Recent Arrests Under New Anti-Protest Law Spotlight Risks That Off-Duty Cops Pose to Pipeline Opponents (Aug. 22, 2018)

During the weekend prior to the publication of this story, four opponents of the Bayou Bridge pipeline and an independent journalist covering their activities were arrested and charged under Louisiana House Bill 727, which makes trespassing on “critical infrastructure” facilities — a category that explicitly includes oil pipelines — a felony punishable by up to five years in prison, a fine of $1,000, or both. A total of nine people have now been charged under the law since it took effect on August 1. This story for The Intercept looks at the impacts of the new law, as well as the role of public-private fusion policing in driving this increased criminalization. I traveled to Louisiana to report on this story. Click here to read it. >>