Two activists with Everglades Earth First! were sentenced to 60 and 30 days after their role in last years blockade of Florida Power and Light’s power plant near the Everglades. Panagioti Tsolkas and Lynne Purvis participated in an action that formed a human chain that shut down Southern Boulevard for hours.
Other activists arrested in the same incident had received only probation.
Last year, over 25 Earth First! activists were arrested after taking confrontational action to protect the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge which sits 1000 ft from the power plant site and to protect the larger Everglades system.
Everglades Earth First! and the Palm Beach County Environmental Coalition criticized the excessive sentences as attempts to silence freedom of speech by critics of Florida Power & Light.