Jessica Reznicek (LAABCF Flyer)
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A grand jury idicted Reznicek in 2019 on nine federal criminal charges, including setting 11 fires. After her indictment, she expressed regret that she did not do more to try and stop the pipeline. On February 6, 2021, Rez- nicek pleaded guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Damage an En- ergy Facility. Four months later, she was designated a domestic terrorist by the court and sen- tenced to eight years in prison, followed by three years super- vised probation, and a restitution 0f $3,198,512.70 paid to Energy Transfer LLC. She reported to federal prison on August 11, 2021. She spent the next year working with her legal team to appeal her sen- tence and the use of the terror- ism enhancement in her case. Unfortunately, on June 6th, 2022, the three Trump-appointed appeal judges hearing her case upheld her conviction, writing that even if the terrorism en- hancement was misapplied, it was a “harmless error.” The ter- rorism enhancement increased Reznicek’s sentencing guide- lines, giving the judge the abilty justify a sentencing of eight years versus the three years that her guidelines originally sug- gested she receive. Jessica Reznicek has a deep love for nature, camping, swim- ming, hiking, theology, music, gardening, laughter, and eco- sustainabilty. She is committed to self-discovery through deep relationships cultivated in inten- tional faith-based community fiv- ing. Her love for the earth and all living things who rely on this planet led her to engage in ac- tions of solidarity by targeting those who seek to harm and profit off of the poisoning of our planet. Jessica Reznicek Catholic Worker and Water Protector Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal Prison Jessica Reznicek is a Catholic Worker and climate activist con- victed to eight years in federal prison for her involvement in ac- tions against the Dakota Access Pipeline. Reznicek grew up in a small, rural town in lowa where her fa- ther worked for the county sher- iff’s department. After graduating high school, she worked as a forklit driver at a distribution center and took classes at the local community college. Her life changed after meeting her future husband while working another job at a country club. Her hus- band was a man of substantial wealth, who, according to Reznicek, introduced her to ma- terial resources and a lfestyle she had never previously known. Soon after, she was attend- ing Simpson College fulltime. Despite her access to material resources, her upbringing in a blue-collar community and her experiences at her college, she became increasingly radicalized. Reznicek had already developed a strong connection with the en- vironment. In her own words, she describes how from early on she grew close with the earth: “To escape the dysfunction of my childhood, | survived by finding peace at the river. | fell in love with the water of the Raccoon River and came to regard her as a Mother. She nourished, nur- tured, and sustained me. As | grew up, | would always go back to the Raccoon. But as time passed and industry expanded, I saw the river change. In less than 20 years, | saw her struggle and suffocate as foam and oil sheen covered her surface.” One of her earliest actions of protest took place while traveling in Colorado during mid-2000’s. Reznicek decided to make an impromptu trip to revisit a tran- quil area she enjoyed as a child. Los Angeles Anarchist Black Cross PO Box 11223 Whittier CA 90603 Los Angeles Anarchist Black Cross PO Box 11223 Whittier CA 90603
Sadly, in replace of the babbling streams of her memories was a large swath of earth dug up by oil-and gas industry machinery. The locals complained that the polluted water would sometimes burst into flames. In response, Reznicek held a demonstration in protests of the destruction of the land for profit. Reznicek returned to her life but remained forever changed by the experience. Her life changed in 2011 when a profes- sor told her about the Occupy Wall Street movement taking place New York. Inspired by the growing movement, she packed her bags, leaving her life and marriage behind. Reznicek took part in the oc- cupation in Manhattan’s Zucotti Park for several weeks, but re- tumed to lowa when a satellite protest sprung up in Des Moines. She befriended individ- uals active in the Catholic Work- ers movement while participating in the Des Moines Occupy “But as time passed and industry expanded, | saw the river change. In less than 20 years, | saw her struggle and suffocate as foam and oil sheen covered her surface.” camp. Reznicek had been raised catholic but was no longer prac- ticing in her faith. However, with the constant presence of the Catholic Workers at demonstra- tions, the strong social-justice mission of the organization that aligned with her perspective, and the “nagging void, in her spiritual life, Reznicek soon joined up with the organization. When the Occupy movement fizzled out, Reznicek moved into a Catholic Worker’s house, named after Rachel Corrie, the American activst killed by an Is- raeli bulldozer while defending Palestinian home. Reznicek be- came fully committed to her new life. During an interview with Rolling Stone, she described the sudden shift in her life during the recent months: “l abandoned without hesitation the routine that had strangled both my voice and my spiri. | left the house | had lived in for over five years and found my home,” she wrote. “I became liberated from the powerlessness and emptiness that accompanied the constant maintenance it required to function halfheartedly in the world of designer clothes and clammy handshakes. My deci- sion to begin anew magnified the discontentment I had departed from and reminded me of the true meaning of my life: love and compassion.” While active in the Catholic Workers’ movement, she was introduced 1o the Plowshare movement, a sister movement that often engages in the de- struction of military weaponry or occupies military bases in oppo- sition to war. During the fall of 2015, Reznicek received a grant that she used to research de- fense contractors located in the Omaha area. She learned that Northrup Grumman was devel- oping the RQ-4 Global Hawk - a drone that going to be exported around the world. In response to this new information, Reznicek took action two days after Christ- mas by smashing the window and door of the defense contrac- tor’s office before. In the Plow- share’s tradition, she remained at the location to be arrested, kneeling on the sidewalk next to her sledgehammer and baseball bat. She dodged a 22-year prison term and served the en- tirety of her eventual 72-day sen- tence for trespassing and vandalism while awaiting trial. In spring of 2016, Reznicek learned about the Dakota Ac- cess Pipeline. She traveled to the standing Rock Reservation in South Dakota, but soon re- turned home to stop the pipeline from being built in lowa. She at- tended public comment hear- ings, gathered signatures for valid requests for Environmental Impact Statements, and partici- pated in civil disobedience, hunger strikes, marches and ral- lies, boycotts, and encamp- ments. During this period, she was arrested several times for locking herself o the construc- tion equipment, blocking roads used by construction workers, efc. In November 2016, Reznicek and fellow Catholic Worker Ruby Montoya burned a section of the pipeline at a_worksite near Newell, lowa. The two also set fire to machinery by lighting cof- fee cans filled with motor oil ablaze inside the cabs of the equipment. In May of 2017, Reznicek used oxyacetylene cutting torches and gasoline- soaked rags to destroy sections of the pipeline in lowa and south Dakota. In July 2017, Reznicek and Montoya held a press con- ference where they confessed that they had sabotaged the pipeline over the last several years, creating over $6 million in ‘damage and stopping the flow of 30 million barrels of oil. Los Angeles Anarchist Black Cross PO Box 11223 Whittier CA 90603 Los Angeles Anarchist Black Cross PO Box 11223 Whittier CA 90603
A grand jury idicted Reznicek
in 2019 on nine federal criminal
charges, including setting 11
fires. After her indictment, she
expressed regret that she did not
do more to try and stop the
pipeline.

