We’re planning a big weekend of action and training to stop the fracking industry. The main event is on June 17th, when we will take over the statehouse and hold a people’s assembly to pass the legislation we need to protect Ohio from the fracking industry. We just confirmed the details for the action – here’s what you need to know:

WHAT: Don’t Frack Ohio Rally and People’s Assembly
WHERE: McPherson Commons (aka Arch Park) in Downtown Columbus Ohio
WHEN: Rally begins at 11 AM at the commons, followed by a march and takeover of the Statehouse.
WHO: The Ohio anti-fracking movement joined by allies from across the country as well as Bill McKibben from 350.org and Josh Fox, director of Gasland

Sunday Schedule:

11 AM: Rally begins! Featured speakers at Arch Park:

- Bill McKibben – 350.org
- Josh Fox – Director, Gasland
- Mary Clare Rietz – Ohio Alliance for People and Environment

12 PM: March to Statehouse!

12:45: Arrive at Statehouse for people’s assembly. Featured testimony from:

- Adrian Jusdanis- Student from OSU, talking about right to public lands and a need for transparency in our democracy
- Allison Davis- Youngstown resident, part of family owned business, and activist protecting public lands
- Warren Taylor- Dairy Farmer from Athens area, former candidate for US Congress
- Teri Blanton- Veteran mountaintop removal activist
- Stefanine Spear- Founder and publisher of Ecowatch and longtime renewables provider in Ohio speaking to the need of real change in policy to support sustainable energy

Vote to pass people’s legislation to protect Ohio against fracking!

2 PM: March out of Statehouse and to nearby public space to plan next steps together!

We will be holding three days of training and strategy sessions from the 14th to the 16th at the Ohio State Urban Arts Center in Downtown Columbus. Here’s what we have planned:

Thursday, June 14th 2012

11am: Welcome

11.30am: Training; Power Mapping and Allies; building a spectrum with the Ohio movement.
-Joshua Kahn Russell and Janina Klimas

12.30pm: Lunch
-Columbus Food Not Bombs

1.15pm: Training; Strategy and Tactics
-Mattie Reitman

2.30pm: Training; Event Planning and Coordination-Danny Berchenko

    Training; Action Design
-Joshua Kahn Russell and Rae Breaux

3.30pm: Strategic Outreach and Building Grassroots Power in your Community

4.30pm: Dinner
-Columbus Food Trucks

5.15pm: Art Build

6.30pm: Gasland Screening

8.30pm: End.

Friday, June 15th 2012

9am: Welcome

9.30am: State of the State; Regulations, Permits, Leasing Activity, Public Lands, and Tracking the Industry
-Alison Auciello

10.15am: The Full Picture: Compressors, Dehydrators, Pipelines and Fracking Industry, Beyond the Wells.
-Teresa Mills
Student Organizing and Campaigns to Stop Fracking on Campus
-Casey Slive and Andrew Lin

11.30am: Overview of Ohio State-wide Organizing Model and Network
-Teresa Mills and Kari Matsko
Healthcare; Risks of Fracking Exposure and Physician Impacts
-Dr. Deb Cowden

12.30pm: Lunch

1.15pm: Fracking legislation, lobbying, and bird-dogging your elected officials
-Cheryl Johncox
Faith Communities and Experiences with Fracking
-Fr. Neil

2pm: Sunday Action Overview
-Katie McChesney and Rae Breax

2.45pm: Training: Social Media
-Duncan Meisel
Training: Traditional Media
-Teri Blanton and Brian Rothenberg
Opportunities for Legal Engagement and Working With Community Law Directors
-Bill Baker and Nathan Johnson

4.15pm: Dinner

5.15pm: Economics of Fracking
-Claire Sandberg and Water Defense

7pm: Evening Entertainment

9pm: Done

Saturday, June 16th 2012

9am: Welcome

9.30am: Community Impacts of Fracking
-Panel facilitated by Molly Shea

11am: Training: Non-Violent Direct Action; 101; 201; Tools and Blockade Planning.
-Joshua Kahn Russell, Rae Breaux, and Matt Leonard.
Resolutions, Bans, Bills of Rights, Oh My… Your Community’s Right to Say, “No”
-Mary Clare Reitz and Sherry Flemming

12pm: Lunch
Columbus Pride Parade

2.30pm: Worship and Activism
-Rev. Monica
Solidarity Activism
-Facilitated by Molly Shea

4pm: Training: Marshalls and De-escalation -Katie McChesney and Rae Breaux

How to Research Money in Elections and the Link to the Gas Industry

- Karen Showalter, Oil Change International

5.30pm: Dinner and Sign Making

6pm: Cross-state Storytelling and Regional Organizing Experiences

- Facilitated by Water Defense

7pm: Taking our Movement Forward
-Josh Fox, Bill McKibben, Jason Box and Mary Lynn Evans

9pm: End.: