CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Police say about 20 anti-coal protesters have been arrested at a strip mine in West Virginia.
State Police Capt. D.M. Nelson said most of the activists arrested Saturday were charged with trespassing. The demonstration was held at the Hobet mine, which is owned by Patriot Coal.
Patriot Coal officials did not immediately respond to telephone and email messages.
Nelson says nobody was injured during the demonstration, which shut down the mine for about three hours. The mine was back in production by late afternoon.
The protest was organized by an anti-coal group, the Radical Action for Mountain Peoples' Survival, or RAMPS. The group says its event was intended to draw attention to mining practices that they say are endangering the health and safety of people in the Appalachian region.