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Appalachia 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. "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. Nevertheless international human rights have been contacted and legal proceedings are being prepared. |