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Today attorneys representing forest defenders in Oregon won a major victory at the Oregon Court of Appeals defending the constitutional right to protest by arguing that a state law is unconstitutional under the federal constitution. The Court struck down the statute it its entirety. The state statute at issue, ORS 164.886, "Interfering with Agricultural Operations," was enacted in 1999 to discourage demonstrators from protesting against controversial timber sales in Oregon. It stated that if a person hindered, obstructed or impaired an agricultural operation they were guilty of a Class A misdemeanor crime and has been used to prosecuted dozens and dozens of nonviolent forest defense activists. "This is a great victory for activists in Oregon and affirms that the Constitution is still alive and kicking!" said Lauren Regan, Staff Attorney and Director of the Civil Liberties Defense Center. "In an era when activists are being maligned as 'terrorists,' it is very important that repressive laws like this one and other "ecoterror" laws are challenged and beaten from the law books as a patent disgrace to our constitutional rights and liberties." The full text of the opinion can be found at http://www.publications.ojd.state.or.us/A132129.htm For more information on the Civil Liberties Defense Center, go to www.cldc.org
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