Environment

Greenpeace Activists Charged for Defacing Mount Rushmore

by tvtayber | July 9, 2009 at 10:13 am

382 views | 10 Recommendations | 3 comments

Greenpeace activist were charged for trespassing after they scaled the face of Mt. Rushmore on Wednesday morning and hung a banner on the face of Abraham Lincoln at exactly 10:00am. The banner features a picture of President Obama's face and reads: "America Honors Leaders Not Politicians Stop Global Warming"

“We are at a key moment in history when we must challenge our president to take real leadership,” said Carroll Muffet, deputy campaign director for Greenpeace.

“The steps taken so far have been frankly inadequate. If President Obama wants to take his place among the great leaders of history, he must take aggressive measures to combat climate change and prioritize a strong deal in Copenhagen,” she said referring to the upcoming G-8 meeting.

12 people were arrested and taken in away in handcuffs. Police released one of the activists without charges but would not say why.

The 11 activists charged yesterday were released on their own recognizance after the court hearing. A trespassing conviction carries up to six months in prison and a $5,000 fine, prosecutors said.

For more information about recent G8 talks on climate change read our G8 carbon pledge has dissappointed world environmentalists story.

5 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend Sign In or Join to post comments

Amy Judd

at 14:35 on July 9th, 2009

I think they are doing well with trying to bring awareness to environmental matters. Sometimes e-mail campaigns just don't work.

Elana (not verified)

at 09:02 on July 22nd, 2009

The 11 Greenpeace activists are amazingly brave and should be praised for their bold actions. No permanent damage was done to Mt. Rushmore and they used it as a creative and effective stage to get a crucial message to the public and politicians. Remember, people were imprisoned for bold actions like this one during the Civil Rights movement. The activists' actions show the deepest concern for our country and its future. As Thomas Jefferson once said "dissent is the highest from of patriotism!"

Alexa (not verified)

at 12:02 on July 22nd, 2009

I am so grateful for the message these Greenpeace activists were able to display. I feel very empowered to know I live in such a great country with a rich history of non violent actions. Hanging a banner on Mt. Rushmore is part of that. It's time for people to wake up and demand leadership for the climate, and I hope that this has helped a lot of Americans to realize we need to urge our leaders to make the right decisions for our planet - this is our future and our children's future that we're talking about here.