(beeping)
(pigeons fluttering)
Downloaded from YTS.MX
(soft music)
Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX
(train air brakes hissing)
(safety belt rustling)
- We erected a tripod on a rail spur
where there was an oil train ready to move North
to the Anacortes refinery.
These are ordinary people that haven't been arrested before.
None of us had been arrested before.
- She sat on the tripod for eight hours.
I don't think that I would do anything that serious,
that, getting arrested or anything
'cause I'm just not that kind of person
that would risk that much.
I think I'd be really scared to go to jail.
But I know there's a lot of people that would.
I think it's a lot different,
people that go to jail because they commit a crime
and people that go to jail
because they're doing something they believe in.
- Police cars started to roll in from different places,
as people knew about it.
There was a plain-clothes officer who said,
"You have a daughter, this is dangerous,
you might die.
Or something like that.
So, I said, "Well, at least I'll die trying."
He also said, "This is a very expensive thing
that you're doing.
If you own a home,
you might lose it."
Losing my house?
We're talking about losing the world, as we know it.
You have to be creative.
You have to sing.
You have to do art.
You have to do all sorts of different things
when you care about something.
This is the Delta Rail Yard.
I recreated this action of civil disobedience
'cause these exploding oil trains are very dangerous.
I actually climbed up the tripod
and this is the little perch.
I gotta use more hot glue here.
So, this is me.
I climbed up.
And then there were some people that locked down.
This represents, Mike.
Patrick is a writer.
And, Jackie, is a retired school teacher.
Liz, works with people with autism.
We were arrested.
The charges were blocking a train,
trespass in the second degree.
We could get 90 days in jail.
When you have a daughter that needs you,
that's a really long time.
I believe we can change things.
So, this is just a tiny, tiny drop in the bucket,
but when all those drops in the bucket fill that bucket up,
that will be a good thing.
- [Woman] Good luck to you.
- [Bill] Good luck to you.
Good work out there.
(upbeat music)
(water lapping the boat)
(boat engine humming)
- Right in my backyard in Seattle,
they were bringing in Shell's oil rig.
All of a sudden,
Arctic drilling and climate became tangible,
because of the polar pioneer coming into Elliot Bay.
- [Kayaktivists] Shell, no! Shell, no!
Shell, no! Shell, no!
- [Bill] They were stupid enough to bring this beast,
this monster into the beautiful Salish Sea
and we get to fight 'em with kayaks?
(Kayaktivists cheering)
We call for a kayak blockade
of this Arctic disaster called the Polar Pioneer.
(somber music)
When I was arrested and taken to jail the first time,
I was a little scared.
I was mostly scared at the moment of arrest.
I was mostly scared at the moment of decision
when you have to step out of this threshold
of your own comfort and take a risk.
Once you join the battle,
you're in the battle.
You're in.
(wind blowing)
(birds chirping)
- Hey guys, how much longer in your game?
Are you close?
- Aji?
- Yeah, we're close.
- And you guys are both gonna be cool,
whoever loses is gonna be fine?
- [Adonis] Yeah.
- Okay.
(Helena chuckling)
- There's gonna be no hurt feelings?
- Checkmate.
(Aji laughs)
- It was really close.
- It's checkmate.
- Wait, you got to see if he can find a way out?
- I can't move.
- [Helena] He did it?
- Yeah. Good game.
- Hey, man.
- I don't wanna shake your hand.
- [Helena] Adonis.
- It's okay. It's okay.
- It's still a good game.
- Soar loser.
- No, that was still a good game.
He's salty. He's salty.
He's so salty.
- Now, that's just annoying.
- You are salty, though bro.
- Aji, that's just annoying.
- But, you refuse to shake my hand after a good game.
- Aji, don't push it.
- 'Cause I actually don't want to.
- [Aji] You are acting super salty though.
(crowd cheering) (crowd applauding)
- These 21 plaintiffs representing the youth of America
and future generations just took on the federal government
and the fossil fuel industry,
and the constitution will prevail.
(crowd cheering)
- I got involved in both a federal lawsuit
and a Washington State lawsuit.
We petitioned the department of ecology here in Washington
to create a clean air rule,
not a clean air act, federal,
clean air rule, Washington,
that would be very, very strong,
based on the newest climate science.
They denied our petition and we took them to court.
(peaceful music)
The wording of the case and the argument of the case was,
that children growing up in Washington have rights.
Have legal rights protected under the constitution.
And that's that the government holds their natural resources
in public trust for generations that are now,
and generations to come.
- [protesters] Fossil fuels have got to go.
- The judge set a precedent. Everybody was overjoyed.
It was amazing.
And then it was still that,
but we...
It's not over yet,
because, politicians, yeah.
- This is a criminal action the defendant,
Michael Foster, conspired to willfully tamper
with the manual shutoff valve
on the Trans-Canada Keystone Pipeline in order
to stop the flow of the petroleum.
- Are you currently in law enforcement?
- Yes, I am.
Deputy, can you please identify
what you see in this?
- [Deputy] The individual on the left is Mr.Foster,
wearing the same green fluorescent safety vest
with the bolt cutters in his hand.
He appears to be looking at the large warning sign
on the front of the valve station.
- We just realized that we could stop five pipelines
and stop 15% of US oil supply.
I got to shut off 590,000 barrels of tar sands dilbit,
diluted bitchumen, it's poison.
It's filled with toxic chemicals.
We're not even allowed to know what the chemicals are.
And I knew that when I cut that chain
and I opened that fence that I was crossing a threshold
that I couldn't uncross.
And when I put my hands on the valve
and I started turning that thing,
that I had made a choice to go into another part of my life
and that I wasn't gonna be able to step back from that.
It was a big surprise when they threw,
81 years worth of charges at me.
That was reduced to 51 years.
And then it was reduced to 23 years.
And so far, I haven't actually defended myself.
They wanted to make an example.
They wanted to scare people and make sure
that nobody ever thought about doing this,
because you're gonna spend the rest of your life in prison.
(wind howling)
I am taking this action on behalf of living beings
and future generations.
And that we are peaceful
and this is necessary.
(valve creaking)
(protesters chanting)
- [Michael] When I say, frack,
you say, off.
Frack. - Off.
- Frack. - Off.
- [Michael] When I say, frack.
you say, off. Frack. - Off.
- Frack. - Off.
- When I say, frack
you say, off. Frack. - Off.
- Frack. - Off.
- Somebody said, "Hey,
there's a group of people walking across the country."
And that night I signed up to do it.
And when I signed up, it said,
"A thousand marchers going across the country."
and from all over the world, every state.
You can imagine, it really ramped it up.
(crowd cheering)
But quickly, I saw that the march wasn't what it was
from the websites and from the brochures.
There's a huge mass of people with us,
which is amazing.
(crowd cheering)
And then once we hit the two-mile mark,
the mass kind of leaves
and then the climate marchers are left
to walk across the country.
There was about maybe 40 of us.
(thunder rumbling)
(The sound of rain pouring down)
And that's when the downpour happened.
(thunder rumbling)
(rain pouring down)
(tense piano music)
Does anybody else think we should get out of this?
I mean, I'm a Mid-Westener.
We run and hide when that happens.
(rain pouring down)
- After a wonderful rally when the rain held off.
Suddenly, we came to all this rain.
The water is up, clear up over our ankles
and it's rushing so fast you feel
like you're gonna be swept away.
I'm 71 years old,
but I can walk 15 miles, no problem.
It's where my sense of adventure
and my passion for saving our beautiful,
sacred world just came together right then.
I knew I would do it. And here I am.
A bit scary,
uncomfortable, for sure,
but also kind of exhilarating and fun.
We are here doing this and by God,
we're not gonna let anything stop us.
(water rushing)
(vehicle splashing water) (people screeching)
- [Ed] That was nice.
(beeping)
(Cherry picker beeping)
- We are here to fill ourselves up with the spirit,
supporting a member of our congregation, Abby Brockway.
And the whole Delta 5 team that were involved
in the act of civil disobedience for climate justice.
(soft music)
They go to trial tomorrow.
And so, today, to support them,
we invite you to stand and to come close,
to lay on a hand if you're close enough.
And if not, lay on a hand to somebody who's near you.
Peaceful music
We pray that hearts and minds will be open.
And that the need to care for our common resources
and our common humanity,
will remain in the center of everyone's hearts and minds.
