BELLINGHAM - All 12 Occupy Bellingham protesters who were arrested Monday, Dec. 12, were released from jail Tuesday morning after making an appearance in Municipal Court.
About 80 to 100 protesters blocked the railroad tracks near Roeder Avenue for more than three hours Monday, delaying two BNSF coal trains, said BNSF spokesman Gus Melonas. The tracks reopened about 5:30 p.m. after police removed bicycle locks from the necks of several protesters who had linked themselves together on the tracks and refused to move.
Both coal trains were on flexible schedules, so the protest did not have a significant impact on shipments, Melonas said. One of the trains was loaded with cargo; the other was empty. Trains were on regular schedule Tuesday.
Along the West Coast, ports were blocked Monday by protesters in solidarity with Oakland's chapter of the nationwide Occupy movement. The movement opposes greed and cronyism on Wall Street and in Washington, D.C. Oakland has been the site of some of the most dramatic clashes between police and protesters.
The dozen activists arrested in Bellingham were booked into Whatcom County Jail on charges of second-degree trespassing and obstructing law enforcement. Those booked were Ian K. Alexander, Bonnie Barker, Robert Burr, Michael B. Cragan, Alexis Garcia-Silva, Herbert E. Goodwin, Andrew N. Ingram, Tamara L. King, Jordan E. Quinn, Zachary E. Robertson, Joshua J. Smith and Gerald A. Warren.
They spent the night in jail and were released on their personal recognizance before 11 a.m. Tuesday. Each protester pleaded not guilty. They were not required to post bail.
"They're all doing great and feeling supported by the community," said activist Elizabeth Monk. "They were all booked together in the same cell, so they had each other."
A legal defense fund has been set up in support of the arrested protesters, Monk added, and by Tuesday morning about $100 had been raised. Pre-trial hearings are scheduled for Feb. 13.
