--> -->
Hey, there! Log in / Register

West Roxbury pipeline protesters up ante, lock necks to cars to block work

West Roxbury protester sees size of saw to be used on her u-lock

Firefighter checks if saw will fit in wheel well before covering protester with protective gear.

Two protesters halted some work at the natural-gas transfer station in West Roxbury for 90 minutes this morning as firefighters carefully sawed through the bicycle u-locks that kept them attached to two separate cars, one in front of the main gate to the construction site, the other on Grove Street.

Protesters have locked their arms to the pipeline or fences around the Spectra Energy metering and regulating station at Grove and Centre streets before; this marked the first time anybody had used the neck technique.

Protesters say the West Roxbury pipeline, which will feed high-pressure natural gas into National Grid's Boston pipe system, is a feint to get fracked Pennsylvania gas to the coast for shipment overseas. Local residents, who first began protests in 2014, worry the pipeline could explode, incinerating the neighborhood.

As officer checks how secure the lock was (very), protester Mike Kenton wrote a support letter to Native Americans protesting a North Dakota pipeline.

Protester writes letter in West Roxbury

As a dozen or so supporters watched, Lor Holmes sat quietly, wearing protective glasses put on her by a firefighter, along with a protective sheath around her face, a helmet on her head, and a firefighter's turnout coat covering the rest of her, as a firefighter from Rescue 2 carefully cut through the lock. A second firefighter pumped water on the metal to keep it cool as sparks flew. Two fire extinguishers were propped nearby; a fire hose was also at the ready. Before they did any of this, though, firefighters asked her if she was really sure she wanted to go through all that.

Firefighter talks to protester in West Roxbury

After she was cut out, EMTs put her on a gurney to transport her to a waiting ambulance, where she was checked out, even as a firefighter was trying to jimmy open the lock around Kenton's neck.

Firefighter tries to unlock lock around protester's neck

Officials gave Kenton one last chance to get the key from a supporter. When he refused, firefighters repeated the same protective process they used on Holmes and a firefighter went to work.

Protester covered in protective gear

Kenton immediately began screaming and demanding they stop, which they did. After checking to see nothing was coming into contact with him, they resumed. Kenton resumed screaming, at one point demanding to know if the firefighters knew what they were doing.

After about five minutes, Kenton signaled he'd had enough and was willing to unlock the lock. Unfortunately, the supporter who had the key had had to leave for work - and didn't give anybody else the key.

After about five more minutes, Kenton was out, but refused to stand. Several cops picked him up; two then gently put him in a waiting prisoner-transport wagon.

Protester being put in transport wagon

He was soon joined by Holmes - after officers retrieved her from a group of supporters, to which she'd wandered from the ambulance. The two were then taken down to E-5 for booking.

With the gate blocked, truckers hauling construction equipment had to wait on Centre Street:

Spectra trucks

When protesters first arrived at the main gate around 6:10 a.m., a security guard leaped out of his car and tried to wrestle the lock away from Kenton. Several supporters, however, quickly blocked him, and the guard spent the rest of the time just standing in front of the main gate.

Neighborhoods: 


Ad:


Like the job UHub is doing? Consider a contribution. Thanks!

Comments

Bill those clowns for all the emergency responder time wasted on them?

up
Voting closed 0

Because they bill Spectra for all the OT.

up
Voting closed 0

Can some tell all these selfish protesters thank you from all the natural gas customers in Mass. You have cost us $77 billion and counting.

National Grid of Massachusetts President Marcy Reed estimated the cost of energy is about $7 billion more over the last three or four winters than if there were a more abundant natural gas supply.

This is NIMBY'ism at it's finest.

up
Voting closed 0

You sure they aren't personally responsible for $77 gazillion kabillion?

Um, how do you get that these people trying to block one pipe feeding intended to better regulate gas pressure in Boston (at least, that's what Spectra claimed when applying for federal approval) have cost you $77 billion?

up
Voting closed 0

Ask your grandchildren about your goal of low price energy.

Think past your monthly bill.

up
Voting closed 0

These protesters are saving our community from a Billion dollar energy company (SPECTRA) that does not care about the people at all. *That is why the Mayor of Boston and ALL elected officials are against the project and have lawsuits out against it.

up
Voting closed 0

It's a Lock Necks MONSTER

up
Voting closed 0

I am totally against the pipeline but these hippies are not helping the cause one bit. They are just professional protestors who can't seem to get out of their own way.

up
Voting closed 0

Oh, are these two being paid to protest the pipeline? No? What makes them professionals the implication of which that there protest is less credible?

At what point does someone go from participating in their community via protest to being a so-called professional protester? Do you put a limit on the number of issues that someone is allowed to care about? Do tell.

