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| A Flurry Of Earth First! Actions And Arrests: Mattole Activists Sentenced, Headwaters Reunion Rally, Gypsy Memorial 9-22-04 For Immediate Release - Contact: September 22, 2004 NORTH COAST EARTH FIRST! For immediate release September 22, 2004 Contact: NCEF! Media (707) 268-5613 A FLURRY OF EARTH FIRST! ACTIONS AND ARRESTS MATTOLE ACTIVISTS SENTENCED, HEADWATERS REUNION RALLY, GYPSY MEMORIAL Humboldt County, California-On Tuesday September 20th Judge Cisna handed five non-violent forest defenders a variety of sentences stemming from an action that occurred at Fox Camp gate on August 25, 2004, on Humboldt Redwood State Park property. At that time the activists were there to serve a subpoena to Maxxam/Pacific Lumber's head of security, Carl Anderson, to compel his appearance as a witness at the pivotal pepper spray trial in San Francisco. This is the second trial for the pepper spray case in seven years and is now awaiting a jury's decision. Activists known as the "Pepper Spray 8" are suing Humboldt County and former sheriff Dennis Lewis and present sheriff Gary Phelps for violating their civil rights and torturing them when deputies swabbed pepper spray into their eyes using q-tips and sprayed them point blank in the face. In the weeks prior to the arrests, activists had linked arms to blockade the Maxxam/PL haul road that crosses the State Park land and had peacefully dialogued with the truckers about sustainable forestry and future jobs. During the attempt to serve Anderson, however, a Maxxam/PL contractor charged the small group of activists with his truck. The incident was witnessed and recorded on video by Sara Lortie, a nearby activist. The driver of the vehicle then got out of his truck and assaulted the videographer, smashing her camera, chocking her and repeatedly throwing her to the ground. He then took out his knife and cut the strap to the camera, cutting the young woman in the process. When activists asked officer Clark to arrest the assailant, Anderson told the officer to arrest the activists and they were taken into custody. During the arrest, officer Carla Bolton threw a second activist, Jessina Hunter, to the ground. Charges against Lortie and Hunter were dismissed; Kim Starr and Matt Dicks were sentenced to fifteen and ten days, respectively, for misdemeanor disturbing the peace and blocking public access. A fifth activist, Kevin Schultz, will take his case to trial on October 7th at 2 p.m. in the Humboldt County Court. Since the Headwaters Agreement (a.k.a. "the Deal") was signed in 1999, protests have increased in the "sacrifice zones" in the Mattole, Freshwater, Van Duzen, Elk, and other watersheds being devastated by Maxxam's liquidation logging practices. An action training camp took place at Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park from September 13th through September 21st to support the 2-_ year tree-sit in an ancient redwood on Gypsy Mountain, where activist David "Gypsy" Chain was killed by an angry logger who fell a tree on him on September 17th, 1998. Activists gathered and held a Headwaters Reunion rally on September 15th to mark the end of marbled murrelet nesting season, after which their habitat can be destroyed. A memorial for David Gypsy Chain was held on September 17th. No logging has taken place in the active timber harvest plan where the tree-sits are located since the action camp began. The camp was well attended and had an international flavor with activists from all over the world who came to help save the ancient trees. ###  << Back to Press Release Archive | Latest Press Release | Newsroom | | 
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