Coal mining protests in West Virginia (8 images)

Hundreds of marchers head out from Marmet, West Virginia, on a five day, 50 mile trek through West Virginia southern coalfields in an effort to stop mountaintop removal mining and draw attention to mining threats to Blair Mountain, June 6, 2011. The mountain is the site of a 1921 armed uprising between 7,500 and 10,000 coal miners marched for better working and living conditions in the mines. The uprising was the largest since the Civil War and was put down by federal troops. UPI/Debbie Hill

Hundreds of marchers head out from Marmet, West Virginia, on a five day, 50 mile trek through West Virginia southern coalfields in an effort to stop mountaintop removal mining and draw attention to mining threats to Blair Mountain, June 6, 2011. The mountain is the site of a 1921 armed uprising between 7,500 and 10,000 coal miners marched for better working and living conditions in the mines. The uprising was the largest since the Civil War and was put down by federal troops. UPI/Debbie Hill

Hundreds of marchers head out from Marmet, West Virginia, on a five day, 50 mile trek through West Virginia southern coalfields in an effort to stop mountaintop removal mining and draw attention to mining threats to Blair Mountain, June 6, 2011. The mountain is the site of a 1921 armed uprising between 7,500 and 10,000 coal miners marched for better working and living conditions in the mines. The uprising was the largest since the Civil War and was put down by federal troops. UPI/Debbie Hill

Hundreds of marchers head out from Marment, West Virginia, on a five day, 50 mile trek through West Virginia southern coalfields in an effort to stop mountaintop removal mining and draw attention to mining threats to Blair Mountain, June 6, 2011. The mountain is the site of a 1921 armed uprising between 7,500 and 10,000 coal miners marched for better working and living conditions in the mines. The uprising was the largest since the Civil War and was put down by federal troops. UPI/Debbie Hill