I can't speak for Kenton, but even a lazy Google Search shows Lor lives locally to the pipeline project and thus has a manifest interest in expressing opposition. Oh, she's also very involved in a number of social welfare organizations in the area. Maybe you think too involved? For shame! She should Netflix and chill like the rest of us and stop making noise so people like you have to take time out of your important lives to cast shade.

I don't know nearly enough about the project to be for or against it, but I won't condemn people for non-violent resistance to something that has a very real impact on their lives. But I'm sure from the comforts of your gentle JP neighborhood miles from the project that things must seem very clear. Shenanigans, you cry! Professional Protesters! But I suspect a little community involvement yourself could help with those grumpy hemorrhoids of yours.

up
Voting closed 0

GET OFF MAH LAWN!

up
Voting closed 0

I live about a block away (as the crow flies) from the proposed Spectra/AIM super high-pressure (750psi - interstate transmission) M & R station.

To see these fellow humans willing to place their necks in heavy ULocks attached to car tire axles in order to protect the planet, as well me and my neighbors was a powerfully emotional experience for me this morning. It felt like a real risk and a sincere act of bravery and love.

I know there are those who have already given up, those who choose to believe the distorted safety and "need" PR/assurances of tyhe executives and govt agency/FERC, and those who will dismiss non-violent civil disobedience as show-boating.

For the safety of my family, I will trade your apathy, denial, and condescension for their passionate and responsible bravery any day.

up
Voting closed 0

Hey, you asked for it, pussy. I would have liked for somebody to have started those cars just to (expletive) with them a little.

up
Voting closed 0

What if this doing this delays FD's response to a fire, and someone is hurt?

What if there is an accident with the saw, and a firefighter is hurt?

What if there is an accident with the saw, the protester is hurt, and the firefighter is traumatized?

up
Voting closed 0

Boston has a big fire department and firehouses cover for each other when one's on a run. And if there were something far more serious and life-threatening than a protester locked to a Subaru that required the response of the firefighters at the protest, guess what they're going to do?

up
Voting closed 0

It's highly unlikely that these guys are going to prevent first responders from helping elsewhere but it's not unthinkable that such would be the case in a perfect storm of crisies.

These stunts waste time and resources and are only going to make people less sympathetic. There are more effective ways of making a statement.

up
Voting closed 0

How would you have them perform a superior protest?

up
Voting closed 0

The religious leaders standing in the trench provided a power image that was broadcast everywhere. It was non-destructive and had moral undertones. That is in contrast to today's actions which seem childish.

Beyond that, I'd protest corporate meetings and keep egging the company on via social media to try and leverage a wider base. The goal should be not specifically to get this site shut down but rather to force the state to make laws that effectively nullify any profit they hoped to gain from the pipeline. If the state adds a "High Risk Tax" to any new installations in populated centers (to be paid by the utility) and the tax was far in excess of the added value of the pipeline the company might be less inclined to continue.

The question is do they want attention on themselves or do they want this pipeline shut? The protest today makes it seem like it was about the protesters and not the pipeline.

up
Voting closed 0

I mean, protests like this might happen from time to time and require heavy equipment emergency response. It'd be entirely irresponsible of us to hire only enough firefighters to handle only enough "real" incidents that a "fake" one like this would suddenly throw everything into a tailspin.

Let's just make sure there's always enough responders for what might happen and take it from there. Let's maintain a system where a dispatcher is in charge of knowing which crews of firefighters are located and what they're doing so they can call out if something of higher priority occurs nearby. And as things get bad, we can count on other towns to send help.

I mean, come on now. What would have to happen that suddenly this particular single crew of firefighters was suddenly the ONLY chance someone else had at life-or-death and they died because they were here at this incident instead. In that brittle of a system, if they'd been at a fire instead saving a life and this other situation arose, we'd have a system where you'd live or die depending on if your fire happened first or not. That seems more unacceptable than this one.

up
Voting closed 0

I understand what you mean, but I'm happy to see them protest even if it just annoys the Spectra workers & delays their work by a few hours. It also brings attention to the issue, and I think those were their goals.

I wish I knew a more effective way to protest that would actually stop construction of this pipeline.

up
Voting closed 0

Dont use street gas...

up
Voting closed 0

It's civil disobedience of a nature that has a fine history of making a statement effectively. The participants will progressively face charges and fines, as I imagine they expect, and will presumably consider it a reasonable cost of driving discussion on what may well be something that requires more consideration than corporate interests would have desired.

