More Arrests as Protest Continues in Montauk
Two more protestors were arrested Monday morning after breaching the oceanfront work zone on Montauk's downtown beach, where contractors for the Army Corps are building a sandbag seawall along an almost two-thirds-of-a-mile stretch.
Bess Rattray and Lisa Spellman walked onto the sand at just after 8 a.m. and descended into a pit already dug by an excavator working nearby. A construction foreman who asked them to leave called police when the two ignored his order. They were arrested several minutes later for disorderly conduct (refusing to disperse), taken to the Montauk police substation, and issued tickets ordering them to appear in court on Nov 18. Ms. Rattray's brother is the editor of The East Hampton Star.
The quiet and orderly protest was part of an ongoing campaign by opponents of the $8.4 million Army Corps project who say the line of 14,560, 1.7-ton sandbags will, through wave action and erosion, result in loss of the natural beach.
Several dozen protestors hit the beach on Friday after a dune was excavated earlier in the week, preventing contractors from starting work. James Katsipis and Sarah Conway of Montauk, and Tom LaGrassa of Sag Harbor were arrested, also on disorderly conduct charges.
Yesterday, a crowd of several hundred gathered on the downtown beach as surfers paddled out to form a "line of defense" against the seawall project.
Additional acts of civil disobedience are expected in the coming days, and opponents are planning to show up in force at a meeting of the East Hampton Town board on Tuesday, to be held at the Montauk Playhouse Community Center beginning at 10 a.m.
Monday morning, East Hampton Town Police Chief Michael Sarlo posted a message on Facebook regarding the Montauk protest arrests. In it, he said, "the mutual respect and cooperation being exhibited is admirable. We are proud of our department members, and we are proud of the community we serve that such a relationship exists."
"Our thanks go out to the polite and courteous people who have turned out to voice their concerns and opposition. An issue as important as our most vital natural resources is certainly worthy of the passion and commitment being shown," he said.
This article has been updated to include the new meeting place for the town board meeting on Tuesday. It had been scheduled for the Montauk Firehouse, but was since moved to the Montauk Playhouse Community Center.