Submitted by Evan Seitz
On Thursday, November 12, Janet Powers and Brown Pulliam, members of First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church in Bedford, were arrested for engaging in non-violent civil disobedience by temporarily blocking construction of the West Roxbury Lateral Pipeline. They joined 13 others, including many mothers and grandmothers, in disrupting construction. Nearby residents are concerned that the high-capacity pipeline, intended to carry fracked methane gas – so called natural gas, is passing through a densely-populated residential area.
The demonstrators successfully halted construction for over an hour. In two distinct waves, people walked across the road and stood next to the trench, forcing construction workers to power down large backhoes and construction equipment.
Pulliam and Powers stood holding hands with other Unitarian Universalists, including Rev. Elizabeth Nguyen, musician Matt Meyer, and organizer Evan Seitz. As the police informed them they needed to leave or risk arrest, the group stood firm, singing: “What would you do with a spectra pipeline” set to the tune “What would you do with a drunken sailor,” and “We are a Gentle Angry People.”
Powers and Pulliam were arrested, along with organizer Evan Seitz and others. They were taken to Boston’s District 5 police station in Jamaica Plain for booking, and mustreturn to court once their summonses have been issued. Forty one people have been arrested for civil disobedience since pipeline construction began.
Pulliam, who is 85, said “I did this because when I look back over my life, my biggest regrets are those moments that called for action – and I didn’t act. I couldn’t sit this one out.”
The pipeline is widely opposed by residents and elected officials of Boston and Dedham. The Texas based builder of the pipeline, Spectra Energy Corporation, recently sued the city of Boston, claiming the city was purposefully delaying the project. In a separate case, a federal judge ruled the corporation could take the city’s land for the pipeline by eminent domain. At Thursday’s action, Boston City Councilors Matt O’Malley, Michelle Wu, and Councilor-Elect, Annissa Essaibi George stood in solidarity with over 40 citizens opposing the project.
Reflecting on the action, Powers, a mother of two, said “This was my first time engaging in civil disobedience. I could do it because I wasn’t alone. I had Brown and Evan. And because First Parish had passed a congregational resolution, I knew my congregation was behind me.”
On November 8th, First Parish Bedford passed a congregational resolution, declaring that “we have an inherent right to a livable climate, and that right trumps laws legitimizing the continued extraction and consumption of fossil fuels.” The resolution explicitly states the congregation’s opposition to new fossil fuel infrastructure and promises to support members who wish to engage in civil disobedience. First Parish also created an “Acts of Conscience Fund” to provide for the financial needs of parishioners who engage in acts of conscience, including acts of civil disobedience.
First Parish’s Resolution Declaring our Right to a Livable Climate can be found at https://www.uubedford.org/component/content/article/82-featured-items/1142-climateresolution.html Additional information on opposition to the pipeline is available at resistthepipeline.org
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