Virginia pipeline protesters on what drove them to live in the trees

Trees
(Image by Samuel Menezes)   Permission   Details   DMCA

In the mountains of Virginia, a man is living 30 feet above the ground, suspended on a 4-by-8-foot platform in a tree inside the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. And he’s not alone. At least seven people in Virginia and West Virginia have taken to the trees in recent weeks, to protest the construction of a natural gas pipeline across the two states. Some have stayed there for more than a month, braving freezing temperatures, dwindling food and water supplies, and regular appearances by US Forest Service (USFS) and private security officers. the USFS issued a “closure order” within 200 feet of the proposed pipeline route, barring the public from setting foot near the sitters. At least two supporters have been arrested in recent weeks for rushing past the line in an attempt to bring food and water to the sitters.