COURT SUMMONS ISSUED TO LEADERSHIP CAMPAIGN PARTICIPANTS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 4, 2009
Contact: Dan Abrams, dabrams@masspowershift.org, (518) 527-9168
[Boston, MA] Participants in The Leadership Campaign have begun receiving their court summons for trespassing on the Boston Common during the campaign. Most participants have received only one so far - with the court date set on December 24th, Christmas Eve, at 9:00AM. Some other court dates include December 23 and December 27, also at 9:00AM.
The participants of The Leadership Campaign has been illegally camping out on Boston Common refusing to sleep in their homes powered by dirty electricity until there is a plan in place by the government to power them by clean electricity. This happens on the Common each Sunday since October 25th. They have received court summons so far for November 8th and November 15th sleepouts. Dr. James Hansen and writer Bill McKibben were both cited on the 8th and the 15th, respectively.
"My court date is for Christmas Eve, " Alyssa Pandolfi, student at Northeastern University, said. "My mom will be upset, but I know that our future is at stake, and I want my kids to enjoy Christmas when they are my age. Standing up against global climate disruption is top my priority now."
The students and their religious and community allies had been calling on Governor Patrick to lead the state by introducing their bill to Repower Massachusetts with 100% Clean Electricity. Governor Patrick met with the students, but declined to introduce the bill. But despite court summons and cautious governors, the students are not slowing down. On Monday, after their last sleep-out of 2009 (coinciding with the start of UN climate negotiations in Copenhagen), Representative Will Brownsberger will introduce their bill.
John Beatty, Student at Harvard University, said of their summons, "It's a statement. We will not backdown; we will not accept poor climate policy. I will be here and ready to fight with my peers for comprehensive and legitimate solutions to climate change - no matter what date we have to go to court, or what the punishment. Our future is too important."
About The Leadership Campaign:
A project of Students for a Just and
Stable Future, The Leadership Campaign (The LC) calls on Governor Patrick
and his legislature to introduce and pass a bill that will re-power
Massachusetts with 100% clean electricity by 2020. The bill, An Act
to Repower Massachusetts, will be introduced on Monday, December 7th
by Representative William Brownsberger. The campaign is endorsed by
many organizations including Massachusetts Council of Churches, The
Sustainable Business Network, and the Massachusetts Climate Action Network.
For more information, please visit their website at: www.theleadershipcampaign.org,
their blog at: www.theleadershipcampaign.
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