More than 100 Earth First!ers swarmed the Columbus, OH office of American Municipal Power (AMP) on July 7, to demand that MP-Ohio cancel its plans for construction of a new and widely opposed coal-fired power plant in southeast Ohio. Donations for bail money are still needed if you see a “donate for bail money” button at the top of this page!

Dozens of protesters entered the building, disabling video cameras with silly string and creating a ruckus by chanting, signing, dancing on furniture and banging on pots and pans. Meanwhile, five activists locked down in the lobby. Two activists climbed up the flagpoles outside the building carrying signs that read “no new coal!” and “we won’t stop until you do,” while supporters rallied around them with signs and banners. Police used pepper spray and other means of force to remove the protesters, and eight people were arrested. But even after the protest ended, a surprise was left behind for the AMP workers: a foul-smelling shrimp paste spread throughout the building.

According to the protesters’ press release, “If the proposed AMP-OH plant is built, it will become one of five coal plants within a ten-mile radius to the southern tip of Meigs County. Additionally, four more coal-fired plants have been proposed for construction in the area by other electric utility providers. This is an obvious injustice as it forms the backbone of the highest concentration of coal-fired power plants in the country.”