Plum Creek Protest in Bangor

Politics in Maine...
This video of the Land Use Regulatory Commission meeting on September 21, 2009 at the Ramada Inn in Bangor was filmed by hillary Lister, who works with the Maine Independent Media Center.

It begins with Commissioner Bart Harvey motioning to vote to approve Plum Creek's plan to rezone hundreds of thousands of acres in northern Maine for use as resorts, sludge dumps, roads, power lines, and golf courses. Four people (Ryan Clarke, Jessie Dowling, Meg Gilmartin, and Jim Freeman) stood up and came forward to speak out in protest of the Governor-appointed commissioners ignoring the voices of thousands of Mainers who spoke out against Plum Creek's plan. When police came forward to take them away, the group sat down and refused to leave.
Meanwhile, Will Neils was helping in the role of police liason, asking to speak to the officer in charge, explaining the nature of the protest, and working to help the protest go smoothly, and to make sure the officers knew it was nonviolent by nature. In response to his attempt to speak to an officer, Neils was thrown against the wall and his arm wrenched behind his back in a pain hold. He was hauled out and arrested.
Emily Posner was also arrested. She had been sitting in the audience witnessing the events. When she stood up and began rapping about Plum Creek, her arms were wrenched behind her head, and she was pulled back and arrested (in another video i think you can hear her say "I'm being arrested for rapping?" )

A total of six people were arrested, and are now facing bail conditions that include a 9pm to 6am curfew, and being subject to search of their person, vehicle, and home at any time for any reason.

Security was out in force at this Public meeting - there were Bangor police and detectives, county sheriff, state police, private-hire security paid for by Plum Creek, and i witnessed a white SUV that appeared to have a homeland security logo on its side. Security was stationed at the door, searching bags and frisking people they deemed suspicious. I has a fabric sign pinned to my back that said "No Plum Creek - Maine Is Not For Sale," and was told I must remove the sign if i wanted to go in, or i would be arrested. I explained that this was a Public meeting, and i was allowed to wear it in, the officer told me it in fact was a Private function, i explained that it was Public since it was being paid for with tax-payer dollars. The officer told me if i went in with the sign on my back i would be arrested, and then called for backup. I eventually got word about this to an attorney in the room, who spoke with LURC's legal advisor, and told me i would be allowed inside. In the meantime, a school group from North Haven arrived on a social studies class trip. The officers responded like the students were a threat, and prior to entering the meeting room, that group was subject to police going through their bags, frisking them, and asking them to remove any jackets or sweatshirts to prove they weren't sneaking something in.

For more info, visit plumcreekmaine.wordpress.com or email nfnmaine@gmail.com

Another video of the protest is posted at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTEoxSksoAw

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Plum Creek
• Maine
• Protest
• Bangor
• LURC
• Moosehead
• Native Forest Network
• Climate Change
• Development
• North Woods
• Politics
• Corruption
• Police

[erthelf]

This movement is violent and irrational on the part of Plum Creek!! Peaceful protesting does NOTHING. Activism is the action that gets something done!

[RareCollection]

Right motive, wrong approach. It basically makes the movement look violent and irrational. The cops are there to keep the peace, they aren't there to take sides, and they have no choice on what laws to enforce. Police are here for the good of the public.

[anthonyjohn603]

I'm all for conservation and what not but screaming like that just makes people think you're crazier then they already think. It doesn't help anything. If only we had some more professional-type hippies, the stuff you'd say would mean much, much more. Unfortunately how you present yourself happens to mean almost as much as the things you have to say, correct or not.

[mainesgem]

go get em! I will never think of a chicken bone the same again. LOL! :0)

Jenny. (Lucie's Jenny)

[Studog43]

" Bangor police and detectives, county sheriff, state police, private-hire security paid for by Plum Creek, and i witnessed a white SUV that appeared to have a homeland security logo on its side."

This is why no one takes you seriously. You have no clue what you are talking about.

Why don't you guys go chase down the Halliburton Hurricane Machine, it's right next to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

[Studog43]

Hippies Crack me up

[KiptaviusFuzz]

lol

[lonetanuki]

Up the North Woods, down the LURC!

How easily regulatory commissions are purchased... Can we please, as a society, move past the need to replace the irreplaceable with resort housing for the wealthy? Mad props, EF, keep up the work and those of us with their wits about them, those who recognize the sellout nature of LURC and the necessity of stopping these atrocious Plum Creek development will fight alongside you!