All this we offer for the sake of creation
and then in the name of our creator, amen.
- [Congregation] Amen.
- [Pastor] Please be seated.
- [Older woman] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
All of you.
- [Patrick] Thank you.
- Read that.
(chuckles)
- Really?
- Yeah.
- Dear mom, I love you so much.
You are the best mom ever, love Sienna.
- And the thing is,
I know right now I don't feel like the best mother,
because I've been not as present for a year and a half.
Roger's had to be the mom and the dad at some points.
But if I am found guilty then there's options.
Let's say he says,
"We will give you 60 hours of community service."
Well, maybe what I would like to do is say,
"I'd rather go to jail."
If I need to be punished then I wanna go to jail,
because I am serious about this.
And I feel like that is what it's gonna take
for a mother to go to jail.
To pay the price for what I did will be more inspiring
and I feel called to the jail.
- You have given this a lot of thought,
and this is the first I've heard of it.
It's part of what got us to an uncomfortable place.
As far as I'm concerned-
- You haven't also been available in the same space, so
- Honey, there's something I've been meaning
to talk to you about, but I haven't got around to it yet.
I wanna go to jail.
- Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, good afternoon.
I'm gonna tell you a little bit
of what happened on September, 2nd.
In the early morning hours,
probably about 06:00 a.m., 6:30,
there were some reports from the BNSF Rail Yard,
there was a tripod that was assembled
in the middle of the rail yard,
blocking one of the lines.
On that tripod,
at the very top,
was defendant, Ms. Brockway.
For eight hours these five defendants blocked a rail line.
Officers responded, spoke with the protestors.
No dispute, they were very cordial.
Asked them if they'd please remove themselves?
They said they would not.
They were willing to put their life on the line
for this cause.
They'd basically sat for eight hours.
The officers really weren't quite sure how to respond.
If they took any one of the legs out of the tripod,
they risked Ms. Brockway falling to the ground
when she was up, some 20 feet.
- The individuals that were seated in chairs,
all were chained across their bodies
and across the leg of the tripod.
I asked if there was anything I could do
to help them resolve the situation that they were here for?
I believe someone might've said
that I could stop the oil and coal trains,
but unfortunately that's way above my pay grade.
So, I started with Mrs. Abigail Brockway,
because she was on top.
20 feet up.
And I informed her, you are under arrest for trespassing.
And I ordered her to come down.
She stated, no.
I told her that she was then under arrest
for resisting arrest and trespassing.
Again, ordered her to come down.
She again refused.
- Thank you, this witness may be excused.
- [Witness] Thank you, sir.
- Can I not be cross-examined today? Or do we have to-
We're gonna have to talk about which defendant-
- I wanna go last. I'm not ready
- It's gonna be a group decision on the order.
That's all I can say,
so it's not your decision alone.
- I agree.
- So, we'll see.
- Just tell me what I want.
- I understand.
- Dozens of kayaktivists were arrested after paddling up
to a shell drilling rig and preventing it
from leaving the Port of Seattle.
The activists set off at four in the morning.
(birds chirping)
- Hi.
- Hello, love.
Hey there, honey.
How are you doing?
- How did it go?
- Oh, it was amazing, of course,
and completely ridiculous, and insane.
And, oh, my God,
I can't believe we did it.
(crickets chirping)
And, honestly, I'm so tired right now, I just...
You guys must be super tired of me being super tired,
not knowing whether I was gonna be home
or not home, or getting arrested.
- [Aziza] Well, I mean-
(Ester laughs)
it wasn't even a question if you'd be home for dinner
we'd just have dinner and if you were home then great, but
- Yeah, it becomes...
We live with or without you.
We must... the show must go on.
And the life must go on,
whether your show is with our show or not.
- Right.
[Aziza] It's funny when people ask me
what you do for a living,
because after 14 years I still don't know.
(laughing)
How to describe it.
- My dad studied to be a Jesuit Priest.
And was in the Jesuits for nine years.
My mom was a nun, I know,
so for about six years.
And then they both left their respective orders
and I was the first born.
All of that instilled in me (soft music)
a kind of Catholicism or a kind of ethics,
where justice was central.
All of this stuff,
all of the beauty that we've created.
It's taken millions of years to evolve.
To create a forest like this.
All that complexity.
All that interrelation.
That could all go away.
And we're gonna win.
(laughing)
We are gonna win. I am totally confident.
- Well, what would you define as winning?
- No fucking Arctic drilling,
is what I would define as winning.
Our movement's only gonna get bigger.
Climate change is only gonna get more obvious to people.
I mean, they wanna keep escalating and picking a fight,
they're gonna lose.
They're gonna lose, because they're raising the stakes.
If they raised the stakes where it made it acceptable
for us to run and disobey law enforcement.
People are cheering for us when we were doing something
that, normally, people would not necessarily cheer for.
But they are on our side.
So, if they continue to escalate and raise the stakes-
(helicopter whirring)
they are going to escalate what is acceptable
for people to do.
And that's a little bit scary,
but I think it's true.
(Compelling beat playing)
- Okay, how about we just leave that.
- I've always been very musical.
Always singing when I was little.
I started getting more musical
when I started writing my songs for my environmentalism,
which is about 12 years old.
- My brother didn't wanna write a speech.
It was the first rally that we were gonna go to
and my mom was like,
"Hey, why don't you make a song?"
So he made "Exploding Trains", the first song.
The song is so out of date.
It's so old.
♪ We're sick of your money, we're sick of your games. ♪
You put lots and lots of people in lots and lots of pain.
♪ You put the lives on the line ♪
♪ For your profit that's a crime ♪
♪ And we don't think that that's fair ♪
- Music is...
It's my personal expression.
And it's also like my own like spiritual,
path and finding myself.
Oftentimes music will get stuck in people's heads.
And they'll remember that.
But if you give a speech, it won't.
(intense beat playing)
- It doesn't flow well.
- No.
I messed it up, but I know how it works now.
- I don't.
- But you'll hear.
- But I don't want to do it.
Okay then don't do it. Don't sing it then
Just stop singing.
You know we just bounce off each other lyrics.
He gives a line, I give a line.
I don't like his line. He doesn't like mine.
Sometimes, I'm like,
"Wow, you just kind of shot that down, right away."
And I'm like, "Meah."
But usually he's really accepting to what I have to say,
'cause we're partners in crime.
♪ It's a race to save ourselves ♪
♪ Brave our shells ♪
♪ Fake food on supermarket shelf ♪
♪ Destroying our health in the name of wealth ♪
♪ 'Cause we're stuck in the mind though ♪
♪ On a grind ♪
♪ No time to stop and rewind ♪
♪ Bigger, better faster we were taught you were fine ♪
♪ Always move forward. We cannot rewind. ♪
- Okay.
So, how many of you know what it is that I did?
Raise your hands.
I took action with some friends
and we shut down all five of the tar sands pipelines,
crossing the US, Canadian border.
So, I'm gonna show you a little film about that.
(tranquil music)
- Climate activists were arrested Tuesday for attempting
to shut down all tar sands oil coming into the United States
from Canada, by manually turning off pipelines in Minnesota,
Montana, North Dakota and Washington state.
(upbeat music)
- Keystone pipeline.
North Dakota. I'm Michael Foster.
In order to preserve life, as we know it
and civilization, give us a fair chance,
and our kids a fair chance.
I'm taking action as a citizen. I am duty bound.
Before we get to questions.
What do you think should happen to me?
Okay. Yeah.
- I think if the people who are dumping oil,
don't get arrested, then you shouldn't be arrested
for anything.
If they're transporting oil from one place to the other,
and polluting our world and causing oil spills,
if they're not arrested, then you shouldn't be either.
- Thanks.
(peaceful music)
But we've been talking about global warming
and climate change.
Seriously, talking about changing it and stopping it,
and not polluting, for over 30 years.
And we pollute way more now than we did 30 years ago.
So, is it too late?
Not if we plant trees
and not if we cut our emissions.
Thank you very much for your attention.
(students applauding)
[Student] Thank you.
- I wanted to ask what went through your head,
when you shut off that pipeline,
because I was wondering if you were nervous,
if you knew, ultimately, you were gonna get arrested.
- I think most laws are about protecting life.
But some laws are about protecting property.
And when the laws that protect property are more important
than the laws that protect life.
Things get pretty messed up.
- Were you nervous at all?
Because I know I'd be really nervous
if I was going to shut down a pipeline.
