Prince Frederick, MD – Several protesters involved in demonstrations that occurred in Calvert County late last year related to the start of the Dominion Cove Point Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Export Project had their cases heard in District Court in Prince Frederick Monday, Feb. 23.
The proceedings, which took over four hours to complete, stemmed from three incidents, including two protests at the construction site of an offshore pier in Solomons and one outside a storefront occupied by a project contractor.
The demonstrations occurred as Dominion’s $3.8 billion project was getting underway. The utility intends to construct a liquefaction unit at the Cove Point facility, giving it the capability of exporting LNG to foreign countries. While the project has the support of local, state and federal elected officials and has been approved by regulators after a lengthy vetting process, opponents claim the project poses environmental, health and safety risks.
The majority of protesters were found guilty of trespassing, sentenced to 20 days in jail with the entire sentence suspended and placed on three years of unsupervised probation and ordered to pay a fine, court costs and make a payment to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund.
Each protester was defended by attorney Mark Goldstone. Prosecution was handled by Calvert County Assistant State’s Attorney Michael Gerst.
At times, the proceedings proved testy for both Judge Michelle Saunders and the courtroom bailiffs. After defendant Dr. Margaret Flowers delivered an emotional statement denouncing Dominion, the Calvert County Government and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), several in the courtroom began to applaud. Saunders ordered the clappers to cease then called for a recess.
During the recess, several of the defendants, sporting red armbands, began to sing the American folk song “We Shall Not Be Moved.” However, they were moved—out of the courtroom by the incensed bailiffs. At one point it was announced that Saunders intended to have the courtroom cleared for the remaining hearings due to the spectators’ collective recalcitrance. The judge later relented and allowed them to remain.
Many of the defendants spoke their piece about their participation in the protests, offering no apologies for their actions.
“I acted to prevent a greater crime,” declared Berenice L. Tompkins, 19 of Hastings on Hudson, NY, who added she was “protecting children” and “acting out of love.”
“The Dominion Cove Point project is like the last straw,” stated defendant Elias Weston-Farber of Baltimore. “I have to prevent a greater harm, in my view.”
“What we’re seeing is a serious lack of democracy,” said Flowers, who affirmed the Cove Point project has been shrouded in secrecy and bogus population figures were submitted to federal and state regulators in order to move the project forward.
Dr. Steven Dodge Norris of Fairview, NC and Clarke R. Herbert of Alexandria, VA were tried on trespassing and disorderly conduct charges stemming from the Dec. 3 incident at the Solomons headquarters of IHI/KEIWIT. Norris and Herbert locked themselves to the front door of the company’s storefront office around 10:15 a.m.
“They failed to comply with my orders,” said Dfc. J. Denton of the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office’s Special Operations Team. Denton testified that there were people inside the office who could not get out. Deputies had to use a special tool to break the locks.
Denton testified that the protest disrupted commerce at the neighboring storefronts.
David Marco, an employee of the contractor, testified that he told the protesters they would have to leave and contacted police when they refused.
Goldstone accused the state of “piling on charges. This was a public protest. There was no violence.”
Attorney Kevin Zeese testified on behalf of Norris and Herbert. “My role was to be police liaison and deescalate things, try to keep it calm,” said Zeese, who added the demonstration was held “to highlight KEIWIT’s role.” He told Saunders that Norris and Herbert “were sitting still” during the entire protest, which lasted about 20 minutes.
As for disrupting business at the shopping center, Zeese affirmed the onlookers “kind of enjoyed what was going on.”
Gerst, however, said the protesters refused to leave when asked to do so by Marco and then the police. They were asked to leave to prevent disturbance of the public peace,” said Gerst. “Business was unable to occur.”
“We were clearly on public property or property that is open to the public,” said Norris. In defending his actions, Norris declared he is “extremely worried” about the carbon emissions from the Dominion Cove Point liquefaction unit. “It will be a disaster for the planet,” said Norris, who added he was trying “to get the message out.”
Because of a prior conviction related to an environmental protest in North Carolina, Saunders ordered that Norris spend three days in jail.
Many of the protesters predicted they would be back in the local courtroom as they intend to continue the protest of the Dominion Cove Point project.
“I’m planning on participating in unlawful, peaceful protests,” Charles Chandler of Ithaca, NY, who participated in the Dec. 1 protest at the offsite pier construction area. Chandler, who goes by the moniker “Peace Walker,” hiked from his home in New York to Lusby, a journey that took him 27 days. “We’ve got a country in a state of denial,” he told the judge. “We’re leaving future generations a ‘garbage planet.’ Dominion has bought the county government. They bought the police department.”
Saunders defended the local officers, telling Chandler they were doing their jobs.
Earlier this month, two women, identified as Carling Sothoron, 28 of Baltimore; and Heather Doyle, 31 of Washington, DC, were arrested for trespassing at the Dominion project’s staging area in Lusby. Sothoron is alleged to have climbed a 150-foot crane and unfurled a banner reading “Dominion get out. Don’t frack Maryland. No gas exports. Save Cove Point.”
Both women are tentatively scheduled to have their case heard in district court April 20 at 1 p.m.
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com