Hello friends!
Since the end of November, six trains, each carrying 10 thousand tons of coal, rolled into New England bound for the Merrimack generating station in Bow, New Hampshire - the last large coal plant in the region. And activists from across New England responded - with six blockades - to bring that coal to a halt, and stop the burning of coal for electricity.
Now it’s time to celebrate the tenacity, persistence, boldness and love of this community - from those who cooked up pots of hot soup and thermoses of tea, to those who stood on the tracks in the dark and freezing cold for hours this winter, and those who supported back at home or in the courtroom. Without the support of such a large community, this wouldn’t have been possible. You are all incredible.
Now it has been over two weeks since the last train rolled through, and it looks like Bow may be refueled for the season. As we shift to the next phase of this campaign together we want to celebrate the victories we have had with you all. Because, while those trains eventually made it through, we showed that the climate justice movement in New England isn’t going to let a single load of coal go unchallenged. Every hour we blockaded we drove up the cost of fossil fuels. We are the carbon tax, and the cost of doing this dirty business is rising.
It started out with three blockades of the same train on December 7th & 8th, in West Boylston and Ayer, Massachusetts, and Hooksett, New Hampshire. Then another blockade in West Boylston on December 16th. On December 28th, ten activists were arrested blockading the coal in Worcester. And on January 2nd four activists scaled a 16’ scaffold to keep the train blocked for nine hours in Harvard, Mass. In total hundreds have been involved, and we have created nearly a full day of delays. And we were just warming up!
Whatever roles you filled in the past months, we hope you will celebrate these successes with us. Building community to face the climate crisis has always been our primary goal. Since the mass action in September, we have grown together, come to know one another better, honed our skills, and gathered information, all of which will be vital to shutting this plant down. There is plenty of work to be done moving forward, and it is these very successes that will empower all of us to keep going.
Some of those next steps are becoming clearer. Activists from across the region gathered this past weekend for a strategy session to see where we’ve been, and plot some ways forward. We’ll be sharing more about it in the coming weeks, as we strengthen affinity groups, support grassroots organizing and initiative, and open up new channels of communication and collaboration. More information will be coming through to all affinity groups in the coming days about next steps. So stay tuned!
Also, our community has nearly 100 open cases in the legal system. There will be more appearances in court over the next month, and we’ll be sure to let you know about them. The first of those will be this Thursday in Hooksett, New Hampshire for the blockaders and climbers took to the bridge over the Merrimack river. There will be more opportunities for support in the coming months.
But for now, let’s celebrate. Share your story of train blockading with your friends. Or share this story on your social media. This is a great day, and the powers that be are on notice that we aren’t backing down.
From your friends,
The No Coal No Gas Campaign