Yeah, I was.
It felt, just for a moment,
like I was standing on the right side of history.
That was a crazy, good feeling.
- Wow. That's really cool.
- Yeah.
I never wanted to be that guy in times square
with the cardboard sign that says, "The end is near."
Right?
But it seems like that's my destiny, somehow.
So, it's a little crazy making,
because the more honest I get, the more passionate I get.
And of course, as soon as that energy comes out,
people say, "Oh, this guy's a nut job.
Get him outta here. Whatever he says,
it doesn't matter if he's telling the truth.
He's insane."
- (indistinct chatter)
- Here we go.
Wow. Okay, keep going.
(crowd cheering)
- (Breakfast chatter).
- I have somebodys water battle.
- We set off and very quickly we get out of the cities
and into the desert.
It was brutal.
We were walking through the Mohavi
and we see a huge sign on the side of the road,
'No services, 100 miles."
So, we had to walk over a week without anything, really.
(soft piano music)
- I suggest we don't go too much further,
without somebody knowing where we are.
- Hello, hello, hello anybody there?
We have no idea where we're at.
Maybe if we all yell.
Help!
- Come find us!
- I know that I believe strongly
that doing whatever I can do,
walking across the country for 7 million steps
is helping to save the planet.
Waking people up about what they need to do in their house
and in their community, and in their state,
in our country, and in our world.
Famous last words, its easy to find.
- Miriam yes.
- You want this done is that right?
- Right.
- I think we definitely can affect change.
I think we definitely are affecting change already.
'Cause you can't focus on the negative
to create a better solution.
You can't focus on these dark, deep, scary things
to have this bright, happy, positive attitude.
Positivity is necessary.
(soft upbeat music)
- Should I leave one?
(laughing)
Find the best one.
I'll leave this one right here. It's a good one.
- It's all part of the adventure and
It might be wet and cold sometimes.
It'll be blistering hot other times.
So that's very exciting. Feels epic to me.
Honestly, looking at the map, really,
doesn't do it any justice at all.
It'll be so much fun when we reach that final point
and coming into Washington, DC.
I just, I know I'll be so excited.
(crickets humming)
(footsteps of the marchers)
- I think Sean and I,
we both push each other in a very positive way.
Sean is my best friend in the whole world.
I don't feel like I need to pretend to be something I'm not,
I can be completely and fully myself.
- I just love that Mack's says yes to everything.
I love that he's just ready to just jump into anything
that seems to be the right thing to do.
Like right now we need people who are ready
to say yes to anything and everything that will save us,
and be ready to go battle.
- I always feel like you're saying yes to things.
(Sean laughs)
I think we're a good duo.
- Yeah I think so too.
(soft inspiring music)
- Sometimes when the earth is calling us to greatness,
we need to really step up to that level
and we need to take that level of risk.
I mean, what's stopping us from saving the earth.
It's a legal force.
I mean, it's breaking the law
and I'm willing to take that risk myself.
I'm willing to sacrifice everything.
Sean is the best. (laughs)
- Your the best.
- I love you so much.
You keep me warm, which is nice.
Cause I'm cold.
- Sean gets cold all the time.
A crow cawing
- This fur tree right here. I used to climb it.
When you get to the top of a tree, you can...
You look out over the canopy
and you get this sort of transcendent experience
of the rolling and the shape of the land.
Birds floating from tree top to tree top.
So, I decided it was time to come down and the sun had set.
And um, just as soon as I stepped down,
the first branch I stepped on gave way
and I fell backwards and I was about 60 feet up in the tree.
I had just enough time to think, "This could be it."
And then bam, I hit the ground.
Well, I tried to get up,
but I had shattered T12, L1 and 2.
The message of getting up,
really, wasn't getting to translate into my body.
EMT came.
And then I got into a helicopter,
and went to the Trauma Center at Harbor view.
So, then I had a big recuperation period.
And it was Esther who stood by me through all of that.
(rhythmic drum music)
We started taking drum lessons together, right?
Yeah. Yeah.
So, we took drum lessons together and...
We had to practice.
(Ester agrees) We had to practice.
I do a lot of Aerial skills
with our theater company
and I met bill here, maybe about a year and a half into it.
Bill and I at that time had already started,
I think, really, falling in love.
You know it's hard. I can't say on my side it's easy,
when Bill's gone a lot.
- You didn't really sign up for the activist part.
- I didn't know the activists.
- Right. She didn't-
- I had no idea.
I knew Bill as Bill.
That Bill was a percussionist.
And it was definitely a ride.
And I was kinda going, 'Who is this person?'
(Ship horn)
- When we hear that the Federica,
the ship is leaving the dock.
And is coming down the river.
Now we know it's gonna leave. We're hitting the river.
And everybody had that same gestalt, like, "Hell no."
(rousing music)
In the morning, as we're getting ready to get in the water,
putting lights on kayaks.
All of a sudden we look in the distance
and these lights start dropping from the St John's bridge.
One after another.
And pretty soon there were 13 lights dangling
from the bridge.
And we realize, Greenpeace had just done the perfect action.
People were super courageous out there
and we were getting 60, 70, 80 kayaks on the water.
The crowd is on the side, chanting.
- [crowd] Stop that boat.
Stop that boat, stop that boat.
And so we all, by instinct, basically,
I think, hit the water.
- [Police megaphone] You are unwelcome and are trespassing.
You are violating the safety zone set by the coast guard,
as well as a Federal court injunction
against Greenpeace and those--
(boat engine revving)
(water splashing)
You are unwelcome and are trespassing.
You are violating the safety zone set by the coast guard,
as well as a federal court injuntion.
(dramatic music)
[Bill] Those people still in the water?
[Bill's Colleague] They are trying to swam us.
Bill, they were gonna try back up on us.
[Bill] We just have to watch out for people's safety,
that's the main thing.
Whow, whoa, whoa, look at that.
You're endangering him
Hey, let us give him a life jacket.
(Again) Hey let us give him a life jacket!
Stirring music
Here It was a crazy scene, you know the jet skis,
stirring people up and tossing them over.
And people capsize and people floating in water.
It was total insanity and hypocrisy.
And it was maddening, and people weren't taking it
and the crowd was cheering them on.
We all went out into the river in mass
there's nothing they can do about the charge.
Really brave... beautiful moment.
(crowd chanting)
Powerful music
We're ready to risk something real
and not be just symbolic on the water.
Yeah. So, it was freaking amazing.
- Good morning, Dr. James.
- Good morning.
Could you tell us a little bit about your background?
I've been in medical practice about 30 years.
I teach, do research and do medical practice.
- Okay. So, when did you first become involved then?
- On June 10th, 1999 at 5:02 in the- um...
(crowd laughing)
- That's a pretty precise, time.
Well it's precise because an oil line going through our town
blew up at that point.
And one of the kids that I took care of died.
Excuse me.
Most people who live in Bellingham,
remember that date and time--
- Because a huge cloud of smoke went up
and several young people were killed.
They lived, they survived the explosion,
but 90% of their body was...
The skin was burnt off.
And they survived for about 12 hours at Harbor view.
Where they were able to talk with their parents.
- Thank you, sir. You may step down.
- Thank you.
- The defense calls Abigail Brockway to the stand.
- Thank you, Ms. Brockway, please come up.
Just raise your right hand for me.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth,
the whole truth and nothing but the truth,
under penalty of perjury.
- So, help me, God.
- Thank you. Please have a seat, ma'am.
- Okay, Abby, tell us something about yourself.
Your background to start with.
- I was born in Bellevue, Washington in February of 1969.
I went to college...
Wait.
Tense music
- Where did you go to college?
- Cornish college of the arts on Capitol Hill.
- Okay.
- And um, then I... um...
Should I be looking over-- ?
- Just answer the question.
Don't worry about where you look.
- Um...
- Did that lead to the work that you do now?
- Um, can I just slow down a little bit or are we in a rush?
- I'm trying to help you here.
Did your artistry lead to the work you're doing now?
- What I also wanted to say was, um--
- Objection, your honor. Unresponsive.
- Sustained. Ask a question council.
- Just answer my questions, okay--
- Your question was tell you about yourself
and your crowding me.
I'm trying to have some space to tell about myself.
May I do that?
- Ms. Brokway, I won't have you arguing with,
particularly, with your own lawyer.
(laughing)
Mr. Goldsmith will ask you a question,
answer that question, please.
