CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — A man who chained himself to a concrete-filled barrel in an effort to prevent trucks from hauling Yellowstone National Park bison to slaughter has pleaded guilty.
The Casper Star-Tribune <a target=”—blank” href=”http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/colorado-man-pleads-guilty-in-connection-to-yellowstone-bison-protest/article%E2%80%94cea898e3-03b5-56ce-be94-4e61e005b2d0.html”>reports</a> Joshua Rivera, of Clifton, Colorado, pleaded guilty Monday to trespassing and interfering with a government employee. He and another man were arrested Friday after they chained themselves to 55-gallon (208-liter) barrels in an attempt to block a road in Yellowstone.
The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported the men belong to the group Wild Buffalo Defense. The group’s spokesman, Monty Slate, said the protest delayed a shipment of bison for a few hours before another path was cleared.
Bison are shipped to slaughter each year as part of a population management plan for the park.
Rivera’s co-defendant has pleaded not guilty.
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Information from: Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune, <a target=”—blank” href=”http://www.trib.com”>http://www.trib.com</a>