Pittsburgh Summit: The People vs. Oil & Gas Industry (11-17 to 11-20)

Fracking Protest was peaceful, disruptive in Southpointe

Editorial of the Observer-Reporter (Washington, PA), November 24, 2017

About 100 people protested peacefully in Southpointe Monday morning, marching through the park to show their distaste for natural gas drilling and mining of coal practiced by energy companies with headquarters there. They are concerned about impacts these firms may be having on the region’s environment and roadways.

“Our safety is put on the line by decisions made in these headquarters. They will experience for one day what we feel every day,” said Veronica Coptis, who resides in Greene County and spoke for Rising Tide North America, the organization that organized the rally.

The demonstrators should be commended for standing up for their cause. But their efforts were ill-advised, obtrusive and created a lot of ill will. And the activists were likely ignored by the executives they were targeting.

Although organizers announced their intentions a few days in advance, word apparently did not circulate throughout the mixed-use park in Cecil Township. The rally began around 6:30 a.m., near the start of the vehicular crush, and a number of commuters were surprised when they encountered a small group blocking the intersection of Southpointe Boulevard and Technology Drive – a major crossroads.

Protesters had set up two makeshift tripods there, and three members sat in folding chairs on the street, tethered to one another with the person on either end chained to the structures. Two others sat near the top – and were eventually arrested by Cecil police.

An estimated 13,000 people work in Southpointe, and for more than two hours, traffic was disrupted to some extent for employees beginning their workweek or residents attempting to leave. (Officers from at least three local police departments handled traffic flow.)

There also are two dialysis facilities in the park. Delays could have put patients with appointments in peril.

Marchers strolled in organized fashion, carrying signs and chanting. They comported themselves well, yet they also affected traffic flow. The group stopped on the sidewalk above Consol Energy, listened to one of them speak and chanted some more. Members held hands, formed a circle and danced.

The demonstrators’ timing, from their perspective, was appropriate, for the natural gas industry is ramping up following a two-year slide. But the firestorm of anger displayed on the internet and social media blunted that message. People were upset about being late for work and being rerouted, and questioned how much of a local flavor this rally had. (Two lead marchers are from British Columbia and Nova Scotia and many others carried signs bearing home states outside Pennsylvania.)

The Observer-Reporter’s Rick Shrum covered the rally and his article prompted 32 comments on the website and nearly twice that many on the O-R Facebook page. The vast majority of respondents were opposed to the event. Some referred to the activists as hypocrites, pointing out they arrived and left on large buses and held plastic signs. Others simply don’t like environmental advocates. This is, after all, a region where Marcellus Shale development has led to well-paying jobs.

A number of protesters embraced their cause for good reason: they have been adversely affected by mining and other industries. They should be proactive on the environment. But the rally Monday morning was a misguided response.

Source:
https://observer-reporter.com/opinion/editorials/protest-was-peaceful-disruptive-in-southpointe/article_ecc109c2-cef0-11e7-931b-bbdc84bd9a39.html

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