Mr. Goldsmith, please proceed.
- Thank you your honor.
Now, how did you learn about the issues
that ultimately led to your action in this case?
I um...
I...
Was there something that happened
in the summer of 2014, near your home
that moved you to more action?
- Yes.
- What was that?
- There was a derailment underneath the Magnolia bridge.
- What did you do in response to that situation?
I...
(Sighs)
- Can I just have a minute?
- Could you try to just answer that question?
- Okay. Can you just tell me again?
- Okay. What did you do in response to that?
To learning about that derailment?
I um...
- I was really worried, because that was right,
one mile from my daughter's school.
And there's a thing
called a blast zone that I learned about.
And um, so, anywhere within a mile of an explosion,
when an oil train explodes,
then you're supposed to evacuate that area.
- [Lawyer] Right.
- And my daughter's school was on the edge of that area.
- All right.
What kinds of activities, up before September 2nd,
did you do to try to affect change
in those areas of your concern?
- Will you asked the question one more time, please.
- What types of things did you do to try to affect change
in those areas of your concern?
Have you written letters?
- I'm feeling rushed. Can we just slow down a little bit?
[Lawyer] I'm trying to--
'Cause I'm kind of anxious
and I just wanna take some deep breaths in between,
and I'm feeling like you're in a hurry.
- Okay, your honor. Can we take a morning recess?
- We're gonna take a morning recess,
so that counsel can talk with Ms. Brockway about,
sort of, how to make this go a little bit,
more smoothly for all of us.
- Okay, Abby, you can step down.
Okay. Let's talk a minute.
- Can we have a private talk in the-
- Yes. We can have a private talk.
Okay, we're gonna go around the corner.
You have to listen to the question.
- Okay.
- The first rule and you're not.
Just trying to say what comes to your mind.
- Yes. I want to say somethings.
I know you do, but it's not how testimonial works.
We're gonna have a conversation, just calm down.
- Okay.
- Breathe. And you gotta be focused.
- Okay.
- Got it. You're good. Now go relax.
- I'm not good.
- Yes you are. I want you now to relax.
- I don't-- it's really...
There's a lot of pressure.
- I know.
There is pressure, it's in your head.
- Thank you. Please be seated everyone.
Ms. Brockway, you remain under oath.
Mr. Goldsmith, please proceed with your examination.
- Thank you, your honor.
Okay, so did you start getting involved with,
quote, actions or protests?
- Yeah, I actually signed
the Keystone pipeline Pledge of resistance.
- Why did you feel the need to get involved
in specific actions like that?
- Because everything that I did,
I didn't feel like it was making any difference.
It felt like the projects were being rubber stamped,
no matter what we did,
no matter how the quality of our comments were
and how large the crowds were,
and how little the opposition was,
it just seemed like those were still getting approved.
Okay. So, did you get involved in protest type of actions?
Correct?
- Before I'd switched to direct action.
I actually felt like I tried to work within the system
to the fullest extent possible.
I felt like it was very symbolic that we chose to trespass,
because I felt that the railroad and the oil,
they were trespassing against us.
- Okay. Thank you.
- Thank you ma'am. If you could please step down.
All rise for the jury.
We'll see everyone at one o'clock.
- It's Over.
I didn't do so well, but it's over.
Are we you okay?
- I don't give a damn about this case.
That's not what my issue is, at all.
I love you.
- Do you remember when we were first getting together?
- Yeah. This is our park to come and hang out and-
- Yeah.
- I felt like I was a teenager.
- Mm-hmm.
- Like if dating is gonna mess up our friendship,
let's not do it.
- Yeah. I don't know.
- So far it's been okay.
- So far it's been all right.
- I remember that day,
I was at the youth leadership breakfast,
and I look at my phone and it says,
"Michael Foster, just shut down
the tar sands in North Dakota."
And I'm like... Ugh.
And then I just thought, this is gonna change everything.
'Cause, like, there was our life before the valve turning
and our life after you shut that oil off.
- Yeah.
- But that night not being able
to know what jail you were in
and not knowing what was gonna happen,
and realizing when your house is on fire,
you do everything you can to put it out.
- Yeah.
- And so, I don't know.
- I love you.
- I love you too.
- I'm so glad you came into my life.
I don't know what I would have done without you.
My ex-wife had this idea, even from the beginning,
that I was gonna, one day, leave her
for, I think, she called it a Granola Hippie Chick.
Maybe, she saw in the crystal ball or something,
because the truth is,
I think climate is what caused our divorce.
James Hansen, testified before Congress.
And that was what? 1987, 1988.
He basically said that the ice caps were melting
and that's the refrigerator of the planet.
He said that sea levels were gonna rise.
And, coastal cities where people live, right?
Is gonna be part of the ocean.
Yeah. At that point, I thought, okay.
I'm gonna figure out how to live with zero carbon footprint.
(soft music)
We were making more money.
We had kids and there were questions
about where are we going for spring break?
Are we gonna go to Hawaii?
I can't take picture my kids swimming in the Coral reefs
that they're gonna see, 20 years from now,
when the Coral reefs aren't there anymore.
And they're gonna wonder
why we got on a jet and flew to Hawaii.
When the planet was already cooked.
I was becoming more and more obsessed,
and spending less and less time with my kids.
One of the first biggest,
most awful whack on the side of the head moments for me
was when I got a note to Santa.
Saying that for Christmas, I wish I could get my dad back.
I loved them and adored them every minute I was with them
but I wasn't with them much.
And when I was with them I was always talking about climate.
And I think it made them nuts.
I don't know how to deal with myself and my own culpability,
if I don't do everything I can to stop this.
I-- I really don't know what kind of human I would be.
(soft conversation)
- Every time before he goes up to talk-
[Aji] At a big event, with lots of pressure.
- I watch him go through this angsty phase.
- The five stages of grief basically.
(laughing) I go through the same thing.
I go through the five stages of grief,
like anger, rejection, something else.
Sadness, depression.
- Yeah.
- I tear myself apart on the inside.
It only really happens in situations
where I'm feeling high pressure.
- And there's enormous pressure on us,
because we cannot lose this case.
We cannot lose these cases.
We don't have that as an option.
I mean, it's pretty crazy, because it's now what?
It's three years now,
since we filed our petition for rule making.
We got the clean air rules.
So, that's on the books.
I mean, it's being appealed by industry,
but we'll see. It's still there.
But we were the first state in the United States
to ever get that court order.
To cap that regulate carbon dioxide emissions.
So, it's pretty amazing that we were able
to accomplish that.
So, everybody has to do their homework
You'll get edits back.
I'll email it.
- You try and stay idealistic, and positive.
And it's like, "Okay, maybe this can work,
because maybe the politicians will see past
their own damn dollar bills.
But no.
- [Woman] Court in the state of Washington,
is now in session.
The honorable, Michael Scott, presiding.
- Good morning everyone. Please be seated.
- Good morning your honor.
Andrea Rodgers, here on behalf of the plaintiffs.
- Good morning, I'm Aji Piper and I'm the main plaintiff.
- Laura Watson here from the state defendants, as well.
What they're arguing,
instead, what they say in their briefing is,
what we're challenging is quote, policies,
that legalized dangerous climate change.
And just to remind the court
what the plaintiffs are seeking here
is a 96% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2050.
And what they acknowledge is to get that,
you would have to have a complete transition
from gasoline, diesel and natural gas within 15 years.
- This case is about decades
of systemic unconstitutional conduct that rises
to the level of violating
these young plaintiffs' fundamental, constitutional rights.
There is a fundamental right to a healthful environment.
We are alleging that the state government
is creating, managing, facilitating and promoting
an energy and transportation system
that is causing dangerous levels
of greenhouse gas emissions.
And we are at a point in time, your honor,
where there's a very short window of time in which we have
to eliminate those emissions in order to preserve humanity,
as we know it.
So, what we just heard today is we heard argument
on the state of Washington's motion to dismiss our case.
They are arguing that these kids do not have an opportunity
and should not have an opportunity
to hear their claims in a court of law.
Maybe, Aji, do you wanna start us off?
- Thank you, Andrea.
Hello everyone. I'm Aji Piper. I'm 17.
It's kinda hard, right?
You're sitting in a courtroom.
You're listening to an argument that tells you
that you, essentially, have no right to clean air.
I don't know about you,
but I kind of need clean air to live.
