested for blocking coal train in Catwaba Couty—with VIDEO

According to the Charlotte Observer,

With Charlotte officials braced for protests at Duke Energy’s annual shareholders’ meeting uptown, environmental activists on Thursday staged a surprise attack miles away instead, temporarily blocking a coal train from entering a Duke Energy plant near Lake Norman.

The stunt came a day after activists scaled Bank of America Stadium to unfurl an anti-coal banner; it gave authorities yet another test for their response capabilities in the run-up to this fall’s Democratic National Convention.

Seven people were arrested after protesters from Greenpeace and three other organizations chained themselves to railroad tracks Thursday and blocked a train from entering Duke’s Marshall Steam Station in Catawba County.

The groups said they aimed the protest at Duke Energy for its use of coal-powered plants, and at technology giant Apple. Activists said they targeted Apple because it is using Duke Energy power to expand its data center at Maiden in Catawba County.

This video was released by Greenpeace of the action.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

One thought on “Seven arrested for blocking coal train in Catwaba Couty—with VIDEO

  1. Matthew Burd

    Actions like this might one day wake people up. We are past the breaking point. We must stop the brutilazation of our Earth “to support our family’s”
    While I believe that Stephen Baker is likely a good guy, and a hard working human being, I have to point out the fallicies in his arguement.
    The premis of the arguement that coal mining is the only way one can support their family is false. It is clear that most of the worlds people are not coal miners and they have found ways to support themselves.

    Think about it.

Leave a Reply to Matthew Burd ×

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.