(WV Gazette) BLAIR, W.Va. — Hundreds of protesters reached the summit of Blair Mountain on Saturday, marking the end of a weeklong, 50-mile march to raise awareness of mountaintop-removal mining and labor rights in West Virginia.
The protesters came from far and wide to participate in the journey, hailing not only from West Virginia, but also Kentucky, Utah, North Carolina, Tennessee, Australia and Japan. The five-day march was an effort to preserve Blair Mountain as a historical site and to prevent coal companies from using it for mountaintop-removal mining.
http://wvgazettemail.com/News/201106111091
It was an amazing experience to walk alongside coal field residents who have been on the front lines, facing down the coal companies for the past 100 years.
We are so honored to be a part of this movement to stop MTR, save these communities , and restore Appalachia with green jobs and a clean energy economy!
Here in Philadelphia, we pledge to do OUR PART and make a difference as part of our Quaker legacy!
Here is a video made of sections of the march:
Some news coverage:
http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2011/06/06/the-march-on-blair-mountain-begins/
