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Four more arrested at West Roxbury gas plant
By adamg on Sat, 08/06/2016 - 1:13pm
Protester smiles at 50 or so supporters before being put in prisoner wagon.
Protesters briefly halted construction of a natural-gas transfer station at Centre and Grove streets this morning before being arrested, in the latest show of opposition to Spectra Energy's high-pressure pipeline and the station, which will transfer gas at a lower pressure into National Grid's local network.
What began in 2014 as protests by homeowners along the route about the risks of living atop a potentially explosive time bomb has morphed into protests against environmental issues caused by the use of fracked gas from Pennsylvania, such as its contribution to climate change and rising sea levels:
In recent weeks, Boston Police have increased the number of officers on duty at protests - now calling in numerous officers on mandatory overtime, rather than just seeking volunteers for detail duty:
With the arrests going on, Spectra workers gazed at the protesters:
Not all residents near the plant support the protest. As protesters marched past a house that backs up on the Spectra land, its owner stood on the porch, glowering and then yelling "Get the fuck away from my house!" The protesters did not walk on his land and stayed on the public sidewalk.
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Comments
Good for that homeowner
The culture of perpetual butt hurt protesting is tiring. Both the Cops and construction workers are simply trying to make a living working in this heat. While this guy probably trying to enjoy his day off. They should have to deal with trust fund liberal social justice worriers.
All these wackos congregate at the Theodore Parker, which seem to be almost "cult" like.
Yeah, we don't need no First Amendment
Screw that!
They weren't ringing his bell and running away or anything. They were using their right, under the First Amendment, to protest something. They were never on his property and spent roughly 30 seconds walking on the sidewalk in front of his house.
A bullhorn and a tuba are protected by the first amendment?
Nobody has the right to violate a noise ordinance.
No problem
The noise level in the neighborhood is pretty much unbearable most of the time, because of the construction. A few protestors and one tuba really didn't sound very loud.
Police care little for noise
With boom-boom cars and after market exhausts on motorcycles regularly contributing their sweet sounds with impunity it's hard to make a case for police being concerned about noise from a tuba and bullhorn.
Except for the 3rd (someone
Except for the 3rd (someone will work on that somehow), all amendments starting with the 2nd in the bill of rights are void in this state whenever it is convenient for the legislature or AG or politically popular for the SJC to the point the USSC has had to reprimand the SJC for ruling contrary to USSC precedent.
What makes you think the 1st isn't going to be similarly gutted if the wind is blowing the right way and certain palms are greased? All it takes is one angry rich or politically favored person to demand something and the established rule of law goes out the window.
USSC?
USSC as in United States Sentencing Commission? What authority do they have that they would reprimand a non-Federal court? The USSC is a Federal agency which establishes sentencing guidelines for Federal courts. It has not authority where state courts are concerned.
Freedom isn't Free
And sometimes it can be inconvenient.
Suck it up, put on your big boy panties, and move to Russia if you don't like it.
Yeah, but moving to Russia is
Yeah, but moving to Russia is also expensive, and big boy panties aren't cheap--at least, not at the rate I go through them. I guess my point is, how am I going to continue making payments on my tuba?
Police Wagons
Ever since the Freddie Gray tragedy which resulted in his death and several officers charged with serious crimes I have often seen BPD or Transit transport prisoners or homeless people in these wagons which don't appear to have seat belts. It must make for a rough ride when you are hands are cuffed behind your back.
Very simple solution
Don't end up in one. Buses don't have belt, maybe you should petition the MBTA to install some.
Better Solution
Transport vehicles should have safety restraints.
Remember folk: THEY AREN'T CONVICTED OF ANYTHING. "Punishment" is what JUDGES and JURIES are in charge of.
Dope.
Any of the other Gore's arrested?
Well over a decade after Al Gore said we had ten years to save Planet Earth, our planet is doing fine. Meanwhile his divorced daughter is causing court congestion by being arrested for foolishness in Boston, as dad adds to his hundreds of millions since leaving office after "inventing" the internet. Gas is down to $1.65 in some places while Gore's mansion and jets eat more fossil fuel than most will use in a lifetime. Very pathetic that there's still a following for the warming agenda. God Bless the crew of the good ship Polar Ocean Challenge, sent to the Arctic to "prove" Global warming but now stuck in the ice, almost out of food and vodka.
On your home planet...
.... do you find that messenger attacks are an effective rhetorical device?
Paging Eric G
Another bug for Jira?
groooan...
Putting aside the issue at hand, I have to ask, are you really upset that she's divorced? Were you married to her? What the hell does that have to do with anything here? Do you walk to school or do you bring a lunch?
Curious?
Is it necessary to sport a mustache to work on the pipeline?
just keep swimming, keep swimming
.. and the blithershark swims on.
this time powered by Al Gore and vodka.
swim on, you crazy, insane diamond.
Maybe you should learn to swim
Estimates put the number of people displaced by rising seas by the late 21st century at around 500,000 to 1,000,000.
In Massachusetts. Similar numbers for Connecticut. Double those numbers for New York and New Jersey each.
Why are police spending overtime on this?
There are quality of life issues all over the city that are ignored until enough people complain. Boom-boom cars and loud motorcycle exhausts are two problems. If the police are willing to spend tax money on overtime to arrest protestors then they have the overtime to spend on more important quality of life issues.
The police do not address every instance of illegal conduct. That red lights are treated as optional is the best example. So why are they choosing to spend lots of money on what amounts to an argument between for profit company and citizens who are exercising their right to protest?
Details
Details, details.
I doubt the police strive to be involved in this...
Police have a role in these protests but I doubt any of them strive to make those arrests. More of a headache than anything else. I'm sure the junior officer was stuck with the paperwork on charges that will go nowhere. As for loud cars, motorcycles tinted glass, bald tires and other arbitrary traffic matters, they're not the easiest to cite since few officers have the equipment to properly measure. It's a lot easier to catch an expired inspection sticker or registration (it's either expired or it's not) than debate what is "harsh" noise as the law states. While I applaud the merger of the State, MDC, Registry and Capitol Police decades ago, the Registry Police were the ones who would go after the equipment violations (noise, tint, tires etc.) Locals don't have the time and State don't have the manpower so they are largely unenforced.
All a matter of priorities
Loud cars are a quality of life issue that can be addressed as disturbance of the peace. Further local police do not exist to enforce the laws that they willy nilly want to enforce. They exist to enforce the laws necessary to maintain a civil society. But which laws? That is a matter of choice and priority. If the priority is to crack down on disturbance of the peace then they will do so.
As for having the equipment that raises an interesting question. The local police union heads DEMANDED rifles and other equipment. If they are demanding rifles, etc. then they could also be demanding decibel readers.
Quality of life issues are as important as a private company making money at the risk of blowing up resident's houses. Since quality of life issues affect the entire city there is a case that this is more important. If the private company believes that they need police protection then they can 1) pay for the protection or 2) find another route.
As for the safety concerns one thing to never forget is that no one can assume that the decision makers of a private company make decisions based on the safety of others. We can hope that businesses will but the reality is that many still don't. Building a gas line near an area where there are explosions makes as much sense as building a nuclear power plant near an area where a tsunami could shut it down.
contrast
Love the difference between the cuffed woman's face and the cop behind her in the first picture.
If I had to
Go out in public in those derpy shorts, I would look like that too.
It's like a bowl haircut for your legs.