Heading to the 12 Mile South Coalition Rally in Biloxi

[HeeBGBz]

Starts in about an hour. Its purpose to gather people in opposition to oil exploration in the barrier islands of Mississippi Sound.

Rally against drilling called critical

"BILOXI - Twelve Miles South Coalition's rally Sunday at the Coast Coliseum & Convention Center will be critical in the fight to keep oil and gas platforms at least 12 miles south of the barrier islands, event organizers say. They hope to draw 5,000 to 7,000 people.

Some members of the board believe that if turnout is below 1,000, the event will be a failure and the group will need to rethink its strategy.

"This is a wake-up call," said Robert Barq, a local real estate investor and chairman of 12 Miles South. "I'd be happy with 5,000 people. I'd be thrilled with 6,000, and I'd be overjoyed with 7,000."

The coalition planned the rally to get supporters to call their representatives and to put pressure on Gov. Haley Barbour, who they believe is empowered to stop mineral exploitation within those 12 miles under the 1972 Coastal Zone Management Act."

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Actually, I'm going there in search of liberals. I may not find any, but it's a place to start. They seem to be in short supply here in Southern Mississippi. I plan to take pictures and if I hear anything interesting, I'll report when I get back.