It's not that the government has not done enough
to protect our climate.
It's that they have, actively, destroyed it.
We're not saying government, you haven't done enough.
We're saying government you're destroying our future.
and you need to protect it. (audience applauding)
- [Climate marchers] California, Arizona,
New Mexico, Colorado.
Nebraska (crowd cheering)
(gentle music)
(footsteps approaching)
(tractor engine approaching)
- At the age of 71 and a half,
this is really hard on my body.
At first I get stronger.
I got... so I could do 15, 18 miles without any problem.
Then I noticed that I was getting tired
and then my knee started hurting,
and my hip started hurting.
And once I started hurting, that wore me down faster.
Right now, I feel like I know
what the term bone tired means.
Bone tired, that's what I am.
I'm really pretty exhausted.
Sometimes when I am walking along
and somebody goes by,
and gives me a one fingered wave, that's hard.
They don't get it. They don't understand.
They aren't paying attention.
They're getting their information in bogus places.
We're hearing daily and weekly,
about new indicators that we are to the tipping point
or almost to the tipping point,
beyond which there is not much we can do.
I think it's a race against time.
It's a race against what we've already created.
And we haven't stopped creating it,
that's the sad thing.
This is an antidote to despair for me.
Action, doing whatever I can,
making my steps and my life count for something
that's bigger than me,
that's more important than me.
That's how I avoid despair and hopelessness.
You don't lose until you quit.
That's the way I feel.
I don't know what it looked like, but I'm not quitting.
(Climate marchers cheering)
- Don't frack with us
- (Crowd) Don't frack with us
- Don't frack with us
- (Crowd) Don't frack with us
- Don't frack with us
- (Crowd) Don't frack with us
- Don't frack with us
- (Crowd) Don't frack with us
- Hey, what do we want?
- Climate justice.
- When do we want it?
- Now!
- What do we want?
- Climate justice.
- When do we want it?
- Now!
- And if we don't get it-
Shut it down!
- At the people's March in New York,
on the 21st of September,
which will go down in infamy.
Even I will remember that.
I felt the excitement.
It felt sort of like a....
We're in this together.
We can celebrate being together.
We can celebrate that there are so many of us,
we can celebrate that we're making progress.
I felt exhilarated by it.
It was just exciting and fun.
(band music)
They expected maybe 200,000. They got, maybe, 400,000.
And those folks who showed up,
emboldened and energized one another,
and made us feel we aren't in this alone.
I think it felt like a game changer.
(crowd cheering) (band music)
- The first earth day, 1970,
you know how many people went into the streets?
20 million Americans.
And because of 20 million people being in the streets
on April 22nd, 1970,
our Republican President named, Richard Nixon,
ended up championing and signing environmental laws
that remain the strongest environmental laws in the world.
(soft music)
The United States is an OPEC nation in everything, but name.
Big oil has been running the show here,
hand and glove with the White House
and the State Department, since the 1920s.
And the only way that any politician...
The only way they can go against Big Oil is...
Successfully, is if they are pushed by a popular movement,
that is not only pushing them,
but giving them the political cover
to do what needs to be done.
Because, believe me, the President is gonna get that call
from the CEO of Exxon, saying,
"You know, Mr. President, we really do need that pipeline."
Or, "We really do need this vote in Congress."
And, Presidents get those calls all the time.
You just don't read about them in the newspaper.
And the only way that the president can turn down,
Mr. Exxon Mobil, is to say,
"You know, I hear you and I'm trying to help you.
But, I got 100,000 people in the street out here.
And they vote."
There were 20 million people in the street
on earth day in 1970.
Scared the bajesus out of Richard Nixon,
a Republican president.
We know this now from the memoirs.
He decided right then and there.
Okay, I'm gonna take this issue away from the Democrats,
for when I run for reelection...
I'm gonna take the environmental issue away from them.
I'm gonna start the environmental protection agency.
I'm gonna start the council and environmental quality.
We're gonna sign the clean air act, the clean water act,
the endangered species act, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
The most powerful environmental laws
in the world, to this day.
Why did they happen?
They happened because 20 million Americans,
got into the street.
And that is what it's going to take
to really deal with climate change.
(crowd chanting)
- Well, what do you think happened?
Because it was painful to watch.
- I don't know what happened.
I don't know if I had a panic attack or what it was,
but I really was a mess.
I've never, not been able
to complete a sentence like that for so long.
- Bob said you did a great job on the second attempt.
And some other people seem to be impressed as well, so...
- You know I don't choose to be this way.
It's like you are who you are.
And it's annoying to me and exhausting sometimes, but like
I just wanna do something good.
- Mm-hmm.
What makes think you are not?
- And that's what people keep saying.
And that's not what I'm feeling,
because if it were just something that I could say,
"Oh, okay. I'm just gonna pay attention
and do what people that I love are asking me to do."
Then that would be an easy choice,
but it's not that easy.
(calm music)
I feel really tired and drained.
Coming into the trial,
I was trying to really present myself,
as being strong spiritually, emotionally and physically.
I really didn't wanna look like an irrational,
emotional, loose cannon.
(Roger) chuckles softly.
And so, even the judge had to comment,
like, "Why are you fighting with your lawyer?"
And I was...
So, I don't know.
- She's got so much information that she wants to impart.
I don't know that anybody would be successful.
- I couldn't even say my name.
I really could not say my name.
It's so emotional for me.
Like this is...
It was such a big moment.
I feel like the Vikings kicker who missed that field goal.
And they're out of the playoffs. That's exact...
I just missed the field goal.
For us. I mean, the other four did such a good job.
It was really just a...
That putt in the hole that you just have to tap in
and then it just rounds out and doesn't go in the hole.
But I, it was bottled up in me and I wanted to say it,
and the questions were coming,
and I had it all laid out.
And I just was like, "Ah."
I can't help it that I'm that way.
- When you came off that stand the first time,
I said to you, "I don't..."
I said this out of tremendous emotion,
"I don't care about the trial."
- Yeah, you said that.
- That's what I mean.
I don't think you understand the depth of emotion,
some of the people around you are experiencing,
because you're so caught up in your own.
- It's hard to watch her in the trial.
It's harder to watch her when she's actually talking,
because usually when she's crying or upset,
I cry and I'm upset, because of it.
So, it's definitely hard to watch her like that.
And, yeah. I had to leave because of it.
'Cause I just couldn't watch her like that.
And I don't think it was helping her that there's...
That I was upset.
- Screw the trial, it's over. It really is.
And win or lose. You've won, that's all there is to it.
'Cause I'd love to have you come back
from whatever it is that you go do
and feel like you nailed it.
How great would my life be at that point?
(laughing)
I could get anything I wanted.
(laughing)
- What is it that you want?
- We can't talk about that.
- Dad!
(laughing)
- Okay.
- I have been advised by the bailiff
that you have reached a verdict as jurors.
(soft moving music)
- In the matter of state of North Dakota,
versus Michael Eric Foster.
Count One.
We the jury impaneled
and sworn in the above entitled action,
do find the defendant, Michael Foster,
guilty of the crime of criminal conspiracy
to commit criminal mischief.
Count two.
We the jury impaneled
and sworn in the above entitled action
do find the defendant guilty
of the crime of criminal mischief.
Count three.
We the jury impaneled and sworn
in the above entitled action do find the defendant,
not guilty of the crime of reckless endangerment.
- At this, if you please stand, the jury can be excused.
- So, the guilty, guilty.
Ah...
It was bad, but I got the first not guilty verdict
on reckless endangerment.
The prosecutor compared me to the 9/11 hijackers,
compared me to the unibomber.
And said that if the jury let this go,
it was gonna bring Sharia law to North Dakota.
I'm not joking about that. (chuckles)
So, after all that, he's gonna cause a accident,
he's gonna cause an oil spill.
He's gonna do all these terrible things to your farm,
to your community.
He doesn't care about people.
The jury did not agree.
- We also should talk about whether
the defendants are taken into custody.
These are class B felonies and they're from out of state.
- [Judge] So, are you requesting a change
in their bond conditions?
- It was our plan to ask if there were felony convictions
that they be taken into custody.
So, I think that is our request.
- And then there was this moment
where nobody in the courtroom was breathing, including me.
That went on forever.
And the judge said,
"Okay, we're gonna just continue as is."
So, we weren't put into custody right away,
but we could have been.
