Update 12 p.m. Monday: 14 Protesters Emerge Victorious from Kentucky Governor’s Office Sit-In Protesting Mountaintop Removal Mining

Update 10 p.m. Sunday: 14 Protesters Occupy Kentucky State Capitol for Third Night

Update 5 p.m. Sunday: 150 Gather at Capitol Vigil in Support of Kentucky Rising Sit-In

Update Sunday morning: Protesters Begin Third Day in Kentucky State Capitol Sit-In

Statements from those inside at the governor's office:

• Mickey McCoy
  
• Beverly May
• Stanley Sturgill
  
• Herb E. Smith
  
• Teri Blanton
  
• Rick Handshoe
  
• Tanya Turner
  
• Martin Mudd
  
• Dr. John Hennen
  
• Wendell Berry
  

Read the Kentucky Rising group's Saturday press release.

Update: 12:17 p.m. Saturday: A group of people are planning to come out to the Capitol steps tomorrow, Sunday, at 4 p.m. as a show of solidarity with the Kentucky Rising group. They invite anyone who is able to attend to join them, but they do not want this to detract people from coming to I Love Mountains Day.

Update 12:02 p.m. Saturday: The Kentucky Rising group made it through the night and morning, thanks to generous donations of food and bedding and the kindness of the Capitol staff. They are collectively editing a statement to be sent to the New York Times.

Update 11:20 p.m. Friday: Many thanks to all who have stood in solidarity with those now in the governor's office for the weekend – from the messages of support to the pizza to helping spread the word.

Update 4:55 p.m. Friday: The head of governor's security announced earlier that the office will "remain open to you for as long as you need it." Fourteen Kentuckians are planning to stay the weekend. Apparently no access in or out of the capitol for visitors, but we'll keep you posted.

Update 3:07 p.m.: It looks like they are going to be spending the weekend at the governor's office.

Update 1:20 p.m.: Protesters are not satisfied with the governor's remarks and will continue their sit-in. Read more about this from Jeff Biggers on the Huffington Post.

Update 12:40 p.m.: The governor is meeting with the citizens in his office

Kentucky author Jason Howard is tweeting occasional updates with photo links:

 Wendell Berry, Teri Blanton, and Martin Mudd approaching the Governor's office

 

Patty Wallace with the list of demands

UPDATE: They are asking that supporters call the Governor's office and demand that the Governor meet with them 502-564-2611

A group of citizens who are fed up with Governor Beshear's complicity with the coal industry and his neglect of impacted citizens and the environment are staging a sit-in in the Governor's office.  Details are still forthcoming, but we have a live video stream of the events happening on the ground.

Press Release: Group of Kentuckians Demand End to Mountaintop Removal Mining in Governor’s Office Sit-In

11 February 2011

Contact: Silas House/Jason Howard 606.224.1208

FRANKFORT – A group of twenty Kentuckians has gathered at the state Capitol in an attempt to meet with Gov. Steve Beshear to discuss the issue of mountaintop removal mining. They plan to remain in his office until the governor agrees to stop the poisoning of Kentucky’s land, water, and people by mountaintop removal; or until he chooses to have the citizens physically removed.

Among the group are Wendell Berry, 76, the acclaimed writer who has decried mining abuses for the past fifty years; Beverly May, 52, a nurse practitioner from Floyd County; Erik Reece, 43, who has written extensively about the coal industry; Patty Wallace, 80, a grandmother and long-time activist from Louisa; Mickey McCoy, 55, former educator and mayor of Inez; Teri Blanton, 54, a grassroots activist from Harlan County; Stanley Sturgill, 65, a former underground coal miner of Harlan County; Rick Handshoe, 50, a retired Kentucky State Police radio technician of Floyd County; John Hennen, 59, a history professor at Morehead State University; and Martin Mudd, 28, an environmental activist.

While these Kentuckians realize they are risking arrest by refusing to leave the governor’s office, they say they have repeatedly petitioned Gov. Beshear for help, yet their pleas have been ignored. This action is a last resort to seek protections for their health, land, and water.

In a letter to Gov. Beshear, the citizens expressed their desire to communicate “respectfully and effectively” with the governor about the urgent need to stop the destruction of mountaintop removal mining. Among their requests were the following:

§  Accept a long-standing invitation to view the devastation in eastern Kentucky caused by mountaintop removal mining

§  Foster a sincere, public discussion about the urgent need for a sustainable economic transition for coal workers and mountain communities

§  Withdraw from the October 2010 lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency, in which the Beshear administration partnered with the coal industry to oppose the EPA’s efforts to protect the health and water of coalfield residents

“The office of the governor must be held accountable,” they citizens explained in a joint statement.

Wendell Berry elaborated: “This is not something we’re doing for pleasure. We’re doing it because it’s the next thing to do after all our attempts to attract serious attention to these problems have failed. We’re doing this as a last resort. Our intention is to appeal first to our elected representatives and the governor, and failing that, to appeal over their heads to our fellow citizens.”