Organizing in Southern Indiana against construction of Interstate 69 remains vital to combating the systematic destruction of community, working conditions, and the earth. Interstate 69 — a superhighway project already constructed from Canada to Indianapolis and projected to extend down into Mexico — is an important component of both NAFTA and the Free Trade Area of the Americas. It is slated to run from Michigan to Texas, eventually connecting to the highways of the Plan Puebla Panama to facilitate trade and exploitation of workers and land throughout the Americas.
Construction of I-69 through southwestern Indiana has just begun. With it will come eviction for over 400 rural families, destruction of hundreds of acres of land, and devastation of the habitats of countless species of plants and animals, many of them already endangered.
Campaigning has been in hibernation for the winter. What we need now are motivated folks who are willing to commit energy and resources toward mobilizing landowners and activists. Housing is available in Evansville for those ready to assist in decelerating the construction of this road.
An assortment of actions to resist I-69 have occurred to date in Indiana and around the country. We have demonstrated at the offices of companies and homes of key figures responsible for construction, including Gohmann Asphalt Company, Michael Baker Corporation, HNTB Corporation, Bernardin, Lochmueller, and Associates, Earth Tech, and Chase Bank (owners of Washington Mutual). We’ve locked down, set up a tree-sit, and dropped banners to raise awareness about and opposition to NAFTA and I-69.
The neo-colonialist powers behind NAFTA are the friends of profit and the enemies of all life and joy on this planet. Where we see people, they see workers to be exploited. We see the beauty and wildness of the natural world and they see resources to be extracted and sold in their markets. The fight against NAFTA is not just an act of solidarity, but an act of self-defense. Don’t let the cage of global capitalism be erected around you. Resisting NAFTA and the infrastructure that makes it possible is crucial to all of our survival.
For more info check stopi69.wordpress.com or email roadblockef@yahoo.com