On February 6, 2021, Rez-
nicek pleaded guilty to one count
of Conspiracy to Damage an En-
ergy Facility. Four months later,
she was designated a domestic
terrorist by the court and sen-
tenced to eight years in prison,
followed by three years super-
vised probation, and a restitution
0f $3,198,512.70 paid to Energy
Transfer LLC.

She reported to federal prison
on August 11, 2021. She spent
the next year working with her
legal team to appeal her sen-
tence and the use of the terror-
ism enhancement in her case.
Unfortunately, on June 6th,
2022, the three Trump-appointed
appeal judges hearing her case
upheld her conviction, writing
that even if the terrorism en-
hancement was misapplied, it
was a “harmless error.” The ter-
rorism enhancement increased
Reznicek's sentencing guide-
lines, giving the judge the abilty
justify a sentencing of eight
years versus the three years that
her guidelines originally sug-
gested she receive.

Jessica Reznicek has a deep
love for nature, camping, swim-
ming, hiking, theology, music,

gardening, laughter, and eco-
sustainabilty. She is committed
to self-discovery through deep
relationships cultivated in inten-
tional faith-based community fiv-
ing. Her love for the earth and all
living things who rely on this
planet led her to engage in ac-
tions of solidarity by targeting
those who seek to harm and
profit off of the poisoning of our
planet.

Jessica Reznicek
Catholic Worker and

Water Protector

Sentenced to Eight

Years in Federal Prison

Jessica Reznicek is a Catholic
Worker and climate activist con-
victed to eight years in federal
prison for her involvement in ac-
tions against the Dakota Access
Pipeline.

Reznicek grew up in a small,
rural town in lowa where her fa-
ther worked for the county sher-
iff's department. After graduating
high school, she worked as a
forklit driver at a distribution
center and took classes at the
local community college. Her life
changed after meeting her future
husband while working another
job at a country club. Her hus-
band was a man of substantial
wealth, who, according to
Reznicek, introduced her to ma-
terial resources and a lfestyle
she had never previously known.

Soon after, she was attend-
ing Simpson College fulltime.
Despite her access to material
resources, her upbringing in a
blue-collar community and her
experiences at her college, she

became increasingly radicalized.
Reznicek had already developed
a strong connection with the en-
vironment. In her own words,
she describes how from early on
she grew close with the earth:

“To escape the dysfunction of my
childhood, | survived by finding
peace at the river. | fell in love
with the water of the Raccoon
River and came to regard her as
a Mother. She nourished, nur-
tured, and sustained me. As |
grew up, | would always go back
to the Raccoon. But as time
passed and industry expanded,
I saw the river change. In less
than 20 years, | saw her struggle
and suffocate as foam and oil
sheen covered her surface.”

