Posted on 06/09/2005 8:05:22 AM PDT by SmithL
Three members of an environmental activist group face numerous charges after being arrested Tuesday morning for disrupting the National Coal Corp. shareholder's meeting in West Knoxville.
The men were arrested near the Holiday Inn off Cedar Bluff Road after about 25 protesters and a Knox County Sheriff's Office deputy engaged in a scuffle, according to court records.
John E. Johnson, 35, of Whitwell, Tenn., faces charges that include aggravated assault, incitement to riot, burglary and disrupting a meeting or procession, according to warrants filed by KCSO deputy Thomas Walker.
Sequoia McDowell, 20, of Asheville, N.C., is charged with aggravated riot, assault, burglary and disrupting a meeting or procession, according to warrants. A third person also was charged, but warrants had not been filed as of Wednesday afternoon.
The incident began about 10:30 a.m. when the roughly two dozen protesters from Katuah Earth First! formed a makeshift marching band with musical instruments and buckets for drums.
Earth First! was protesting mining at Zeb Mountain in Campbell County, said spokeswoman Amanda Womac. The group has targeted Knoxville-based National Coal in the past.
The noise-making demonstrators tried to enter a room where National Coal was holding its shareholders meeting.
"Approximately 25 members pushed their way into the room used for the meeting," according to warrants prepared by Walker. "At this time, the defendant (Johnson) hit me with his megaphone in the left eye causing a red mark."
The deputy forced the protesters from the room and the confrontation continued in the hallway, according to records. The deputy alleges that someone pulled a fire alarm.
Richard Creech, a Holiday Inn employee who witnessed the incident, said no fire alarm was pulled.
"It was kind of dramatic, but not that big a deal," Creech said.
Womac said Earth First! regularly participates in nonviolent civil disobedience events.
National Coal declined comment.
(in the mines)
Do we have to live with these uneducated morons?
But maybe that's just me.
Or just sentence them to five minutes behind the shed with a group of miners. Trust me, they won't try this stunt again.
"Sequoia McDowell, 20, of Asheville, N.C., is charged with ........"
Sequoia? Need we read more?
There's a little place I used to work up in Beech Grove - I think the Number 9 is shut down now - they'd never find them.
I wouldn't mind spending a little time with her sister, Pussy Willow.
I missed the part where it says what they do for a living. I loved to see their resumes.
Time to charge them with terrorist laws.
LOL!
If Sequoia could be a tree, what kind of tree would she be?
35-year-old college student?
Criminal records are a good thing.
I think it goes nicely with the 400 V8, headers and glasspacks.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.