Pipeline projects that expand on the natural gas revolution continue to attract opposition from green activists. They do not speak for the broad cross-section of Americans who stand to benefit from reliable and affordable sources of energy. But they remain well-organized and well-funded much to detriment of America’s geopolitical standing.

Both the Mountain Valley Pipeline and the Atlantic Coast Pipeline have passed important regulatory hurdles in the past few months. The two pipelines, which will run along the mid-Atlantic Coast, are poised to transport natural gas obtained through innovative drilling techniques. That’s good news for energy consumers, but it also means green groups are doubling down with tactics meant to bully and cajole public officials into delaying the pipelines.

That much is made apparent by what appears to be an environmentalist version of Antifa working within the framework of a self-described “digital community center for anarchist, anti-fascist, autonomous anti-capitalist and anti-colonial movements” known as It’s Going Down. Like Antifa, which is short for anti-fascist, It’s Going Down is a loosely configured network of activists opposed to capitalism.

The group recently posted an online article, which it says it received anonymously, about activists who intruded on the private property of an official with the Virginia Water Control Board and draped a banner from her front porch that read “Stop Poisoning Our Community” and “No ACP” and “No MVP,” in reference to the pipelines that will run through Virginia. Since the board has already given its approval to the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, the activism is concentrated against the Mountain Valley Pipeline, the anonymous post explains.

“When we have done everything we can to prevent this pipeline within legal means, we will resort to sabotage and we will defeat this symbol of domination, exploitation, globalized capital, earth pillage, and outright assholery,” the post says. It continues:

This banner was also hung in solidarity with those fighting LNG export terminals from Cove Point to Port Tacoma, those holding down forest occupations from Camp White Pine to the Hambach Forest to the Mattole Forest, those that rocked the Olympia Commune, those building regenerative food systems impacted by fossil fuel infrastructure, and all the warriors out there willing to risk their lives for human, animal, and earth liberation.

The post concludes with a few forceful statements.

“Fire to the Prisons, Fire to the Pipelines, Fire to the Fascists

"-a pack of pissed off raccoons, squirrels, and opossums.”

So, what exactly is the relationship between It’s Going Down and the activism that it highlights and publicizes on its website? The group has both national and international reach, and since it publishes anonymous work its website includes a few key disclaimers.

We do not condone or promote illegal, violent, and unlawful behavior or actions, or acts of intimidation against individuals or groups. ... We do not plan or organize protests or demonstrations. We signal boost what people are already organizing in their locality. We do not advocate or promote violence or non-violence. Movements for liberation decide for themselves on the best strategy to get and stay free is. We respect local organizing efforts and their understanding of the situation they are faced with.

It’s Going Down, was officially launched in the summer of 2015, according to one of the YouTube videos available on the site, which includes footage of violent protests and demonstrations.

The statements included in the anonymous post directed against the Virginia pipelines express a certain willingness to physically attack the infrastructure transporting natural gas and to continuously agitate against public officials who are supporting the projects.

While It’s Going Down provides a platform for activists speaking out on a range of issues, anti-pipeline activism appears to have assumed a heightened importance in just the past few weeks. A recent posting probes the connection between the pipelines and the Trump administration. A guest from #NoACP claims in a podcast that anti-pipeline activism is “growing stronger” across the country.

Even so, it appears that pipeline projects in Virginia and other parts of the country are moving forward thanks in part to new appointments President Trump has made to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and to local officials who refuse to be cowed.

Kevin Mooney (@KevinMooneyDC) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner's Beltway Confidential blog. He is an investigative reporter in Washington, D.C., who writes for several national publications.

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