{"id":13358,"date":"2025-02-13T00:10:13","date_gmt":"2025-02-13T00:10:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/usa\/?p=13358"},"modified":"2025-02-13T22:44:06","modified_gmt":"2025-02-13T22:44:06","slug":"fossil-fuel-anti-protest-bills-in-montana-virginia-and-illinois-threaten-free-speech-and-climate-advocacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/usa\/fossil-fuel-anti-protest-bills-in-montana-virginia-and-illinois-threaten-free-speech-and-climate-advocacy\/","title":{"rendered":"Fossil fuel anti-protest bills in Montana, Virginia, and Illinois threaten climate activism"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Police talk with activists who are blocking a coal train en route to the Marshall Steam Station, a Duke Energy coal-fired power plant.
\u00a9 Greenpeace<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Already this year, lawmakers in Montana<\/a>, Virginia<\/a>, and Illinois<\/a> have introduced bills that would hand corporations and prosecutors new tools to suppress climate activism. <\/p>\n\n

Although proponents frame these bills as public safety measures, there is no evidence that they improve energy reliability or make communities safer. To the contrary, they contain intentionally broad provisions that would make climate advocates, environmental defenders, and landowners vulnerable to felony prosecution for infractions that are historically linked to protest. <\/p>\n\n

In light of Big Oil\u2019s death drive to keep the world hooked on fossil fuels (now with the federal government\u2019s total support), policies that take aim at our right to protest make all of us less safe by undermining the urgent action that is needed to preserve a livable future.<\/p>\n\n

Twenty-three states already have some form of these laws in place.1<\/sup> Certain components of them pose an obvious threat to climate protest (for example, boosting penalties for simple trespass near fossil fuel infrastructure), but no less dangerous are vague provisions that target \u201cimpeding\u201d fossil fuel infrastructure or \u201ccausing damages.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Under some laws, it is unclear whether these provisions could be used to impose draconian penalties upon individuals engaged in peaceful sit-ins or symbolic protest actions such as painting a slogan on a pipeline without damaging its functionality. In recent years, oil and gas companies have sought large monetary damages from activists for alleged costs associated with project delays.2<\/sup> Moreover, fossil fuel spokespeople and their allies in government routinely frame acts of civil disobedience as violent attacks deserving of deterrence and aggressive retaliation.

Laws with intentionally broad language allow authorities to hang the threat of prosecution over activists’ heads, even if the most extreme charges are not pursued or eventually dropped. Further, they can force individuals and organizations into costly legal battles.<\/p>\n\n

A closer look at the new crop of anti-protest bills below:<\/p>\n\n