美国国家公共电台 NPR Tougher Laws On Pipeline Protests Face Test In Louisiana

 

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

After massive demonstrations¹ over the Dakota Access Pipeline², a number of states made it harder to protest oil and gas pipelines³. The state of Louisiana is making its first arrests under these tougher laws as protesters try to stop construction on the new Bayou Bridge Pipeline. Here's Travis Lux of member station WWNO.

TRAVIS LUX, BYLINE⁴: Deep in the Atchafalaya Swamp of south Louisiana, twigs⁵ snap under the rubber boots of about 40 protesters as they march through shaded woods. Many have tied bandanas around their faces, leaving only their eyes exposed. Ahead, backhoes fling mud as construction workers clear a path for the new Bayou Bridge Pipeline.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Y'all are trespassing⁶.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: (Unintelligible). Go home.

LUX: This is the last leg of the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline. If completed, it'll bring crude oil from North Dakota through Louisiana where it will be exported abroad. The protesters are trying to stop that from happening. But then the sheriff's department shows up.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #3: Everybody start backing up now.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #4: Let her go.

LUX: A deputy has one woman pinned to the ground. There's a tug⁷ of war until she's freed. It's incidents like this that have made lawmakers take action against pipeline protests. Earlier this year, Louisiana State Representative Major Thibaut proposed the stricter penalties.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

MAJOR THIBAUT: You know, that - there's a right way to do things and a wrong way. If you want to protest against something or - you get your permit and you go do it in a legal fashion.

LUX: Trespassing in Louisiana is normally a misdemeanor, but the new law deems oil and gas pipelines to be critical infrastructure⁸. As of August, trespassing near them gets you a felony. Several states have either passed or are considering similar laws, including Oklahoma, Iowa and Pennsylvania. Craig Stevens represents pipeline interests with Grow America's Infrastructure Now. The oil and gas industry is a big part of many states' economies, especially in Louisiana. And he says these new laws will both help ensure pipelines aren't delayed and help keep workers and protesters safe.

CRAIG STEVENS: It wasn't too long ago when there were, I think, four protesters that broke through and tried to penetrate⁹ - and actually did pierce - a pipeline up in the Midwest. And they used blowtorches. I mean, that type of thing could actually explode and kill somebody.

LUX: Pipeline opponents say more than 10 people have been arrested under Louisiana's stricter law. Journalist-activist Karen Savage¹⁰ captured the first arrests on this video.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #5: Let go. Let go. Let go. Let go.

(CROSSTALK)

LUX: Security officers pull three protesters onto an airboat from their kayaks. Those arrested said they didn't think they're doing anything illegal because they were on the water, which is considered public property. But now, they face felony charges.

BILL QUIGLEY: This is - it's a ridiculous over-criminalization of people who protest.

LUX: Bill Quigley is a law professor at Loyola University in New Orleans and represents pipeline protesters here and in other states. He thinks the new law is unconstitutional.

QUIGLEY: And that's a real First Amendment¹¹ problem.

LUX: Quigley plans to challenge Louisiana's law in court and hopes that that encourages other states to walk back their own laws. Meanwhile, it's not clear whether the local district attorney will actually prosecute¹² those charged with felonies but they could face up to five years in jail. Anti-pipeline organizer Cherri Foytlin says the protesters won't be deterred¹³.

CHERRI FOYTLIN: I hope to God there's no more felonies, but if there is, then they will be righteous ones.

LUX: The next day, Foytlin and three others were arrested. For NPR News, I'm Travis Lux in the Atchafalaya swamp.

[POST-BROADCAST CORRECTION: In this story, we say that those convicted under the new felony trespassing law could face time in jail. The sentence would actually be time in prison.]

(SOUNDBITE OF ELI CATLIN'S "KINGS HIGHWAY")

1 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

2 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

3 pipelines   

管道( pipeline的名词复数 )； 输油管道； 在考虑（或规划、准备） 中； 在酿中

参考例句：

• The oil is carried to the oil refinery by pipelines. 石油通过输油管输送到炼油厂。
• The oil carried in pipelines. 石油用管道输送。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 twigs   

细枝，嫩枝( twig的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Some birds build nests of twigs. 一些鸟用树枝筑巢。
• Willow twigs are pliable. 柳条很软。

6 trespassing   

[法]非法入侵

参考例句：

• He told me I was trespassing on private land. 他说我在擅闯私人土地。
• Don't come trespassing on my land again. 别再闯入我的地界了。

7 tug   

v.用力拖(或拉)；苦干；n.拖；苦干；拖船

参考例句：

• We need to tug the car round to the front.我们需要把那辆车拉到前面。
• The tug is towing three barges.那只拖船正拖着三只驳船。

8 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

9 penetrate   

v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解

参考例句：

• Western ideas penetrate slowly through the East.西方观念逐渐传入东方。
• The sunshine could not penetrate where the trees were thickest.阳光不能透入树木最浓密的地方。

10 savage   

adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人

参考例句：

• The poor man received a savage beating from the thugs.那可怜的人遭到暴徒的痛打。
• He has a savage temper.他脾气粗暴。

11 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

12 prosecute   

vt.告发；进行；vi.告发，起诉，作检察官

参考例句：

• I am trying my best to prosecute my duties.我正在尽力履行我的职责。
• Is there enough evidence to prosecute?有没有起诉的足够证据？

13 deterred   

v.阻止，制止( deter的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I told him I wasn't interested, but he wasn't deterred. 我已告诉他我不感兴趣，可他却不罢休。
• Jeremy was not deterred by this criticism. 杰里米没有因这一批评而却步。 来自辞典例句