Activists Arrested in Houston for Protesting Pipeline Project

activists arrested for protesting pipeline prject - herman martinez with the martinez law firm defends them

According to My Fox Houston, a group of activists protesting a pipeline project in downtown Houston this morning were arrested for their behavior. The individuals were expressing their opinion on the Keystone XL Pipeline project. The group organizes outside of the TransCanada headquarters, but police felt it proper to arrest them for misdemeanor trespassing because they were on the property. The police claimed that the act was in civil disobedience.


The Keystone XL Pipeline Project involves an effort to build a pipeline from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast. Yet activists believe that the pipeline will damage the environment and should be stopped before it’s built. One protester told news stations that the pipeline is going to brine dirty materials across the United States down to Houston where it can be refined and shipped to Asia to be burned. According to protesters the oil will not be used in America unless it spills.


Regardless of the protester’s opinions and whether or not they are correct, the police say that trespassing is a crime. Depending on the nature of the trespassing it can be charged as a Class A, Class B or Class C misdemeanor. On the other hand, protesting and expressing opinions is a constitutional right.


If you have been silenced for protesting and believe that your arrest violated your rights as stated in the U.S. Constitution, then you need to talk to a Houston criminal defense attorney about this immediately. With the right attorney on your side, you may be able to avoid prosecution and prove that you should not have been arrested for your crime in the first place. Talk to someone at The Martinez Law Firm today to learn more about this crime or to develop a convincing defense.