Coal miners met in Boone County early Saturday morning to discuss their strategy for combating environmental protesters.
People from Citizens for Coal and Logan Coal Vendors gathered in a Danville parking lot off U.S. Route 119 South around 8 a.m. Saturday.
They discussed the significance of coal mining and how people in the region rely on the industry for their families.
The miners and vendors organized the meeting after they heard activists from the group RAMPS (Radical Action For Mountain Peoples' Survival) planned to shut down a strip mine Saturday.
Coal miners in Danville said they wanted to conduct peaceful protest throughout the day, but many agreed they would do anything to stop RAMPS from interrupting work at the coal mines.
Many say coal mining is more than just a hot issue in Boone County; they say it is a way of life for everyone in West Virginia.
"We have intruders who we feel are coming into our area that we call home and trying to shut our livelihood down, the way we feed our families," said Josh Nelson, a coal miner. Nelson is also campaigning for a seat in the House of Delegates.
Angela Dahlke is a coal miner's wife, daughter, and granddaughter. She said she can't understand why others would want to upend her family's life.
"This is West Virginia, this is what we do," Dahlke said. "We don't have a problem with what we do, but everybody else does, and they need to leave us alone."
Boone County deputies circled the scene to ensure the rally remained nonviolent.
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