Tim DeChristopher Solidarity Rallies in DC, elsewhere protest 2 year term for stopping oil/gas leases
On the 26th of July. protesters showed up at the DC courthouse to show solidarity with Tim Dechristoper, who was sentenced at that very time to 2 years in prison for bidding against oil and gas companies for public land in the waning days of George W Bush’s presidency.
Video of the DC solidarity protest intercut with scenes form Salt Lake City
Video from Salt Lake City
He was convicted for placing two bids at a public lands auction intended to “open up public lands for oil and gas drilling” with no intention of extracting minerals. He placed 13 bids in all, won some, forced up prices on the rest, and threw the entire auction into chaos.
The action was a strategic success in delaying these last-minute Bush administration leases long enough for the Obama adminstration to cancel them a huge defeat for the George W Bush energy philosopy, made possible by what some have called an innovative form of open monkeywrenching. Without his action, the drilling would have been taking place before anyone in the Obama administration could easily stop it.
Now backers of oil and gas want their pound of flesh form Tim DeChristoper, they tried for a ten year prison term, Tim was actually sentenced to two years prison plus a $10,000 fine.
Supporters of Tim swarmed the Salt Lake City courthouse, some estimated thousands were present there. The DC solidarity protest, although small in itself, was one of at least 20 held outside Federal courthouses in various cities around the US.