And at that moment, I think I felt just how much my control
of my life is now in the judges hands.
- Hey, mom.
So, I'm sitting on the couch
and I look outside the window,
and guess who I see?
Yeah, he's home.
How did you get home?
- We drove- - I took the bus and then they picked me up.
They saw me walking.
- Mum was be there to pick you up.
And she freaked out,
'cause you didn't get off any of the boats.
And you weren't on any of the docks.
- She wasn't there when I got there.
- She was there when you got there.
- Really?
- Yeah.
- Yep. She's pissed at me.
- Adonis, I need to talk to you.
- Okay.
- Come here.
If you don't know what's going on, you call.
You don't just decide to get on a bus
and go somewhere when someone was planning
on picking you up.
And I just spent an hour
(soft piano)
on ferry dock, talking to 911.
And talking to the Vashon police
and talking to the people.
Going through all the video, looking for you with...
- It wasn't my intention to do that.
- I know it wasn't your intention.
I need you to understand how it happened
and I need you to be like,
"I have a responsibility to communicate."
- I feel like you don't trust me.
- You're 12 years old. I let you go places.
Obviously, I have trust in you.
I'm asking you to be responsible and communicate.
We're gonna talk about this.
(water running)
Oh...
(Kids talking about music)
- There's so many other layers to it.
I'm like, especially with their court cases and stuff
- Mm-hmm.
- Aji, has gotten death threats.
- This was the federal case, right?
Yeah. It's something that I don't really...
Like, it doesn't sit on my mind all the time.
But I think when something like that happens,
where I don't know where they are and stuff like that-
- You don't know.
- And then all the racism and everything that's happening,
There's also that.
What if someone just decided
to take their crazy ideas out on my kids? (sighs)
- Yeah.
- And, you know, it's just...
It's nerve wracking when they disappear.
(gentle music)
I have a marshmallow.
- Just break the charcoal part off.
- This will be too hot.
Don't grab right there.
- I hope my memory gets this forever.
This perfectly roasted marshmallow.
- I love you mama.
- I love you too.
♪ We're changing up the plan ♪
♪ Decolonize the water ♪
♪ Decolonize the land ♪
- We all showed up there.
There were thousands of us there, at flood wall street.
We were gonna shut wall street down,
because that is exactly what fuels the fossil fuel industry.
And every other corporation
that is allowed to exploit all of these resources.
We meet at Battery park.
And so, I assume, "Hey, this is gonna be huge."
Looking at all of these people.
(crowd chanting) Resist, resist, raise up your fist.
(crowd cheering)
- This amazing. Yeah, it's beautiful.
Yeah.
I mean whatever we do, we should stick together
and be powerful...
We have a lot of people here and that's powerful.
- [Crowd] Our streets.
- [Man] Whose streets?
- [crowd] Our streets.
- [Man] Whose streets?
- [Crowd] Our streets.
- [Man] The people are rising no more compromising.
[Crowd]The people are rising no more compromising.
[Crowd chanting] The people are rising no more compromising.
[Crowd] This is what democracy looks like.
♪ [Michael] Show me what does democracy looks like ♪
♪ [Crowd] This is what democracy looks like ♪
♪ [Michael Yells] ♪
(crowd cheering)
- There was no way to get to wall street.
The cops shut it off.
They had, what looked like the SWAT team out there.
They had horses, there was almost...
There was as many cops, as there were people.
(crowd chanting) I believe that we can win.
(Jumping and Chanting) I believe that we can win.
(Loud chanting) I believe that we can win.
(Louder) I believe that we can win.
(Clapping and Cheering)
Stirring music
(whistle blows)
(metal fences clanking)
- [Man] This is a violation of our first amendment.
- [Crowd chanting] Who do you protect, who do you serve?
(Pepper spray can hissing)
- [Man] Water.
- Blink, blink. Don't touch, don't touch.
They fucking pepper sprayed me.
- The cops started coming in with their buses
and it was just all intimidation.
They were just trying to see who could leave
that way they didn't have to arrest them, but nobody left.
(crowd chanting) arrest Wall Street, arrest Wall Street.
(crowd chanting) We'll be forced to do this again and again.
Again and again. Again and again.
- I order you to leave this road right now.
If you do so voluntarily,
no charges will be placed against you.
(crowd cheering)
♪ (Crowd Singing) We shall not give up the fight ♪
♪ We have only started ♪ We have only started ♪
♪ We shall not give up the fight ♪
♪ We have only started ♪ We have only started ♪
♪ We will not not give up the fight ♪
♪ We have only started ♪ We have only started ♪
♪ We shall not give up the fight ♪
♪ We have only started ♪ We have only started ♪
♪ We will not give up the fight ♪
♪ We have only stated ♪ We have only started ♪
♪ We have only started ♪
- [Aziza] Can we do a mix of...
- [Bill] Yeah, we can do a mix of strawberry-
- Raspberry.
- I mean raspberry.
- Let's do that.
- All right. I wanna get a few more.
(soft music)
- Are most of yours unstemed?
- Most of them are.
- Mine are perfect.
(laughing)
- Of course they are.
- Okay
It is hard, because I know I'm privileged,
but it's hard when,
like, "Why is my dad late to my birthday party?"
I don't really think about in the moment.
"Oh, it's because he's helping solve some big issue."
That's not something that I think about in the moment,
'cause I'm feeling emotional or whatever.
I want my dad on my birthday.
- Totally fair. Right? Of course she does.
I was hanging out with some activists
at a leadership retreat
and someone shared about the story
about their own experience with their son.
And realizing that the son was, actually...
Had stopped expecting them to be there.
It's the last thing I want, is for Aziza,
to not even expect me to be present in her life.
That's when I actually, I made that commitment.
I came back from that and said,
"Aziza, I am going to make you breakfast
every morning before school."
- Yeah.
In the morning, I'm definitely not the most awake person.
I'm not a morning person, as much as I wish I was.
- But it certainly comes to my mind of that,
depending upon how the future looks,
that she can think back on her dad
and know that I was doing what I could,
rather than ignoring it.
The crowd...
The crowd on the dock, they're chanting,
"Stop that boat, stop that boat".
It was like being at...
Like a Seahawks game or in a championship, or something.
It was like a non-violent riot on the water
with a crowd of hundreds of people chanting.
And we look like a bunch of David's, going after Goliath.
And it was freaking beautiful.
And so, fierce.
- [Aziza] Wow.
- It was amazing.
(Wind blowing)
It's the day before the sentencing.
The night before, 'cause it's happening tomorrow morning
and I may or may not be incarcerated tomorrow.
I could walk out of the court house
and I could be eating lunch with everybody,
and go on about my way.
Or I could end up going into the system
and being in the jail or the prison.
I have, whether it's friendships
or family, or you name it.
I have stressed people out,
because I am not willing to just go along
and keep pulling the trigger on this planet.
Most people need to look away from this,
as often as possible.
It's why we have such climate denial,
because it's a defense mechanism.
It's a coping mechanism,
so that people can get on with their lives.
But when the legal system is broken and it is broken.
When you can legally wipe out all life on the planet,
through every business, financial, mechanical,
technological thing we're doing, it's all legal.
Everything we've done so far
to wipe out half of the vertebrates on the planet,
since I was in first grade, is legal.
That's okay. Nobody goes to jail for that.
If you tried to stop that, you gotta go to jail.
- [Court clerk] Ladies and gentlemen please rise,
The Pembina County court is now in session.
The honorable Laurie Fontaine is presiding.
- Thank you. You may be seated.
Pembina County district court is now in session.
Is the state ready to proceed?
- [Lawyer] Yes, your honor, we are.
- Your honor, the defendants claim
Their actions were necessary,
because the traditional avenues
of citizen voice were not effective for them.
They claim this failed,
because of the huge amount of money
that the fossil fuel industry puts into the debate.
But is that it?
I think a lot of people were put off
by the moral superiority that it takes to decide,
personally, that you can violate the law,
because your cause is righteous.
Because they can't achieve things in the traditional way
that they are going to choose to violate the law
in order to get the message out there.
And this is where it's really leading to chaos.
This is not the way we do things in North Dakota, at least.
Thank you.
- This time, Mr. Foster, I would ask you
if you have any statements you would like
to make to the court before court impose a sentence.
- Yes, your honor.
I would like to say something.
(somber piano) In the first White House report on climate,
it said that humans have altered the chemical composition
of the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels,
putting civilization at risk.
