Greenpeace activists charged with felonies

The eight Greenpeace anti-pollution protesters who were arrested Wednesday after climbing down from the smokestack of a Pilsen coal-fired plant were charged this morning with felony criminal damage to property.
The three women and five men were also charged with misdemeanor criminal trespass, police said. They are scheduled to appear in bond court later today.
The criminal damage apparently was their painting of the words "Quit Coal" on the 450-foot smokestack of the Fisk plant, 1111 W. Cermak Road.
Charged were Julie Farris, 31, of Oregon; Michelle Ogden, 27, of Washington, D.C.; William Rosenwinkel, 22, of Wheaton; Cy Wagoner, 34, of Arizona and John Watterberg, 32, of South Carolina. Also charged were Elizabeth Mitchell, 26; Gabriel Gerow, 29 and Benjamin Smith, 31, all of California.
A separate goup of eight activists from the same organization were arrested Tuesday afternoon after rappelling off a bridge at the 3700 block of South Pulaski Road. They were charged with misdemeanor reckless conduct and performing an aerial exhibition without a net, police said. The group claimed that by dangling from ropes above the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, they prevented a coal barge from passing.
Those activists all were from out of state.