By Jackie Filson

*UPDATE: Less than 24 hours after the action, Republican Governor Larry Hogan came out in support of a statewide fracking ban!*

March 16 marked another milestone in the long and determined campaign to ban fracking in Maryland. 13 brave and passionate Marylanders put their bodies and freedom on the line at the State House in Annapolis and were arrested in an act of peaceful civil disobedience while demanding that state Senate leaders support a ban on fracking.

The arrests came one week after the Maryland House of Delegates passed a bill to ban fracking by a bipartisan and veto-proof vote of 97-40. As the arrestees were filed into police vans and carted off to the county jail, dozens of supporters remained in the 30-degree weather in solidarity chanting, “We shall not be moved.”

The first few folks calling on the @MDSenate to #banfracking as they were removed by police from the State House entrance #DontFrackMD pic.twitter.com/HYZJ7LtdKf — Rianna Eckel (@RiannaEckel) March 16, 2017

Among those arrested was Food & Water Watch Organizing Co-Director Emily Wurth, who addressed the crowd before the action:

“We have a really simple message here today. Our message is to the Maryland Senate that they need to pass a fracking ban. We’re looking for leadership from Senate President Mike Miller to push this bill forward to protect all Marylanders regardless of where they live, regardless of how much money they have. Nobody should be exposed to fracking in this state and a statewide ban is the only way to do that.”

The grassroots campaign to ban fracking in Maryland has heated up in the last few months. Recently more than 1,000 people marched through Annapolis and joined a massive Don’t Frack Maryland rally, hundreds of health professionals and business owners signed letters calling for a fracking ban, and so far more than 35,000 Marylanders have sent ban-fracking petitions to legislators. With less than a month left in the legislative session, our movement has more strength and momentum than ever.

In the final weeks of this fight, the easiest and most important thing you can do is to call Senate President Mike Miller. The fate of the bill to ban fracking may be in his hands, so continue to call his office and urge him to support the fracking ban:

Dial 888-997-5380 Tell Senator Miller’s office, “My name is ____ and I live in ____. I’m part of the majority of Marylanders opposed to fracking in our state. Please support only a statewide ban on fracking in Maryland, and bring the fracking ban bill up for a vote in the Senate.”

This is an all-hands-on-deck moment for our campaign to ban fracking in Maryland. Grab your friends and your neighbors and join the fight. Together we can win.