On August 1st, Louisiana’s new industry-backed criminal trespassing law for ‘critical infrastructure’ came into effect. The law is intended to hyper-criminalize protests against the Bayou Bridge Pipeline, currently being constructed between Lake Charles and the Mississippi River. Earlier this summer, a state judge ruled Bayou Bridge Pipeline, LLC (BBP) and state government are violating state law by not providing an emergency evacuation route for residents living near the pipeline’s eastern terminus in St. James Parish.
In the past few days, opponents of the Bayou Bridge Pipeline in the Atchafalaya Basin have been arrested based on this law. Three activists and a journalist were charged with felonies for blocking construction across a private property owner’s land without their consent on August 19th. You won’t hear or read much about this in Louisiana, because most Louisiana media have chosen to ignore the story. But you will hear this, and much more, when you listen to Baton Rouge Community Radio at 96.9FM or streaming online.
The audio feature below ran on Between the Lines, a syndicated news program heard on WHYR every Thursday at 5:00pm.
Bayou Bridge Pipeline Opponents Employ Direct Action to Block Construction
Indian Country Today, August 20th: “Louisiana arrests water protectors, journalists at Bayou Bridge Pipeline”
