Forum Post: Big Oil Corporations Hire Idaho State Police against Megaload Transports to the Tar Sands

Well, who would have thought little old Idaho would be the thoroughfare to transport Exxon and Conoco's massive Tar Sand refinery equipment to the worst ecological disaster in human history? Exxon Valdez, BP's Gulf, and Shell's Nigerian ecological disasters pale in comparison to the rape of humanity and mother earth in the Alberta, Canada Tar Sands. Check it out for yourself: www.nrdc.org. Big Oil lies, breaks the law, passes off their profits through downstream economics, and kills people by poisoning their air, water and land as well as committing industrial homicide (BP kills 11 workers and has a 1700% accident rate above industry standards - no accountability; Exxon kills workers by not providing legally required safety equipment for clean-up workers in Alaska - no accountability; Shell hires mercenaries to kill indigenous peoples of Nigeria - but that's OK because it is happening to them and not us?).

Over the past two years a few brave souls in Idaho are resisting Big Oil bullies who, in complicity with our Governor, Idaho Transportation Department, US Forest Service, Idaho State Police, and County and City Police violate the rights of peaceful protesters through intimidation, arrest, and violation of our civil rights. Over the past two years, Idaho has violated Federal Wild and Scenic River Act by altering US HWY 12 along one of our protected rivers. Mega loads are so huge they require "special" permits with travel limitations; these loads impugn citizens use of our highways. The loads will damage our road surfaces, affect the lifestyle and income of local residents, and turn HWY 12 into an industrial corridor to serve Big Oil's greed.

Citizen monitors have been monitoring these loads for permit compliance from day one. On the first night of transport, one of our activists was standing in a public park filming the loads. An ISP officer threatened him with arrest if he did not leave the part immediately. The officer's reasoning? They had terrorist threats. Really? So, let's intimate that a peaceful citizen is a terrorist. Why? To invoke the Patriot Act so they can throw peaceful citizens into Federal prison?

When citizen monitors, who simply follow the mega loads to document their activities are pulled over by Idaho State Police Officers and threatened with arrest if we pass the mega loads more than once. ISP runs our license plates and conducts criminal background checks. Recently, a citizen monitor was sitting in a public pull-out in a stopped car. She was in the back seat. She took her seat belt off while stopped. An ISP officer pulled up and demanded her ID. She refused which is her right as there was no "cause" - she did nothing illegal. She was pulled out of the car and arrested. She happens to be one of our leaders. So, we believe she was targeted.

Two weeks ago two peaceful protesters were arrested as they road their bikes through Moscow, ID on a mega load transport protest. They were riding along a road easement while other protesters walked. They encountered a road sign blocking the public walkway. They walked their bikes around the sign on the street and were immediately arrested. They were accused of resisting arrest which did NOT happen (on film).

Last night 40 protesters marched through Moscow to protest yet another mega load. We counted 10 police car escorts with the mega loads. There were 20 police officers visible on foot or bike. Several unmarked police cars were parked along the protest route. What message does this send? We are not dangerous people and we have threatened no one and yet this show of police force is meant to threaten our First Amendment rights and our freedom to use the roadways we pay for as taxpayers.

We've litigated to stop the mega loads. Justice? How about Conoco inviting our State Supreme Court to bed? The Idaho State Supreme Court had a six month hearing wait list. Conoco was in the door in 3 weeks. The US Supreme Court reduced the 9th Court Circuit Court of Appeals damages against Exxon in half after a 20 year court battle. Justice? Nope - just profits at our expense.

Now, BIG OIL is strong arming through legislature to gain access to build the Keystone Pipeline over American's primary aquifer. Citizen land owners throughout the Mid-west are threatened with eminent domain to take their lands. Indigenous people's sovereignty is threatened as BIG OIL poisons their lands and domains roadways through their lands. Where will the oil go? To the highest bidder on the global market. Please don't buy the lie that America needs Tar Sands oil for our energy future. Just like our jobs, the oil will go to the highest global consumer to increase already obscene corporate profits while Americans pay the price at the gas pump or to heat our homes, and most egregiously, while our children inherit a poisoned earth, and a life of economic slavery supported by a government whose ethical responsibility is to their citizens and not the corporations.