Inside the Growing Appalachian Anti-Pipeline Movement

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In this episode of the It’s Going Down podcast, we spoke with several people involved at the Three Sisters encampment in Virginia fighting the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, the tree sit at the Little Teel Crossing in Virginia fighting the Mountain Valley Pipeline, and someone that has been an on the ground supporter of the various encampments and tree-sits in both Virginia and West Virginia.

Wanting to know more about how the movement has grown to feature now up to 7 people in the trees, including various home and land owners that are threatened with eminent domain, we discuss how various relationships were made and certain tactics popularized.

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Spotted @3sisterscamp! ACP resistors are sending love to Red – 61 year old tree sitter blockading construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline in southern so-called Virginia! #noACP #stoptheMVP #fuckyourpipeline #nopipelines #nomorepipelines #treesit #cleanwater4all #solidarity #directactiongetsthegoods

A post shared by No Pipelines (@nopipelines) on Apr 11, 2018 at 9:14pm PDT

In our discussions, we talk about everything from ongoing police repression, to how people go to the bathroom while up in a tree, but also political education, and also not putting radical politics, messaging, and ideas on the back burner.

3 more arrests today in Jefferson National Forest. Supporters still climb to the monopod to send up solidarity. Not sure how long that will sustain the brave one at the top. pic.twitter.com/T59kcEtIga

— Russell Chisholm (@baristanomics) April 22, 2018

Lastly, we also touch on the role of connecting and learning from past political struggles in the area, be they the West Virginia teacher’s strike, to the antifascist mobilizations in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Opposition to pipelines grows in rural #Virginia in the face of evictions and threats to water, even in conservative areas, as mobilization stalls pipe construction. But far-Right media is attempting to play up fears of "green Antifa." #NoACP @NO_ACP https://t.co/W1ggQOVQM7 pic.twitter.com/DUocLDOekX

— It's Going Down (@IGD_News) December 18, 2017

The growing anti-pipeline movement across Appalachia is inspiring, as it brings together a wide variety of people, many taking radical direct action for the first time. It shows that support for a broad based campaign, even in the most rural of places is possible, and that by building strong networks of support, we can fight to win.

More Info: Little Teel Crossing, Appalachians Against Pipelines, End of the Line podcast, No Pipelines on Instagram, Three Sisters Encampment, and Farmlands Against Pipelines.