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Environmental activist, Congressional candidate says he was performing civil disobedience when arrested in Potsdam

Posted 11/28/11

POTSDAM – Congressional candidate and environmental activist Donald Hassig chose civil disobedience Saturday when he was arrested for allegedly refusing to leave the Potsdam Post Office. In a …

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Environmental activist, Congressional candidate says he was performing civil disobedience when arrested in Potsdam

Posted

POTSDAM – Congressional candidate and environmental activist Donald Hassig chose civil disobedience Saturday when he was arrested for allegedly refusing to leave the Potsdam Post Office.

In a statement to the press, the act was described as “a means of expressing his determination to persevere in bringing fundamental changes in government.”

Hassig, 56, Colton, was charged with trespassing at 12:10 p.m.

Hassig, describing himself as the Love Enough Revolution Candidate for the 23rd District seat in Congress, explained his action by saying “The first thing to do in creating a beautiful, new world that is not dominated by corporations is to take back control of the federal government. Once we have control of the federal government we can set about using the power of federal government to reign in the corporations. We will use our federal government to protect the Earth Mother and all of her children from the abuses of corporations. Via federal government we will make corporations so small that they are incapable of harming the environment and the public health.”

Hassig has staged one-person protests in public places before.

In October, he was arrested for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest at the St. Lawrence County Courthouse after he allegedly was verbally abusive with county personnel and, after being asked to leave the building, refused.

In August, Hassig said he has founded the Kick Ass Revolution Party and will run for the 23rd Congressional seat on a platform of “good changes that will immediately spark the poisonous dislike of nearly all members of the corporate-government tribe.”

Just recently, Massena Town Supervisor Joseph Gray said he and the town council were duped by Hassig into passing a resolution now being used as "outlandish propaganda" against local business and industry.

Gray, in a letter to NorthCountryNow.com, said Hassig issued a self-serving press release to the media after the town council "adopted a resolution in support of federal and state government educational outreach programs to warn citizens of the cancer hazard imposed by persistent organic pollutants (POPs) exposure from food contamination."

Earlier this month, in a letter to the editor, Hassig maintained it is time for an environmental revolution.