Police Clear Anti-Fracking Protest Camp From Train Tracks

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Police Clear Anti-Fracking Protest Camp From Train Tracks

December 1st, 2017

Awake Goy

Above Photo: Police and supporting agencies move in to clear anti-fracking protesters blocking the railroad tracks in downtown Olympia at about 5 a.m. Wednesday. Steve Bloom

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Anti-fracking protesters faced off with dozens of police in tactical gear during a predawn raid Wednesday at an encampment blocking railroad tracks in downtown Olympia.

Police blocked streets in the area of Seventh Avenue and Jefferson Street where protesters had set up a blockade on Nov. 17 to oppose the Port of Olympia’s shipping of ceramic proppants, or fracking sand, which is used in the oil and natural gas extraction process.

The raid began shortly after 5 a.m. Police issued verbal warnings before entering the camp, which Olympia police Lt. Sam Costello said was empty when officers moved in.

Later, police dogs were brought in to search for explosives in the area near the railroad tracks.

About 20 to 30 protesters, many covering their faces, sang songs and mocked police as public works crews began clearing the camp. When protesters tried to approach the camp, police pushed them back.

Olympia police Lt. Sam Costello said there were no arrests made and no injuries reported.

Clean up is underway. pic.twitter.com/k9LppUOOGH

— Olympia Police Dept (@OlyPD) November 29, 2017

This comes a year after a similar protest ended in another predawn raid and 12 arrests.

With this year’s protest, the president of a local railroad company affected by the blockade had sent a letter Nov. 22 to the city of Olympia urging that police take action against the protesters.

City Manager Steve Hall had responded that he hoped the port and railroad officials would resolve the issue. “This feels like a repeat of last year, and nobody wants to go through what happened last year,” Hall said.

But Olympia Mayor Cheryl Selby said the community needed to prepare for the possibility that it wouldn’t end peacefully. “There is reason to suspect that the blockade protesters are neither interested in negotiating nor in an amicable resolution that would result in removing the blockade without force,” she said at the Nov. 21 Olympia City Council meeting.

Port commissioners met with protesters and representatives from the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office Monday night, hoping to start a dialogue that might lead to a peaceful resolution of the blockade. They had tentatively scheduled a commission work session for Wednesday to continue the discussion

There are over 50 cops from multiple jurisdictions and armored vehicles. There is a work crew and about 4 heavy pieces of equipment (backhoes, bulldozer/bobcat, cranes). In addition to aircraft that is circling the #OlympiaBlockade. pic.twitter.com/gLWBY7itcJ

— Olympia Stand (@Olystand) November 29, 2017

Police have raided and cleared most of the #OlympiaBlockade. There are also reports that the train has left the Port. This is still a victory as we have cost the Port, Halliburton and Rainbow Ceramics thousands of dollars. Photos by Jake Atkinson pic.twitter.com/8ouzXfZmF8

— Olympia Stand (@Olystand) November 29, 2017