That report was issued by the White House,
under Lyndon Baines Johnson.
And it's right there in the constitution
that young people, young citizens have a right to life.
And what we are doing is a slow bullet to their head,
30 years down the road.
We have passed the point of emergency.
That energy infrastructure is the gun.
The bullet is the product inside it
and somebody's pulling the trigger.
And somebody is getting paid to do that.
And somebody's making a lot of money on that.
And if the law continues to prefer
the rights of the people who own that property
and their rights to protect their infrastructure,
that is poisoning the rest of us.
Poisoning themselves, poisoning their own kids.
And, as long as we keep using the product coming through it,
our rights to life and Liberty are in danger.
Thank you.
- Trans Canada, wrote a letter,
asking for significant prison time for Mr. Foster.
They are concerned that other people will try
and tamper with their lines or other people's pipelines.
This is the most troubling for me with you, Mr. Foster,
because everything about you tells me...
And everything you've said to me
is this was the right thing to do.
This is what I'm called to do
and you have not expressed any remorse
or any regret at ever, any time at all.
Court sentence's you to three years
at the North Dakota department of corrections.
After serving one year, the balance is suspended
on the condition you be placed on supervised probation.
Thank you.
(murmuring in the courtroom)
(somber music)
- When I get home and he's not there,
it's gonna be really hard.
But they painted a picture of him,
as this crazy, zealot person who loves all the attention.
He's just wants to figure out any way
that he can possibly use his life
to prevent what's gonna be happening,
if we just all keep doing what we're doing every day.
Now, it's just a long distance relationship.
And I'm really grateful
that the judge didn't give him the 21 years.
It's one day at a time.
And we laugh and he makes the hard parts of the world
a little bit easier.
So yes. I'm gonna miss him.
- [Jamie] Cup Monster.
- [Adonis] Are those all actual cups?
[Aji] Is it a shopping cart?
- [Jamie] It's beautiful. Oh, my God, it's masterpiece.
- [Adonis] Can I get inside of it?
- It definitely does smell like coffee.
Ugh... Why am I participating like this?
(Jamie laughs)
- I pretty much dedicated my life
to fighting climate change.
You can go around.
You can go hang out with your friends
and you can do nothing.
And you can be unaware.
You can play video games, you can read books and...
But at the end of the day,
you still know that climate change is going on
and it's still there.
It's not gone.
You can't just ignore it and have it disappear.
It's not like when you're like five years old
and you think that, because you cover your eyes,
you're hiding.
Because, oh, I can't see you, so you can't see me.
It's not like that.
Just because you ignore a problem,
doesn't mean it goes away.
It's just like I have to keep fighting,
because it's still there.
It's not gone yet.
I've become one with the cup.
Look, I'm in camouflage.
This is my recon operation.
The reason there's a big prop monster,
made from Starbucks cups,
is because the lining of every single Starbucks cup
is not recyclable and not compostable, even industrially.
It's really just that 4 billion Starbucks cups
are thrown into the trash every year.
So, it's just like,
"Hey, change the lining and we'll be done.
You won't have to deal with us ever.
And we won't have to stand in weird suits.
Build a better cup. Just keeps saying it.
♪ In the West Seattle winter my planet said to me ♪
♪ Say no to plastic remember I'm your home ♪
♪ Go and plant a tree ♪
♪ Buy local food ♪
Reduce, reuse, recycle and a broken--
(laughing)
- Members of the jury.
Sometimes people have to take a stand.
Sometimes people do things out of a sense
of inner justice and commitment.
(soft music) These five defendants
are people like that.
And of course, my client.
Abby's a interesting person.
She could sit on top of that tripod,
dangling in the air 20 feet,
which would scare most of us out of our wits.
And yet when she gets into a witness chair, she's nervous.
The chair that's firmly fixed to the floor. She's nervous.
She was influenced by a derailment,
not too far from her child's school.
That inspired her that something more needs to be done
than writing letters.
Appearing before legislatures.
Doing things that just don't work.
That don't get the attention that an arrest does.
Being arrested, isn't a crime, by the way,
it's for you to decide if a crime has been committed.
You the jury can speak out, not guilty,
sends a message that this protest was lawful.
That the powers that be should take notice.
And that these defendants are not guilty of a crime.
Thank you.
(Uplifting music)
- Did you have any good dreams last night?
- Yeah.
- What did you dream about?
- I dreamed about the stars and the moon.
The stars and the moon, mama.
- That's so sweet.
Okay. Lets say goodbye.
- Goodbye mama!
- [Bill] I love you.
- I'm not afraid of the future.
I know that it'll be different and I know that it...
The climate is going to change
and the world is going to change and
I am not afraid of change.
I think change is good. Not all change is good.
But-
(laughing)
Change is, generally, has to happen.
And I don't want to live in fear of that.
- Change is inevitable.
Change is inevitable, but how much are we gonna be
the authors of that change or the victims of it?
- Sometimes I wish I could understand how you can talk
for hours on end about these things.
I think that just being the kind of person my dad is,
it's so much...
I don't know about other people who do this kind of work,
but I was sitting on the couch
and it was 12 o'clock last night.
And I was super tired and I couldn't have cared
a little bit about what he was saying,
but he was going on and on.
He's like, "No, Aziza, there's something really cool
is happening, some thing really cool."
And he just kept on talking and I was like,
"Dad, I can't listen to this right now."
(Playful music)
I can't imagine that...
Without his passion and his ability to,
"No, we're gonna do this. We're gonna beat them."
I feel like a lot of people would have just given up
and I don't think that the victories,
would have been reached without that kind of emotion
and passion for what he's doing.
I can't imagine having that much persistence.
That's just, it's really inspiring to me.
- I'm not crying.
(laughing)
God, am I a lucky guy or what? Right?
So, thank you.
- Yeah.
- So, I think, Aziza, said it best,
You know, it's like, winning is way more fun.
Way more fun.
And it's also, I think, honestly,
essential to win.
(siren wailing)
- The train tracks were shut down.
Like 30 to 45 people were arrested.
The police were in riot gear.
And they're not forceful,
but they're still walking around in riot gear and stuff.
(crowd cheering)
♪ [Aji] We'll make a just, a just, a just transition ♪
♪ [Crowd] We'll make a just, a just, a just transition ♪
♪ [Aji] But we're not asking for permission ♪
♪ [Crowd] We're not asking for permission ♪
♪ [Aji] It takes a rev, a rev, a rev, a revolution ♪
♪ [Crowd] A rev, a rev, a rev, a revolution♪
♪ [Aji] To create justice, a sustainable solution ♪
♪ [Crowd] To create justice, a sustainable solution ♪
You can't get by without water.
You can't get by without food
and you can't get by without air.
Those are three, not even rights,
they're necessities to life, end of story.
You cannot deny anybody that, because that is murder.
But we don't protect that.
Those are three things that are not protected.
Yeah, I mean, they call it climate anxiety,
the phenomenon of younger generations,
becoming just extremely anxious
and depressed about climate change
and the state of their future.
Sometimes my songs are just, that's my response.
And sometimes, yeah, sometimes I do get,
like this feeling of, "This shit's so fucking pointless
and there's no way anything's really gonna happen."
♪ Ain't gonna let no body poison the earth ♪
♪ Poison the earth ♪
There's been a couple of things,
dealing with depression, insomnia.
Really not being able to go to sleep at night
and being totally wide
Like electrically awake, just like...
♪ We are the marchers, the mighty marchers ♪
♪ We walked across the USA every day ♪
♪ And when we get to DC ♪
♪ Just you wait and see ♪
♪ We will have a lot to say ♪
♪ We mean to build a better future ♪
♪ And we need to start right now ♪
(crowd cheering)
The great march for climate action,
they talked about having a thousand marchers,
but I expected more than 35.
We like to think we had a great impact
on those we encountered and those we touched,
those we spoke to, those who just saw us walk by.
I think, however, the greatest impact we have had
is on ourselves.
(crowd cheering)
- [Crowd] Miriam. Miriam. Miriam.
- I would like you to all say, we made it.
- [crowd] We made it.
(crowd cheering)
- One more time.
- [Crowd] We made it.
(crowd cheering)
- The March has definitely changed me,
making me a little more radical.
Or, actually, a lot more radical than I was before.
And we can't really just sit around and have meetings,
and talk anymore, direct action needs to happen.
