Des Moines: Theocrats Busted

The Des Moines Register (my emphasis added):

The FBI raided a Catholic Worker House in Des Moines early Friday in search of evidence linked to efforts to sabotage construction of the Dakota Access pipeline.

About 30 law enforcement personnel, led by agents armed with guns who identified themselves as being from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, entered the Catholic Workers’ Berrigan House just north of downtown Des Moines shortly after 6 a.m., said Frank Cordaro, a former Catholic priest who resides at the house. The agents left about 10:30 a.m. with boxes and sealed bags of property they had seized.

“As soon as they realized we wouldn’t put up a fight, the guns went down, and they didn’t cuff us because we told them we wouldn’t give them any trouble,” Cordaro said.  “They were nice. They got us coffee, but we didn’t get to see any of the stuff that they took, except to watch it leave.”

Cordaro said it was clear the FBI was seeking evidence related to claims of responsibility for pipeline damage by Jessica Reznicek, 36, and Ruby Montoya, 27. Both women reside at the house at 713 Indiana Ave. Members of the Catholic Worker movement place a heavy emphasis on social justice issues.

The two women held a news conference outside the Iowa Utilities Board on July 24 in which they described their use of arson and other efforts to halt construction of the pipeline in Iowa and South Dakota. The pipeline was developed by Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners.

Put another way, they believe that their belief in their God gives them the right to defy the laws of a democracy and destroy private property.

The last time I checked, this country was supposed to be subject to the rule of law and not to what someone believes to be commandments laid down by their version of God.

If these ‘Catholic Workers‘  want to change the rules there is always the ballot box, but theocrats have never been too keen on that.

The Des Moines Register:

Crude oil from North Dakota’s Bakken oil patch began flowing on the $3.8 billion Dakota Access pipeline on June 1 to a distribution hub at Patoka, Illinois. The two women have told reporters they began efforts to stop the construction project Nov. 8, 2016. Their first incident of destruction involved burning at least five pieces of heavy equipment on the pipeline  project in northwest Iowa’s Buena Vista County.  New reports indicate the arson caused damage estimated at about $2.5 million….

Reznicek and Montoya have said they researched how to pierce the steel pipe used for the pipeline and in March they began using oxyacetylene cutting torches to damage exposed, empty pipeline valves. They said they subsequently used torches to cause damage up and down the pipeline in Iowa and into part of South Dakota, moving from valve to valve until running out of supplies.

Reznicek and Montoya were arrested by state troopers July 24 for damaging a sign at the Iowa Utilities Board’s offices and were charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief. But they were released on bond and have not been charged with any federal crimes for pipeline sabotage.

…Cordaro acknowledged Friday that it appears likely the two women will face federal criminal charges related to their claims of responsiblity.

America Magazine (“The Jesuit Review”) has more (again, my emphasis added):

Both women were part of those protests but carried out the pipeline actions on their own. Now, both await trial and could face years in prison.

“We chose to take these actions after seeing the continued desecration of the Earth, which we are to be stewards of,” Ms. Montoya told America.

They say they began their protest on Election Day by burning several pieces of construction equipment. Over the next few months, they used oxyacetylene torches to cut through pipeline valves and used gasoline-soaked rags to burn electrical equipment. Their actions delayed construction by several weeks, and they stopped when they learned the oil flow had begun.

The fact that these women say that they began their vandalism on Election Day tells you all that you need about their attitude to democracy.