A recent publicity stunt by Greenpeace activists at Mount Rushmore National Memorial has produced a slew of charges against the activists that could lock them up for quite a while and prove quite costly.
While authorities aren't publicly discussing exactly how the 11 activists evaded Mount Rushmore's security systems on July 8 when they reached the top of Mount Rushmore and then rappeled down to drape a banner calling for more action from the Obama administration on climate change alongside the chiseled face of President Abraham Lincoln, they weren't being bashful with the charges they brought against the activists.
A federal grand jury has returned a four-count indictment charging eleven people and Greenpeace, Inc., a California corporation, with three or more misdemeanor offenses each relating to a July 8th incident in which a protest banner was unfurled on the mountain. The charges against Greenpeace and the eleven include one count of conspiracy to climb Mount Rushmore as prohibited by law. The indictment contains further specific allegations concerning the conspiracy charge which include the following:
Greenpeace provided planning and training for the individual co-conspirators.
Greenpeace caused the individual co-conspirators and their climbing, video, and photographic equipment to be transported to Rapid City, South Dakota, in preparation for climbing Mount Rushmore.
Greenpeace hired a helicopter to carry its members, agents and employees in order to allow them to observe, photograph and record the actions of individuals who were climbing Mount Rushmore on July 8th
As part of the conspiracy, certain individuals attempted to impede responding law enforcement officers by placing locks on security gates as well as by chaining themselves to areas where it would be difficult or impossible for responding officers to get around the individuals without risk of personal injury.
Greenpeace, Inc., is also charged with the following offenses:
Aiding and abetting eleven individuals trespassing in a national park by entering an area not open to the public without permission.
Aiding and abetting nine individuals with climbing Mount Rushmore as prohibited by law.
Aiding and abetting six individuals with intentionally interfering with a government employee or officer engaged in an official duty.
Charges against the eleven participants included conspiracy, trespass, illegally climbing the mountain and abetting others in these offenses. The maximum penalty for each of the four counts against Greenpeace is a $10,000 fine and restitution. The maximum penalty for each count naming an individual is six months’ imprisonment, a $5,000 fine and restitution. The investigation is being conducted by the Mount Rushmore rangers and by special agents of the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant US Attorney Mark Vargo.
While how the activists deal with the charges remains to be seen, so too will how the National Park Service's security arm responds to the success of their protest. Supposedly Mount Rushmore is home to one of the more sizable and better equipped law-enforcement contingents found across the National Park System.
Comments
These people are Eco-Terrorists! They put the response team in harms way! If one of the "rescuers" had died ,well the charges would have been different! If they could enforce there view on us they would because there right and the rest of us are wrong! They should be prosecuted and if convicted given the max! I have no tolerance for these people who want to change the world by acting out! You want to make a difference become a teacher or a scientist!
Usually RangerLady has some intelligent remarks, but this last comment requires a little more explanation than just "devil's advocate", being as she is, I presume, a Seasonal Ranger. I certainly hope while on duty, she performs the way the National Park Service expects her to perform, and not make decisions on her own. If the group had protested on the grounds of the monument, that is one thing; climbing the actual monument is another. To relate, people protest all the time in Washington DC; they don't actually climb up in Lincoln's lap, or climb up outside of the Washington Monument. At the very least, it is just plain disrespectful, if nothing else.
Lay off RangerLady. This is a forum, not her performance review....
Frank C.,
Excellent post. Rushmore itself is an abomination. The mountain was beautiful before it was carved into the shape of faces. People are way off base claiming response people were put in jeopardy. The Greenpeace people used the bolts which were already on the mountain (i.e. the govt damaged the mountain by putting the bolts in themselves). Outrage is good, just make it something worth being outraged about. Ask native Americans in the area how outraged they are. They can tell you stories that will make you cringe. Ask park rangers about maintenance projects which are on hold for lack of funding. The money we waste on Rushmore could be put to so much better use.
Frank and Kevin, this is not to condone 19th century U.S. conquest in the West, but does your disdain for the way Anglo-Americans treated Native Americans also apply to how Native Americans treated others?
The Lakota (Sioux), living on the North Central Plains, considered all Indians that did not belong to the Lakota people, lakholkichiyapi (alliance) to be enemies, thoka. The Lakotas were at constant war against neighboring tribes like the Pawnee, Crow and Arikara. Truce was only sought for the purposes of trade, and lasted usually only for a short time. -- Rani-Henrik Andersson, Ph.D. University of Helsinki/Renvall Institute/North American Studies Program
Frank;
For what it's worth I happen to agree with you statement "the long federal screwing of the aboriginal inhabitants". I am trying to understand what that has to do with the original story about Greenpeace. Are you saying that because Rushmore came into being and therefore breaking the treaty then Greenpeace was somehow justified in their actions because the current laws as they are should be null and void...ignorable by any who wish to? To me these are very different discussions and the "screwing of the Native American (which I agree with you on) is a red herring to the original discussion.
Frank;
All points well taken. However unless Greenpeace is a Sioux Nation organization or somehow affiliated with another Native American entity, I fail to see why the law should not be enforced in regards to Greenpeace's actions at Rushmore. I guess what I am asking in light of the facts you have put forth, facts that I certainly agree with, what is your take on what should happen to the Greenpeace members who were arrested?
BTW...I hate this frakkin captcha system!
Frank;
So in your line of thinking because of the legal argument about who owns the Black Hills including of course Rushmore then federal laws should not be enforced...anarchy prevails...enter at you own risk? I honour your beliefs but am thankful they aren't reality as far as present day law keeping goes.