Protests at Drummond Company Over Coal Shipments

On Friday evening, protesters assembled in Birmingham, near the headquarters of Drummond Company, which is an Alabama-based coal producer.

Typically, when left-wing protests target coal mining companies, one might associate it with issues surrounding profits or climate change. However, that’s not the case this time.

As one protester, Chris Izor, noted, their focus was on the coal being shipped to Israel. They held signs like “Drummond burning fuel,” painted in colors reflecting the Palestinian flag.

The demonstrators were primarily upset that this Alabama company was selling coal to a nation currently in conflict with America’s key allies in the Middle East—countries seen as crucial to Western civilization—and facing off against groups accused of attacks that killed over 1,000 innocent Israeli citizens.

It’s essential to explore the complexities here, especially when claims of genocide are thrown around in reference to Israel’s actions against Hamas. Since May, the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has delivered around 100 million meals to residents in Gaza.

In total, Israel has provided Gaza with around 96,000 trucks of aid, which includes approximately 1.5 million tonnes of food, along with medical supplies, water, and shelter materials.

If Israel’s intent were to cause famine or perpetrate genocide, one might argue they are failing quite spectacularly at it.

Unfortunately, such facts don’t seem to deter the protesters from sharing their views. “As a member of our community, I feel a responsibility to ensure that our state-based businesses do not approve, support, fund or fuel human rights violations overseas,” Izor stated.

“We have a responsibility, especially in the heart of the civil rights movement, to partake in opposing these actions.”

It’s worth noting that not only are these claims of genocide considered misguided, but the comparison to the American civil rights movement raises eyebrows.

Hamas, for instance, clearly disregards the civil rights of innocent civilians. They showed no concern for those who were killed on October 7, 2023, nor do they uphold any civil rights in Gaza.

Concepts like minority rights, freedom of speech, and women’s rights are essentially non-existent under Hamas’s rule. If you identify as LGBTQ+ or even Jewish, you’re likely to find no rights available to you.

It’s disheartening, really, that some left-wing protesters seem so caught up in their ideological views that they miss the fundamental realities at play.

Moving forward, one can only hope that Alabama leaders continue to support Israel’s right to defend itself, which ideally would benefit everyone in the area, including innocent Gazan civilians—not just Israelis.