Democracy Now! #7

Aaron Bañuelos        

Soc. 122

 

New York: Thousands Converge on Albany to Protest Oil "Bomb Trains"

In this article from Democracy Now the story cover how environmentalist activist gathered together in protest of the ships that bring in crude oil, which is then placed on a train and transported on railways behind public housing. The environmentalists protest these trains with crude oil because they state that they are highly explosive and dangerous to transport. The activist also claim that the trains spill a lot of the crude oil and this results in air pollution, water pollution, endangers their children when they are outside playing because they can get in to the toxins. The protestors gathered at the port in Albany and rallied together with picket signs reading "stop bomb trains" I feel that overall this was a very successful movement because they had such a large turnout with thousands of participants and were able to get national attention to their cause.

http://www.democracynow.org/2016/5/16/headlines/new_york_thousands_converge_on_albany_to_protest_oil_bomb_trains

Germany: More Than 100 Arrested at Coal Protest Amid Global Wave of Actions

 

In this article on Democracy Now the topic of discussion is environmentalists activists protesting against fossil fuel organizations. In this particular article the focus of the fossil fuel protest was located in Germany where thousands gathered together to protest against the largest lignite coal mine. The environmentalist activists used the tactic of gathering thousands together to block the railway the brings in and ships out raw materials for the lignite mine. As a result of the blockage for of the railways the mine was forced to shutdown for two full days. As for the environmentalist activists who were participating in the blockade tactic more than 100 of them were arrested during the protests for obstruction and other various counts. I feel that because these activists took a more direct approach to trying to stop the fossil fuel mine they were more successful than the activist in the above article because they were able to force the mine to shut down for two days disrupting their profits and lignite coal produced.

http://www.democracynow.org/2016/5/16/headlines/germany_more_than_100_arrested_at_coal_protest_amid_global_wave_of_actions