First stockholders meeting of National Coal Corporation Disrupted

Approximately 45 activists surprised the first-ever shareholders meeting of Knoxville-based National Coal Corporation—the most destructive coal company in Tennessee, at the Holiday Inn Select in west Knoxville.

The procession, which included a marching band, a bear costume and other animals, found the door to National Coal Corporation’s meeting locked. As a sheriff opened the door, demonstrators demanded that National Coal stop mountaintop removal mining, while distributing informational flyers to shareholders.

The sheriff and National Coal Corporation responded by assaulting protesters with pain compliance and choke holds. Activists disrupted the meeting with chants, drumming, and portable security alarms.

Eventually, the sheriff and National Coal Corporation board members cleared and shut the door. The marching band and chanting continued for another ten minutes until more law enforcement officers arrived. Personal security alarms were still going off as demonstrators exited the building.

Police said protestors could continue the protest outside, but minutes later two protestors were arrested. A journalist was detained for an hour and his camera was temporarily seized. A third protestor was arrested later as people returned to their cars.

Several trumped-up charges were stacked onto three demonstrators after the sheriff was noted to say they ‘were going down.’ The total combined bail for the three activists was $46,000. All three are now out of jail due to the support of Mountain Justice Summer.
	Mountain Justice Summer activists are being targeted with trumped up charges and lies. National Coal Corporation fabricated stories to the police about protestors "with bombs" and acts of ecoterrorism. We will meet their lies with the overwhelming facts of their destructive mining practices. We will not be silenced.

This story ran in the Coal Trader
Friday June 10, 2005

Protesters arrested at National Coal meeting

Three protesters were arrested Tuesday after allegedly disrupting the National Coal Corp. shareholders’ meeting in Knoxville, Tenn. A Katuah Earth First! spokeswoman told Platts Coal Trader that about 25 members of the environmental group and other protesters were chanting, playing drums and other musical instruments and passing out leaflets outside of the meeting, which was held at a hotel. The group was protesting National Coal’s mountaintop mining practices, she said. National Coal purchased 115,000 acres in eastern Tennessee and Kentucky, the company notes on its website, and it is currently clearing and mining portions of the property.

National Coal has been engaging in environmentally\ destructive surface mining and land-clearing practices, the spokeswoman claimed. "We don’t have a problem with deep mining or other mining practices that don’t destroy the mountains."

National Coal said on its website that the majority of its planned mines are deep facilities with life expectancies of at least 10 years; roughly 75% of the company’s production is expected to occur in these mines. Knox County Sheriff’s Office officials did not respond to a call about the protest and arrests. The Knoxville News

Sentinel reported Thursday that the protesters faced charges including aggravated assault, incitement to riot, burglary and disrupting a meeting or procession.

A National Coal spokesman told Platts Coal Trader that protesters confronted uniformed Knox County sheriff’s deputies and tried to push their way through the deputies.

While this was going on, one of the officers was assaulted, the spokesman said. As the officer called for backup, "in excess of 40 protesters … took off running," he said. Three men were arrested by the sheriff’s deputies for throwing pamphlets into the conference room, the Earth First spokeswoman said. One was a group member and the other two were "concerned citizens" not affiliated with the group, she said. They have been released. The spokeswoman said that the group has videotape documenting the arrests.

"They were arrested for things that they absolutely did not do," she said. "Nobody hit anybody" as the sheriff’s office claimed.

Grand jury to hear charges against trio of protesters
Men accused of disrupting coal company's meeting

By JAMIE SATTERFIELD, satterfield@knews.com
July 13, 2005

It's not the normal stuff one hears in a criminal courtroom. Talk of "eco-terrorists" and "corporate overlords" mixed with dialogue on the First Amendment and homeland security.

Tales of a burglary and riot came with descriptions of three suspects wielding musical instruments and other people dressed as "forest animals." Items used in an alleged assault on police included a "drumstick" and a megaphone. But at its close, this atypical hearing Tuesday in Knox County General Sessions Court ended like hundreds of comparatively mundane ones do each year: A slew of felony charges against three men accused of disrupting a National Coal Corp. shareholders' meeting last month were sent to a grand jury for review.

James E. Johnson, 35, Sequoia McDowell, 20, and William C. Dodson, age unavailable, were arrested in June after they and another 25 to 40 protesters showed up at the Holiday Inn on Cedar Bluff Road, where NCC was hosting its meeting.

The trio was charged with crimes including burglary, aggravated riot and aggravated assault.

Defense attorneys contend the men were part of a perfectly legal protest against what they say is NCC's practice of mountaintop mining, something the corporation denies it does. The company and protesters have been at odds for a while, with the firm insisting it is under siege and its president harassed, threatened and endangered.

At the June meeting, testimony showed, a group of protesters came into the hotel. Some were dressed in costumes of forest animals, including bears, and many carried various musical instruments, testimony showed. They chanted and sang.

Problems arose when the protesters tried to come into the room where shareholders were meeting.

Knox County Sheriff's Office Deputy Tom Walker said he stood in the doorway with a hand braced against each side of the doorframe as protesters tried to push their way inside.

Walker alleged Johnson struck him with his megaphone, Dodson hit him with a "drumstick" and McDowell pushed a hotel manager into him.

Johnson's attorney, Mike Whalen, pressed Walker on why he - designated as a homeland security officer at KCSO - was sent to handle the protest.

"What part of the homeland was under threat that day?" Whalen asked.

Walker responded, "They're eco-terrorists."

Whalen also quizzed Walker on how his client caused a "riot."

"When they come into the hotel, banging on drums causing a disturbance, that's a riot," he said.

Whalen repeatedly referred to NCC as "corporate overlords," prompting Assistant District Attorney General Jennifer Welch to protest.

"Your Honor, that's uncalled for," she said.

Attorney Bill Talman elicited testimony from Walker that most of the protesters left the hotel when asked by the manager.

Assistant Public Defender David Skidmore asked Judge Bob R. McGee to toss out charges against McDowell.

"The fact that an officer got hit with a drumstick and people were dancing around dressed as bears or whatever does not create a grave danger," Skidmore argued.

McGee disagreed.

"This court has to find that when people deliberately start shoving into an officer of the law who is armed, that is a condition that creates substantial risk," the judge said.

Jamie Satterfield may be reached at 865-342-6308.

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