This just in from The Associated Press:
An environmental activist fasting at the state Capitol over mountaintop removal mining has been arrested on a trespassing charge from October.
Roland Micklem was in Kanawha County Magistrate Court on Tuesday after his arrest. He plans to plead not guilty to the charge.
The arrest stems from an October march in protest of mountaintop removal mining, during which Micklem stopped to talk to a security guard at Walker Machinery in Belle. He says he didn’t think he was trespassing.
Micklem says he didn’t know there was a warrant for his arrest until Tuesday.
The 81-year-old vows he’ll resume his post at the state Capitol as early as Tuesday afternoon. He began his fast as a gesture of mourning over surface mining.
More on the Climate Ground Zero Web site.
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The old fellow, left the highway and walked 50 yards through a parking lot towards a guard shack to talk to a guard. Either he was creating a diversion or he was just really friendly and wanted to share his views with the contracted security personnel whom he did not know from Adam. You decide.
There seems to be no low some of the coal bosses won’t stoop too. To arrest an 81 year old World War II Veteran for trespassing because he was talking to a security guard is shameful. Roland is one of the last of The Greatest Generation Ever. Arresting him on this trumped up charge is yet another embarrassment for this state. This is the kind of stuff that gets the ACLU’s attention. If they come in here King Coal and MTR will be plastered all over national TV. But, the Fed. DOJ just might beat them to it.
To be guilty of trespass you must be asked to leave the premises and then refuse to do so. Roland was not cited at the time, was nor was he notified that he had been cited, and he received no notice of a court date. Roland would never intentionally miss a court date. Its hard to figure out what the law enforcement officers on duty were thinking. If they thought they were going to intimidate Roland Micklem, they must be very disappointed.
I agree with Bo Webb. Arresting him will only draw attention to the national media……. Keep it up! The more you draw attention to the situation the sooner we’ll have MTR whipped! I LOVE IT!!!
I would be intersted to know if he was talking to this guard while his criminal buddies were defacing walkers building.
scott 14
yes, he along with other of the Rock Creek crowdwere talking to the guard as the 2 others were on the roof hanging the banner at Walker Machinery. And they also filmed the banner hanging along with Roland speaking to the guard and posted it on some of their websites. Don’t be fooled, they were all in it together, basically because they have nothing to do other than cause problems for West Virginians. Maybe they should find work, go to school or do something, anything productive.
Do you consider blowing up our mountains productive? I think blowing up our mountains is about as radical as it gets, and in going along with that scheme we are being used to fill the pockets of fat cats on wall street, while we get a few crumbs threw to a few people. Coal is in a declining demand and will continue to decline until its no longer used. I venture to say that those that are laid off in the next six months will never be called back. We need NEW JOBS in West Virginia. That is the one thing that we should all be united on, except the coal bosses don’t want you to think that way because it will lighten their wallet. Their plundering our mountains and robbing us blind.
[...] elderly war veteran is arrested during a quiet fast, mourning the destruction of mountaintop removal, while millions of pounds of [...]
[...] elderly war veteran is arrested during a quiet fast, mourning the destruction of mountaintop removal, while millions of pounds of [...]
A man fasting over mountaintop mining is the most ludicrous thing I’ve ever heard of. Although the ironic thing is that this man that done this and wants help from the Obama administration is the same guy that will be put at the bottom of the priority list fir healthcare when the same president gets his way. So I guess fast now or no healthcare later, it’s his choice. Ironic isn’t it, the same Obama….