Natural gas drillers assigned to a project in Lancaster County were unable to do their job this morning because of protestors. The protest lasted nearly 3 hours and it included prayers, chants and eventually arrests.
The protestors’ pride for Pennsylvania Dutch Country is heightened as natural gas drillers work along the Conestoga River.
Protestor, Carlos Whitewolf says, “If we have to get in front of the bulldozers we will.”
A spokesman for the company, Williams Partners says they have approval from property owner, PPL, to work there. He says there are not state or county permits that are required to take bore samples.
Protestor Mark Clatterbuck says, "That doesn't change our message of why we're here. We told Williams from the start that we reject the project."
Whitewolf says, "They're destroying Mother earth and land and our thing is to let them know Native American presence is strong in Pennsylvania and we'll fight for what's ours."
The fighting came to an end once Southern Regional Police arrived. Despite repeated warnings, police arrested 8 protestors. They were arrested for trespassing on private property. The others say they'll find a new place to express themselves.
Clatterbuck says, "It's hazardous, it's dangerous on level, it reduces property value, it changes our rural way of life, it becomes an industrial highway for our gas line like this."
Police say the eight people arrested face misdemeanor charges.
