[Imc-nh] Police Brutality towards non-violent activists at Zeb Mountain

[Monica Moquee]

Police Brutality towards non-violent activists at Zeb Mountain
Reclaiming Appalachia: A Mountain Take Over

Knoxville, TN – A group of non-violent protestors, as part of Zeb Mountain 
take over by MountainJusticeSummer.org met physical abuse at the hands of 
local police this morning at the mine site. After blockades and tripods were 
constructed and held down by a group of activists, police pushed down a 
tripod with an individual in it.  Then the police allowed a company employee 
full access to the protestors.  The employee proceeded to kick one of the 
protestors in the stomach and with the assistance of police shook and moved 
a blockade while someone was locked into it resulting in massive bruising up 
and down the arms of one individual.  The officers then used pain compliance 
over and over again on activists who were locked into the blockade.  
Finally, the police turned the cutting equipment over to the same employee 
who had attacked one of the protestors and allowed him to cut them out.

Members of MountainJusticeSummer.org are calling for Gov. Bredesen to take 
action against this company and restore rule of law in our state. “Who does 
Bredesen work for?” asked Monica Moquee.” Is he going to allow state police 
to act as common thugs for the coal companies or will he work for the 
citizens to protect the people and mountains from National Coal.”

“The coal companies do not respect the laws of our state.” said Joe Overton, 
a Tennessean of the Cumberland Plateau, “First they are polluting our 
state’s waters, in violation of the Tennessee Water Quality Control Act, and 
now they are physically abusing those who demonstrate peacefully against 
their destructive mining practices.”

The Campbell County Police are building a reputation of abuse; just this 
year they have already had four members plead guilty to the torture of a 
suspect in another case.   However MountainJusticeSummer.org states that 
they have found most members of Campbell County law enforcement to be very 
professional and are shocked by the detestable actions of these rogue 
officers.

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