Democracy and freedom of expression, baby. Not without its inconveniences, to be sure.

up
Voting closed 0

I wouldn't relax too much. While Boston has a big fire department, it's our biggest city in the state. I believe there are still only two so-called "Heavy Rescue" trucks citywide, both respond to many calls per day. With Rescue-2 dealing with these attention seekers, it left only Rescue-1 for any serious mass casualty incident in the city, be it a building fire, plane crash, terrorist attack, Duck Tour accident (yesterday could have been a lot worse) or even a serious car accident, so there is always a strain on resources when first responders, especially 50% of our Heavy Rescue trucks, come out for no good reason. I'm all for peaceful protest but when it involves stunts that require dangerous rescues with saws and hydraulic tools (this today and the ones on the Expressway a while back) there should be specific criminal charges and heavy fines to compensate the city/state. When labor strikes were more common, I worked many of them and the strikers always got their point across by lawfully picketing and blocking entrances until being asked by police to allow a manger's or replacement worker's car to pass. Comments could get nasty but I don't recall this phenomenon of chaining up to things.

up
Voting closed 0

... they are on wheels, right? not like they need to be carried or helicoptered or anything like that.

up
Voting closed 0

From the New York Times - January 3, 1995

"In Brookline, the police still talk about Sept. 8, 1992. That was the day Operation Rescue hit two clinics at once. At one, they blocked the front and back doors with cars. Four people had welded Kryptonite locks to the underside of those cars, stuck their necks through the locks and locked them. It took the police and fire departments eight hours to cut the demonstrators out with welding tools. At the other clinic, demonstrators had chained themselves together in the hallways."

up
Voting closed 0

Other possibilities for future hand-wringing:

What if someone else really needs a U-lock, but these protestors bought the last ones at TruValu?
What if this firefighter's dog really has to pee, but these protesters kept the firefighter from getting home in time so the dog pees on the rug?
What if my eyes roll so far back into my head reading the same predictable crap that gets posted every time anyone actually goes out to protest something, that I need medical intervention?

(P.S. every time the Sox are at home, or there's a Duck Boat parade, or some idiot 19-year-old Storrows a moving truck, the resulting gridlock creates 100x as much havoc as this does. Kindly explain how emergency services manage to handle that, all the time, without complaint, but are stymied by this act of protest?)

up
Voting closed 0

What if you're out driving during a time when you know there'll be rush hour traffic, thereby contributing to the congestion, when lo and behold a fire truck gets delayed getting to a fire?

Will you blame yourself? Somehow, I doubt it.

up
Voting closed 0

They were there at 6:15 a.m. at an intersection that is nobody's idea of critical. Next hypothetical?

up
Voting closed 0

You certainly wouldn't see me doing something like that! Instant claustrophobia! AGGGHHH!!!

up
Voting closed 0

Why couldn't they have found some enterprising Cambridge bike thieves to get the u-locks off?

up
Voting closed 0

I was wondering... ExDoes the Port of Boston even have the capability to export natural gas?

up
Voting closed 0

Headed further south - has nothing at all to do with Boston.

Which is part of the problem ...

up
Voting closed 0

I don't know about it in Boston, but the Everett terminal probably could with only a little work. It's where gas is currently imported. The same size and configuration of ships that now import could presumably be used for exports. But it's my understanding that the west coast is where the hot export market is, not here. We are still importing.

up
Voting closed 0

We've imported CNG through the port in Everett. I'd have to imagine if they can import, they can export.

up
Voting closed 0

The infrastructure to import gas and export gas is quite different. Everett imports, but does not export. As of now, very few US terminals can export. I think it's just Freeport LNG Terminal, Kenai LNG, and Cheniere's Sabine Pass terminal.

up
Voting closed 0

I would think if the export of fracked gas is a legitimate argument against this pipeline then one of the supporters of the protest here would have actually bothered to find out if their talking point was true.

up
Voting closed 0

IMAGE(http://media2.popsugar-assets.com/files/thumbor/PvgJ46zHgkN1Yr6TWnaYyeyZfdU/fit-in/1024x1024/filters:format_auto-!!-:strip_icc-!!-/2015/06/24/060/n/1922283/c17879d3_edit_img_cover_file_2387502_1435191732/i/Who-Lolly-Orange-New-Black.jpg)

up
Voting closed 0

Lmao

up
Voting closed 0

That whole area with the construction and protests has become a no-man's land for drivers. Even the buses are diverted on some days and definitely that was a day that caused the buses to go elsewhere.

up
Voting closed 0

Too bad they don't leave a few of them like that for a day or two.

up
Voting closed 0

Thanks Protesters for sticking up for safe communities. The Mayor of Boston and ALL representatives are against the project because it's unsafe; maybe Spectra should settle all of their outstanding LEAKY pipelines before coming into West Roxbury!

up
Voting closed 0