Monday, April 27, 7:00-9:00 pm
South Campus Commons Building 1, Room 1102
(http://www.beyondtheclassroom.umd.edu/locationbtc.htm)
Bidder 70 centers on an
extraordinary, ingenious and effective act of civil disobedience
demanding government and industry accountability. In 2008, University of
Utah economics student Tim DeChristopher committed
an act which would redefine patriotism in our time, igniting a spirit
of civil disobedience in the name of climate justice. Follow Tim, Bidder
70, from college student to incarcerated felon. Redefine justice for
yourself. Choose your side.
On December 19, 2008,
Tim DeChristopher disrupted a highly disputed Utah BLM Oil and Gas lease
auction, effectively safeguarding thousands of acres of pristine Utah
land that were slated for oil and gas leases.
Not content to merely protest outside, Tim entered the auction hall and
registered as bidder #70. He outbid industry giants on land parcels
(which, starting at $2 an acre, were adjacent to national treasures like
Canyonlands National Park), winning 22,000
acres of land worth $1.7 million before the auction was halted.
Two months later,
incoming Interior Secretary Ken Salazar invalidated the auction.
DeChristopher, however, was indicted on two federal felonies with
penalties of up to 10 years in prison and $750,000 in fines.
Patrick Shea, former BLM Director for Clinton, represented
DeChristopher pro-bono.
With the threat of
prison looming, DeChristopher stepped up his activism and evolved into a
charismatic and ingenious climate justice leader. He co-founded
Peaceful Uprising, a grass-roots group dedicated to defending
a livable future through empowering non-violent action. After two years
and nine postponements, his trial began on February 28, 2011. Outside
the courtroom, hundreds rallied in solidarity with Tim. Inside, Judge
Dee Benson disallowed every defense his lawyers
put forth. After a five-day trial, DeChristopher was found guilty. His
sentencing was scheduled for summer 2012.
Refusing to back down,
Tim flew to D.C. in April 2011 to give a keynote speech at Power Shift
2011 in front of 10,000 students. He then led students to occupy the
Department of the Interior. Tim wisely avoided
arrest, but dozens of others were arrested for this mass act of
peaceful civil disobedience. On July 26th Tim was sentenced to two years
in federal prison and removed immediately from court in chains.
• “An
excellent new documentary, "Bidder 70," tells the story of another
young hero's great risk on behalf of the environment. It's a moving film
with an
inspiring message calling us to work on behalf of the environment and
humanity. It also takes us through the step-by-step experience of the
consequences of a serious civil disobedience action.”-- National
Catholic Reporter
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