Defenders in Appalachia Against Mountain Valley Pipeline Avoided Felony Charges
"Initially we were charged with conspiracy. The real conspiracy is between the prosecutors and the judges, between the cops and the corporations."
By Appalachians Against Pipelines, Censored News, March 3, 2025
Last Tuesday, 12 pipeline fighters had court in Giles County for charges resulting from three different actions (pictured) against the Mountain Valley Pipeline in 2023 and 2024 in and around the Jefferson National Forest, including one site where MVP was drilling through the mountain under the Appalachian Trail.
Last Tuesday, 12 pipeline fighters had court in Giles County for charges resulting from three different actions (pictured) against the Mountain Valley Pipeline in 2023 and 2024 in and around the Jefferson National Forest, including one site where MVP was drilling through the mountain under the Appalachian Trail.
Eleven of the defendants accepted non-cooperating plea deals -- all of them were facing absurd felony charges, including felony abduction and felony “unauthorized use of a vehicle.” In the end, they plead to misdemeanor charges and there were NO felony convictions. They were sentenced to community service, probation, and to pay restitution. The court room was PACKED all day long with supporters!
One of the defendants explained, "Initially we were charged with conspiracy. The real conspiracy is between the prosecutors and the judges, between the cops and the corporations. It is the conspiracy between your landlord and your boss to keep you exhausted and hungry, unable to fight back. It is the dictatorship of the billionaires to keep us bound to their world where they make and break their own rules. This is bigger than a 42 inch wide 303 mile long ticking-time-bomb running through Appalachia. It is the fact that our lives are bought and sold by the large land owning class who were able to ram this project through under Joe Biden despite the harm it will cause-- because it will make them money as the world burns."
The absurd felony charges issued by Giles County were part of an escalated wave of repression against people resisting the MVP. In the fall of 2023, Virginia police issued felony warrants for eight defendants from this case, and two others were re-arrested in court during arraignment when felony charges were added to their case- a highly irregular and vindictive practice. More broadly, around 50 pipeline opponents are being sued by MVP in twelve separate lawsuits across multiple jurisdictions, including many of the defendants who had court Tuesday.
These cases were some of the last pending criminal matters relating to direct actions against a the Mountain Valley Pipeline. As they wind to a close, one defendant reflected,
"While the MVP may now be fully built and running, the fight against it was still worth it, it will always have been worth it. The fight delayed MVP by years and every single delay counted. So while despite it running, I do not regret fighting against it. I never will. I also want to say the fight will never truly be over. People will never stop fighting to protect these mountains. From Appalachia to Cop City in Atlanta, to Palestine, the fight will never stop."
Another defendant said, "All of the solidarity today and outpouring of support truly made a difference and today gave me hope. The state may try to divide us but it will only bring us together...going through this whole case for well over a year has only cemented that no matter what happens I will never stop fighting. People will never stop fighting."
Carolyn Givens, a local Giles County supporter who lives directly on the pipeline route, said, “I have enormous admiration for every person who has had the courage to step up to the plate and publicly demonstrate for what we all know, and that is that the Mountain Valley Pipeline is dead wrong, on so many counts...Thank you to those who have taken public action to stop MVP's work, at a price to themselves, but to benefit the earth and its inhabitants. You are brave and you are in the right."
The absurd felony charges issued by Giles County were part of an escalated wave of repression against people resisting the MVP. In the fall of 2023, Virginia police issued felony warrants for eight defendants from this case, and two others were re-arrested in court during arraignment when felony charges were added to their case- a highly irregular and vindictive practice. More broadly, around 50 pipeline opponents are being sued by MVP in twelve separate lawsuits across multiple jurisdictions, including many of the defendants who had court Tuesday.
These cases were some of the last pending criminal matters relating to direct actions against a the Mountain Valley Pipeline. As they wind to a close, one defendant reflected,
"While the MVP may now be fully built and running, the fight against it was still worth it, it will always have been worth it. The fight delayed MVP by years and every single delay counted. So while despite it running, I do not regret fighting against it. I never will. I also want to say the fight will never truly be over. People will never stop fighting to protect these mountains. From Appalachia to Cop City in Atlanta, to Palestine, the fight will never stop."
Another defendant said, "All of the solidarity today and outpouring of support truly made a difference and today gave me hope. The state may try to divide us but it will only bring us together...going through this whole case for well over a year has only cemented that no matter what happens I will never stop fighting. People will never stop fighting."
Carolyn Givens, a local Giles County supporter who lives directly on the pipeline route, said, “I have enormous admiration for every person who has had the courage to step up to the plate and publicly demonstrate for what we all know, and that is that the Mountain Valley Pipeline is dead wrong, on so many counts...Thank you to those who have taken public action to stop MVP's work, at a price to themselves, but to benefit the earth and its inhabitants. You are brave and you are in the right."
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