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Bella Romero Defense Fund

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We have received a good outpouring of support for the legal fund for the brave activists who locked up to the bulldozer at the Extraction oil and gas site next to the Bella Romero Elementary school in Greeley, Colorado on Thursday. This action was historic and the first of its kind against oil and gas here—space (a bulldozer) was occupied and work was stopped for the day.

We've raised about $2400 toward our goal of $5000. Please continue to give—they really need your financial support in order to be able to continue carrying out these brave actions. If they have to pay for sanctions from their own pockets the work quickly becomes unsustainable.

We raised the goal to $5000 because that will be $1000 for each person that received charges from the Weld County sheriff. That $1000 will go pretty far to cover legal fees and fines. Any money that is not used up will be retained in a legal defense fund to support other actions and activists in Greeley and on the front range in their work to stop the oil and gas industry.

Cullen was cut from the bulldozer by the Greeley fire department, arrested and spent the night in jail. He's out now on a $2000 bond. Cullen received two charges:
18-4-506.3. Tampering with equipment associated with oil or gas gathering operations—a class 2 misdemeanor.
18-4-503. Second degree criminal trespass—a class 3 misdemeanor.

Four others at the scene also received citations that are actually more serious than what Cullen received. Four persons, including a videographer and a legal observer received two charges each:
18-4-505. First degree criminal tampering—a class 1 misdemeanor.
18-4-503. Second degree criminal trespass—a class 3 misdemeanor.

With your support we can see that they all have lawyers and some cash to pay their fines. Also please mark your calendars for the May 8th and May 15th court dates.

This action was about protecting children from a toxic industry, to shed light on the environmental racism happening in Greeley, and expose the ingrained corruption in Colorado municipal and state government that allows the oil and gas industry to frack next to schools and next to homes.

It is proven that prolonged exposure to Benzene causes all sorts of health problems, and there have been deadly explosions at similar well pads operated by Extraction oil and gas recently.

This same project was planned near Frontier Academy in Greeley, an affluent white school but the parents didn't like it so the project was moved next to Bella Romero a school that is 80% brown and 90% low income.

The oil and gas industry is only 1% of our economy in Colorado yet they funnel so much money into our politics that they determine who is governor, who gets elected and what laws are written. We don't need them here and they should GET OUT.

The state laws that allow fracking next to schools and homes are immoral and unjust and they should be disobeyed.

Please support these brave activists generously by giving some money to support their legal defense and fines.
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Donations 

  • Raven Madigan
    • $25
    • 6 yrs
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Organizer and beneficiary

Jaya Dev
Organizer
Boulder, CO
Cullen Lobe
Beneficiary

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