Climate activists Ruby Montoya and Jessica Renzicek are pleading guilty in federal court in the legal action against their sabotage of the Dakota Access Pipeline.
On July 24th, Ruby Montoya and Jessica Renzicek released a press release admitting that they had carried out multiple acts of sabotage against the then-under-construction Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) in Spring 2017. The two activists set fire to heavy machinery and used blow torches to damage the oil pipeline and valves in an effort to decisively halt the project. While the DAPL was ultimately finished, their actions singlehandedly delayed construction for weeks or months. Their eco-sabotage resulted in millions of dollars of damage.
In September 2019, Jessica, 39, and Ruby, 30, were arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit criminal damage to an energy facility, malicious use of fire, and other felonies. Montoya and Reznicek are now set to plead guilty to a single charge of conspiracy to damage an energy facility. The other charges will be dismissed, with sentencing due in May 2021. Pleading guilty may result in up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Both Montoya and Reznicek were seasoned activists and knew sabotage may carry consequences. However, they were clear that direct action was a must, if we are to protect the planet and future of life. They asserted they were in support of indigenous sovereignty and were resisting corporate power.
Please listen to Ruby Montoya and Jessica Reznicek talking with Jennifer Murnan and Max Wilbert during this 2017 interview, or read the transcript here. Their understanding and commitment is inspiring. We salute Ruby and Jessica and will keep readers up-to-date on their sentencing and where people can send support.
Your people need some training in guerrilla law. Then they would be able to stonewall the court system. There are a number of people who can do this who studied with Gene Zimmerman before he died. As soon as you plead guilty or not guilty you just began to lose the fight because you gave them jurisdiction by doing that. You must stonewall them by saying,”I cannot plead your honor as I do not have counsel.” Then you negotiate with the judge as to how much more time you will need to find counsel. You delay and delay keeping a journal of all the lawyers you contact who refuse you any help. If they dont you can make them refuse by telling them you want yourdefense to be constitutional. Lawyers around you will start to get nervous and you keep this going on the internet as you train others in how to do this,(It is always better to act in your own account Pro Se. This gives you a huge advantage.) I stonewalled the mayor of my small town for 5 years over my garden until I drove him so crazy he made a mistake in not getting 3 bids for a storm shelter that cost the city $85,000. I could have told him and saved him that money. He got caught having sex with an assistant in his office and was kicked out as mayor after quite a number of years. When you fight back you derail their identity and their confidence and only you can do this. These women could have driven them crazy and I bet good lawyers would have noticed them and come to help them. Another way is togo tothe law library at a good law school and ask the librarians who might be a young serious radical student lawyer to defend your radical actions. The kind of young person with ideological desires is who you woould need. In which case this person workis the court syistem. You know like Clarence Darrow did and Kunstler did for the Chicago Seven (Abbie Hoffman et al)