Protest rally set in support of Sisters Chapel

RE: Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline in South Central Pennsylvania

On Monday, twenty-three courageous members of our movement were arrested in front of an excavator on land belonging to the Adorers of the Blood of Christ in West Hempfield Township, in Lancaster County, PA. Those arrested ranged in age from 16 to 86, and included three pastors. (They are now the “Chapel 23.”)

Their love of this land, their willing sacrifice, and their inspiring poise declared that our work is driven by something deeper than Williams’s greed and gasoline. The arrested have touched our hearts, taught us the power of peaceful resistance, and strengthened our resolve more than ever.

An incredible outpouring of unity and support continues today as the Chapel 23 recover. Hundreds of thousands of people have viewed our live feed videos online, with 100,000 viewing our video of the arrests; our Facebook page received more than 500 new followers; the events were reported by _NBC_, _Democracy Now_, and _Al Jazeera, _ as well as most local media outlets and practically every Catholic publication there is.

And we’re just getting started! In the days ahead, we’ll look back on the Chapel 23 as a turning point in our movement. Which is precisely Williams’ worst fear.

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_SO, WHAT’S NEXT?_. COME OUT THIS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21, FOR A DAY OF CELEBRATION AND ACTION!

AT 10:30 AM, WE’LL MEET AGAIN AT THE SISTERS’ CHAPEL AT 3939 LAUREL RUN IN COLUMBIA, PA 17512. First, we’ll celebrate that site of Sacred Resistance with a spirited rally. Second, we’ve planned another creative Mass Action to halt pipeline construction for another day in Lancaster County.

Come ready to sing, to celebrate the power of communities rising, and to shut down some heavy equipment. There will be plenty of roles to play across the full range of risks levels, most being entirely non-arrestable.

Note: Immediately _preceding_ LAP’s 10:30 gathering, the Lancaster Friends Quaker Meeting will be hosting a service of quiet reflection at the Chapel at 9:30 AM. All who wish to attend are welcome!

“WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT WE’VE GOTTEN,” SISTER BERNICE, WHO WAS WITH US ON MONDAY, TOLD THE _CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE._ “WHEN PEOPLE PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE FOR YOU, IT’S MEANINGFUL.”

The major victory of Monday was that our courage exposed the radical injustice of corporate tyranny, whereby the current system gives communities no legal avenue for protecting our land, water, and homes against even the most appalling corporate harms.

Our actions announced that we’re no longer willing to accept this system of legalized endangerment. We can no longer look the other way, or passively accept that poisoned water and condemned farmland is simply “the way it is.”

So we’ll continue to challenge this system, head on, with a relentless campaign of joyful Civil Disobedience. Our goal? To force our elected officials, law enforcement, and local judges to side with us — the people — by refusing to participate in the raw exploitation of their own communities.

We’re not just stopping a pipeline. We’re breaking a system that’s killing us.

>>> Lancaster Against Pipelines

See also: http://www.wearelancastercounty.org/