One of her earliest actions of
protest took place while traveling
in Colorado during mid-2000's.
Reznicek decided to make an
impromptu trip to revisit a tran-
quil area she enjoyed as a child.

Los Angeles Anarchist Black Cross PO Box 11223 Whittier CA 90603

Los Angeles Anarchist Black Cross PO Box 11223 Whittier CA 90603
Sadly, in replace of the babbling
streams of her memories was a
large swath of earth dug up by
oil-and gas industry machinery.
The locals complained that the
polluted water would sometimes
burst into flames. In response,
Reznicek held a demonstration
in protests of the destruction of
the land for profit.

Reznicek returned to her life
but remained forever changed
by the experience. Her life
changed in 2011 when a profes-
sor told her about the Occupy
Wall Street movement taking
place New York. Inspired by the
growing movement, she packed
her bags, leaving her life and
marriage behind.

Reznicek took part in the oc-
cupation in Manhattan’s Zucotti
Park for several weeks, but re-
tumed to lowa when a satellite
protest sprung up in Des
Moines. She befriended individ-
uals active in the Catholic Work-
ers movement while participating
in the Des Moines Occupy

“But as time passed
and industry expanded,
| saw the river change.
In less than 20 years, |
saw her struggle and
suffocate as foam and
oil sheen covered her
surface.”

camp. Reznicek had been raised
catholic but was no longer prac-
ticing in her faith. However, with
the constant presence of the
Catholic Workers at demonstra-
tions, the strong social-justice
mission of the organization that
aligned with her perspective, and
the “nagging void, in her spiritual
life, Reznicek soon joined up
with the organization.

When the Occupy movement
fizzled out, Reznicek moved into
a Catholic Worker's house,
named after Rachel Corrie, the
American activst killed by an Is-
raeli bulldozer while defending
Palestinian home. Reznicek be-
came fully committed to her new
life. During an interview with
Rolling Stone, she described the
sudden shift in her life during the
recent months:

“l abandoned without hesitation
the routine that had strangled
both my voice and my spiri. | left
the house | had lived in for over
five years and found my home,”
she wrote. “I became liberated
from the powerlessness and
emptiness that accompanied the
constant maintenance it required
to function halfheartedly in the
world of designer clothes and
clammy handshakes. My deci-
sion to begin anew magnified the
discontentment I had departed
from and reminded me of the
true meaning of my life: love and
compassion.”

While active in the Catholic
Workers' movement, she was
introduced 1o the Plowshare
movement, a sister movement
that often engages in the de-
struction of military weaponry or
occupies military bases in oppo-
sition to war. During the fall of
2015, Reznicek received a grant
that she used to research de-
fense contractors located in the
Omaha area. She learned that
Northrup Grumman was devel-
oping the RQ-4 Global Hawk - a
drone that going to be exported
around the world. In response to
this new information, Reznicek
took action two days after Christ-
mas by smashing the window
and door of the defense contrac-
tor's office before. In the Plow-
share’s tradition, she remained
at the location to be arrested,
kneeling on the sidewalk next to
her sledgehammer and baseball
bat. She dodged a 22-year
prison term and served the en-
tirety of her eventual 72-day sen-
tence for trespassing and
vandalism while awaiting trial.

In spring of 2016, Reznicek
learned about the Dakota Ac-
cess Pipeline. She traveled to
the standing Rock Reservation
in South Dakota, but soon re-
turned home to stop the pipeline
from being built in lowa. She at-
tended public comment hear-
ings, gathered signatures for
valid requests for Environmental
Impact Statements, and partici-

pated in civil disobedience,
hunger strikes, marches and ral-
lies, boycotts, and encamp-
ments. During this period, she
was arrested several times for
locking herself o the construc-
tion equipment, blocking roads
used by construction workers,
efc.

In November 2016, Reznicek
and fellow Catholic Worker Ruby
Montoya burned a section of the
pipeline at a_worksite near
Newell, lowa. The two also set
fire to machinery by lighting cof-
fee cans filled with motor oil
ablaze inside the cabs of the
equipment. In May of 2017,
Reznicek used oxyacetylene
cutting torches and gasoline-
soaked rags to destroy sections
of the pipeline in lowa and south
Dakota. In July 2017, Reznicek
and Montoya held a press con-
ference where they confessed
that they had sabotaged the
pipeline over the last several
years, creating over $6 million in
‘damage and stopping the flow of
30 million barrels of oil.

Los Angeles Anarchist Black Cross PO Box 11223 Whittier CA 90603

Los Angeles Anarchist Black Cross PO Box 11223 Whittier CA 90603