(soft music)
I don't wanna be just some crazy guy
that gets arrested every so often.
In the eyes of my family,
I want them to be proud of me, of course.
I'm doing this for them. I'm doing this for everybody.
And we're all in it together.
It's about everybody joining together,
fighting for what they believe in.
I've tried talking to my dad about his situation in Mexico,
before he came to the United States.
I know it wasn't easy for them.
So, when I described to them what I'm doing,
I think my parents are worried.
My parents are worried about, of course me getting arrested.
They're worried about what this looks like for my future.
I mean, I love them for the fact that
they're worried about it, but they continue...
Every time I call them,
they continue to say, "I love you."
Thank you for what you're doing.
It's incredible to me.
My family loves me unconditionally. No matter what.
- [Crowd chanting] Shut FERC down.
Shut FERC down. Shut FERC down. Shut FERC down.
- After the march.
I know I'm ready to do more than just march.
- What is that actually doing?
When every single day,
the amount of devastation to the earth
is just on such a massive scale.
So, we're doing a week of direct actions there.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission at FERC.
FERC is a federal agency that is not taxpayer funded,
but funded by oil and gas.
The industry makes the decisions on which projects they want
to make their profit and extract their resources.
They apply for a permit for the FERC, it's approved.
And then they build the project,
straight through our backyard.
- Hey link arms, link arms.
- Lock 'em up. Lock 'em up.
- We need a block over here, we need a block over here.
- Shut FERC down.
- [Crowd] Shut FERC down.
Shut FERC down. Shut FERC down. Shut FERC down.
- FERC destroys families. FERC destroys towns.
FERC destroys families. FERC destroys towns.
- Your illegally blocking this entrance.
We're gonna give you five minutes to clear this entrance
or you will be arrested.
FERC destroys towns. Shut FERC down.
Shut FERC down.
FERC destroys families. FERC destroys towns.
- First the cops opened up the barricade
to let people in to the FERC building.
We blockaded that.
(Michael yells)
- [Crowd] FERC hurt families. FERC hurts towns.
Shut FERC down.
- We are the people, you can't ignore us.
We will not let you FERC this planet
- Disperse now or you will be arrested.
Disperse now or you will be arrested.
(Circular saw whirring)
(Stirring music)
- [Crowd] Shut FERC down.
Shut FERC down. Shut FERC down. Shut FERC down.
- Back up, back up, back up.
- FERC destroys families. FERC destroys towns.
FERC destroys families. FERC destroys towns.
(Music of choir voices)
(Engine noise of circular saw)
(Noise of circular saw cutting metal)
- Hey, hey, back up!
- Shut FERC down. Shut FERC down.
Shut FERC down. Shut FERC down.
(crowd cheering)
(crowd clapping)
- [crowd] The people united will never be defeated.
[crowd] The people united will never be defeated.
- If the question before the jury
was to be whether climate change is real,
I would let them answer that question.
If the jury, which is to decide,
whether Burlington Northern Santa Fe
is being a responsible corporation
in protecting all of us from their trains of oil,
going through our communities,
I would let the jury answer that question.
Quite frankly, these defendants are tireless advocates,
who we need in this society
to prevent the kind of catastrophic effects
that we see coming.
And that our politicians are ineffectually addressing.
But the law requires that the defendants here,
present sufficient evidence to a jury,
that there is no legal alternative
to this particular act of civil disobedience.
The court will read the jury verdicts
into the record at this time.
The first verdicts to be read will be those
for Miss Abigail Brockway.
If you could please rise ma'am, with counsel.
In case number 5035A14D,
the jury verdict form reads as follows,
"State of Washington, plaintiff Abigail Brockway defendant.
We, the jury find the defendant, Abigail Brockway,
not guilty of the crime of obstructing or delaying a train.
We, the jury find the defendant,
Abigail Brockway, guilty of the crime of trespass
in the second degree."
Thank you. Please be seated.
Each defendant will be sentenced as follows,
(soft music) 90 days in jail
with 89 suspended leaving one day
to serve with credit for that one day.
You are not to commit any new crimes during
the probation period.
You are not to have any contact with BNSF property-
(Courtroom laughter)
And that is it.
Court will be in recess.
- All rise. (applauding)
- Aji, do you feel like you're doing too much?
Sometimes you get overloaded
and you're thinking about really huge things.
- Naw, it's a small thing.
- What's a small thing?
- The idiocy of the human race.
I'm fighting for my rights with the government.
I'm fighting for people to protect their own lives,
the lives of their children,
the lives of their neighbors and my life.
That's not something that you should have to do
like the fuck.
At 17 years old.
It feels like there's like an ever approaching deadline
for climate change.
And so, I think that's the problem
I'm feeling the weight of the world kind of thing.
And that's where the
A lot of, probably the insomnia comes from.
Is feeling the weight of the world.
- No, Aji, how do we find space
where you get to take a break?
- I don't think there's a, we, in this conversation,
we don't find space for me to take a break.
- You do?
But what help do you need?
'Cause I can see that it's bothering you.
- Yeah, he dead.
- I'm sorry.
- Yeah, he dead.
(Gentle piano)
- And I'm so just like distraught.
And I'm what is gonna convince people
to do anything about this?
It feels like nothing is getting anywhere with anyone,
we're gonna crash no matter what.
It's inevitable.
But do you want to just accelerate to 90. Boom.
Hit that wall and Baaa! I'm done with it?
Or do you want to like, try and drop it down
to like 15 miles an hour and ram into the wall,
just a little bit.
Maybe, you crash your car and bang yourself up a little bit,
but you're safe.
And when people were like,
"I'm waiting for somebody else."
I'm like, "No, you're being lazy."
And you're being indecisive.
And you're refusing to look at a big problem
and face it at point blank range,
and actually take it seriously.
- We have to find a way to give you a break
and to take care of you.
You can't just keep on going
feeling more and more frustrated.
And like, you're not taken care of.
It's probably a lot of things.
- Being super in charge in front of 3000 people
and then being depressed and not being able
to get out of bed, it's a pendulum swing.
So, I don't think I have necessarily found my way out
of the depression.
I don't know. It's hard.
'Cause I don't know where it begins.
Don't know where it ends. Don't know what causes it.
I just don't know.
I just do the best to try and get to a place
where I feel like I can be happy and maybe it'll go away.
Or if it's there at all, I don't know.
I'm just like, "What's going on."
(Scott Joplin piano music)
it's something that we can't wait to do,
because we've taken too long without action.
So, it's just one of those things where it's like,
you can't wait anymore, you have to do it now.
I have one last stab at this kind of thing.
And I am gonna try and take it with all my might.
(birds chirping)
- I really wanted to argue with the judge,
"Come on, I'm on probation for two years."
I know you're up there judge
- I don't really think I'm going to accept your ruling,
I wanna go to jail.
(laughing)
I say that I'm feeling a true sense of relief.
I'm really glad this week's over.
- If we bring this case to a higher court,
then a decision can be in a higher court,
which would be, could set legal precedence.
And I just feel like if we can get our stuff together,
we could get that argued.
- So, you're saying you wanna go to trial again?
- It's so much different now. It's...
- Because if you wanna go to trial again, I object.
(waves lapping the shore)
(Native Americans singing)
(Singing becomes louder)
- We have to find a livable way to be here.
(inspiring music)
And what the world saw,
was that people were taking real action
and it was non-violent, but it was bold.
And it was not purely symbolic.
This is a battle of paradigms.
It's a battle of paradigms where corporations have rights
and investors have rights,
but future generations don't have rights.
The planet doesn't have rights.
We communities don't have rights.
What the fuck is sacred in a system
that lets Transnational Capital, roll over borders
and trash the Arctic and trash the climate
for short-term profit.
And like, human beings are sacrificed in the gristmill
of the oligarchy system this is poisoning the planet.
(Stirring music)
So, we're gonna build a movement
to be part of something beautiful.
To be at the top of that tree again,
looking at it as the birds go by
and thinking that you're something beautiful,
Because you're part of creation.
You know that there's something sacred to life
and that we're a part of it.
That's what's at stake.
(Soft piano music)
(Air hissing as bus door opens)
- You guys, people have to get through.
(crowd cheering)
- Oh, my God. I love you.
(crowd applauding)
(crowd cheering)
- Oh, my God.
- Sweet heart.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.
Thank you all very much. Thank you.
(stirring music)
(music fades)