Arrests and restraining orders don't slow down Tar Sands protesters

WOOD COUNTY, TX (KLTV) - Arrests and a temporary restraining orders are not slowing down the TransCanada Keystone Pipeline protesters.

Earlier this month, Wood County issued a temporary restraining order so protesters could not interfere, prevent or obstruct the Keystone Right of Way.

Many of the defendants listed in the restraining order took their protest to another county.

Ramsey Sprague has temporary restraining orders in two different counties. On Wednesday, he joined a few other protestors in Titus County where one of the protestors actually chained herself to the gate. Cherri Foytlin,40, is a mother of six and wife to an oilfield worker.

Foytlin was arrested for criminal trespassing, but was later released on a 2,500 dollar bond.

"She locked herself with some chains, sat down, wrapped them around herself, and clipped them shut. So, the people who were coming in to pick up the pipe from Michel's with TransCanada were unable to get in and people were unable to get out," said Nicole Brown, who is part of the protesting group.

She said officers eventually decided to use bolt cutters to remove the chains from Foytlin.

Foytlin announced ahead of time on her blog, BridgeTheGulfProject.org, that she would be "actively engaged in a non-violent direct action designed to bring awareness to the construction of the southern leg of the Keystone XL Pipeline, to this country's continuing use of our cherished Gulf Coast as the nation's energy sacrifice zone, and in defense of our Mother Earth."

She is not the first from the group to be arrested. Sprague who was there as Foytlin was arrested, said he was arrested for obstruction of a state highway in Franklin County not too long ago.

"I was served a lawsuit. That language was later used in Wood County and the lawsuit expanded. We do our best to operate within the confines of the law, but that was pretty egregious overreach on the judge's part," Sprague said.

The Titus County Sheriff's Department said they have no comment at this time.