Near Riggins last week, 40 miners violated the law against suction-dredge mining on the Salmon River to protest the Environmental Protection Agency. At nearly the same time, Idaho Republican Rep. Mike Simpson was praising the federal agency for working with the city of Boise and farmers on an innovative plan to clean phosphorous pollution in the Boise River. These two events demonstrate how wide the divisions are in Idaho and across the nation when it comes to regulating and managing natural resources. On Tuesday, six dredges pumped Salmon River gravel from Island Bar east of Riggins, which protesters said posed no threat to the endangered salmon and steelhead that spawn there. The miners face fines of up to $30,000 for the violation they committed as part of a peaceful protest. "That's what Rosa Parks did," said Idaho County Commissioner Jim Chmelik, who helped the hobby miners put the protest together/Rocky Barker, Idaho Statesman. More here.

Question: Is it right to compare the dredging protest near Riggins to Rosa Parks' famous protest?