Stand Against Auction of Public Land for Fracking! December 8th
Stand Against BLM Auction of CO Public Lands for Fracking!
When: This Thursday, Dec. 8th, 9-10:30am
Where: Bureau of Land Management Office Building, 2850 Youngfield St, Denver, Colorado 80215
Why: Last May hundreds of Coloradans gathered for a “Break Free from Fossil Fuels” action and many risked arrest at a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) auction of public lands to oil and gas companies for fracking. Unfortunately the BLM is at it again this Thursday, Dec. 8th, and as threatened, they have now moved the auctions online to try to silence our voices and avert our right to protest this unfair system of giving our land to polluters for pennies.
In addition to moving the auctions online, the CO BLM is also proposing a new rule to make future protests at auctions a criminal offense! They are apparently trying to limit our constitutionally-protected rights of free speech and assembly in order to promote the fossil fuel leasing program. (Read more about that here.) And this is after reports of BLM & Lakewood police having undercover agents spying on protectors last May. (Read more here.)
Let’s let the Obama Administration and BLM know that they will be held accountable for auctioning public lands for fossil fuel development in a time when research has made clear that no new fossil fuels can be brought online if we are to stay below 1.5-2°C. And we will stand up to collusion between the fossil fuel industry and our government - in N. Dakota and here in Colorado. Standing Rock has made clear that we must come together to protect ourselves, and that united we win. We will not let the fossil fuel industry run roughshod over people in Colorado and criminalize our freedom of speech and assembly as we demand clean water, clean air, and a safe climate.
We will gather for a press conference and to deliver an organizational sign on letter to BLM officials (if you represent a group that would like to sign on, reply to this email, micah@350colorado.org). It will be cold, so we plan to keep it short. Please bring signs/posters/banners and dress warmly. We’ll bring hot chocolate/coffee!
Sample sign/banner messages:
No Auctioning Public Lands for Fracking!
Protect Water, Land, Air and Climate!
People > Fossil Fuel Profits
BLM: Represent the people, not special interests!
No Criminalizing Protectors’ Speech and Assembly!
Stay < 2C = NO NEW FOSSIL FUELS!
Keep Fossil Fuels in the Ground!
Stop Government-Fossil Fuel Industry Collusion!
Divest from Fossil Fuels!
Federal Fossil Fuel Leasing Fuels Climate Change!...
Please join us at the BLM office to let them know that we will not be silenced and that we will continue to demand protection of our water, land, air and climate. Let’s show up in force to tell them to keep it in the ground! Please spread the word - invite/bring friends! Thank you!
