WV Protest Targets Sen. Joe Manchin Coal Baron: 'More Like A Russian Oligarch Than A West Virginian'

[appalachiablue]

- Rylee Haught, of Morgantown, a former Fairmont State Univ. student, served as impromptu media spokesperson at the event. About 200 activists protested against Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and his record for fossil fuels. They also said he should not be allowed to chair the Senate energy & Natl. Resources Committee while taking home $500M a year from his family coal business, Enersystems.
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- 'Protesters ask West Virginia Sen. Manchin to vote for clean energy policy, help for those in poverty.' Times West Virginia, April 9, 2022. -Ed.

GRANT TOWN, W.Va. — At least 16 activists were arrested Saturday on trespassing charges during a protest outside the front gate of the coal-fired Grant Town Power Plant. About 200 protesters from different states carried signs with slogans such as "WV Rising for Good Jobs," "In my father's house, there is no room for this Manchin" and "Solidarity With All Coal Miners Just Transition." The protest, which was organized by the Morgantown-based group WV Rising, was meant to get the attention of U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., in hopes he would abandon his support for fossil fuels and instead support green energy legislation. Protesters also want Manchin to vote for legislation such as the failed Build Back Better to lift up families living in poverty.

Manchin's family business, Enersystems, sells waste coal to the power plant – which, in turn, sells the power to First Energy Corp. "I am here because I know the effects that coal has and it's not positive anymore, it's just not," said Rylee Haught, of Morgantown. "It's a dying industry. It's hurting WV, it's hurting all of America and the rest of the world at this point with global warming increasing rapidly, so I would just try to level with him." Haught, who acted as an unofficial media spokeswoman for the group Saturday, said she became involved in social justice when she was a student at Fairmont State Univ. when she took Dr. Paul Edwards' global warming class. That led her to take part in the March For Our Lives in Wash., D.C. The Parkersburg, WV, native said she just wants to see her state thrive & not continue to wither.

Currently studying psychology & addiction at WVU, Haught said she would like Manchin to work to improve the state's addiction & mental health system to improve the quality of life for West Virginians. "I just want (Manchin) to really hear out the young people who are considering leaving because we don't have new industries and we don't have new opportunities that we deserve," she said as protesters sang songs reminiscent of the suffrage & civil rights movements. Haught said the main message protesters wanted to convey was that Enersystems is profiting from the coal industry, while Manchin serves as chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources. "That is a huge conflict of interest and it absolutely should not be allowed to happen."

Kathy Ferguson drove from Institute, WV, to take part in the protest. She wants Manchin to use his influence in the Senate to lift up WV families who face poverty & drug addiction. "WV is a state that suffers with poor education, poor health outcomes – there's a lot of opioid use here." "There's just so many issues that we're struggling with & BBB has so many components & pieces that will elevate the quality of lives & the economy." She said he needs to serve the people of his state better. "I believe he's like many politicians who actually have the ability to make personal gains from legislation that does not..help a lot of folks." Environmental attorney Lisa Johnson, of Pittsburgh, was one of at least 2 attorneys on site. Wearing a National Lawyers Guild cap, Johnson said she was there out of personal interest. "I'm Switzerland," "I am very interested in making sure that when people protest, they are able to under the confines of the (U.S.) Constitution, of course, so to be able to just observe & document...' + Photos,
https://www.timeswv.com/news/local_news/protesters-ask-west-virginia-sen-manchin-to-vote-for-clean-energy-policy-help-for-those/article_b8243b56-b836-11ec-81f7-1383acd5e6f5.html


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- WV News, 'Grant Town Protest Targets Sen. Manchin', April 9, 2022,
https://www.wvnews.com/news/wvnews/grant-town-west-virginia-protest-targets-sen-manchin/article_97b4b5ac-b823-11ec-8e5f-876ab4c48f9a.html
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- Police in Grant Town, West Virginia arrested demonstrators who blockaded a coal plant that contracts with Enersystems, a company owned by Sen. Joe Manchin's family, from which the senator earns $500,000 per year.
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“West Virginians Lead Blockade of Coal Plant That Made Manchin Rich." Common Dreams, April 9, 2022. "This is what the fight for a habitable planet looks like in real time."
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/04/09/west-virginians-lead-blockade-coal-plant-made-manchin-rich

Link to tweet

[Baitball Blogger]

1. Good work, everyone!

[appalachiablue]

2. They deserve a lot of credit given the issues & conditions!

[fescuerescue]

3. Hopefully he gets defeated in the mid terms.

We need more protests like this to get this guy out of office.

[PSPS]

6. He doesn't run for re-election until 2024.

[2naSalit]

4. K&R!

[FoxNewsSucks]

5. Good for them!

Too bad Maserati Manchin cares only for himself. His actions hurt the whole country, WV in particular.

Just proves who he really works for and which side he's on.

[Fiendish Thingy]

7. K&R

[Six117]

8. So good to see!

Gives me a little hope.