Winter is trying to hang on, but this season it has had a very anemic weather effect here in Northern Nevada.  It has been a very warm Winter in comparison to some we have seen in the past, very little snow and limited freezing and sub-freezing temps, but still cold enough to discourage possibly a lot of what otherwise might be remarkable activitiy of protesters out at the Thacker Pass mine site.

Taking a look back to last Summer when temperatures were far from freezing and people could act without any limitation from the enviroment restraints out at Thacker Pass let us venture back to some of the activities engaged in at that time by the "peaceful protesters":

https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/free-speech-or-interference-in-rare-move-lithium-americas-sues-thacker-pass-protesters

“Usually, the reason parties settle is they see it’s not worth their time and resources to pursue the issue further,” he said. “Here, it feels like we have a couple parties that are dug in. That makes me reluctant to say ‘Yeah, the parties are going to come an agreement relatively soon.’”

"In April, roughly two dozen protesters, including environmentalists and tribal members and elders from multiple states, began what they deemed “nonviolent prayer” protests at the mine site north of Winnemucca. Once operational, the mine is expected to produce for more than four decades and generate 60,000 metric tons per year of battery-grade lithium carbonate.

Social media posts by Protect Thacker Pass show protesters climbing on construction equipment and blocking vehicles from driving onto the site by standing in roadways with large banners. One protester appears to charge a piece of heavy machinery while it is being operated."

Well, we have blizzard conditions projected later this week for the Lake Tahoe area and possibly some significant snow down in the valley in Reno/Sparks, but this late in the season how long will that snow last.  Our Ski lodges have suffered this year in the Reno and Northern California area from lack of snow.  It is possible that by mid March, instead of April as happened last year, the Protect Thacker Pass and associated groups will martial their efforts and again proceed to use any legal and extra-legal methods to obstruct construction activities out at Thacker Pass.

LAC continues to have a very competent legal team that will use every legal means to minimize the efforts coming from the other side when those efforts transgress the limits of legality.  We are fortunate that LAC has a very vigilant and wise legal team, but even if it just an excess in enthusiasm coming from the other side it is so easy to transit over the legal limitations of constitutionally protected protest, when emotions instead of judgment rules the day. 

Last year "Lithium Americas filed a suit in Humboldt County’s district court alleging the company’s work is being hampered by the protesters. According to the lawsuit, protesters have blocked roads, climbed on, vandalized and stolen work equipment, and engaged in other activities disruptive to construction."

Bob Conrad adds almost nothing to the discussion about last summer's Thacker Pass events:

https://thisisreno.com/2023/08/thacker-pass-protesters-seek-dismissal-of-lawsuit-by-lithium-nevada-on-free-speech-grounds/

The current weather adversity later this week will not last long and then the "Protest Season" will be upon us once again.  It is what it is and in order to know where this leads we just have to, once again, watch and wait.

Onward through the FOG... and occasionally through the blizzards, not often, but once in a while.

Okiedo