The protest, which has remained peaceful, began Monday after a train was seen going onto property of Blackjewel, the mine operator that filed for bankruptcy without warning on July 1.

Word quickly spread through the community around Cumberland, a town of about 2,200 in Harlan County in southeastern Kentucky. Dozens of miners began showing up to block the tracks -- angry that they mined the coal, but didn't get paid for the work.

"We're doing without money, food and everything else before our kids are starting back to school. We can't even get clothes or nothing else for them, so it was like a kick in the face," miner Chris Rowe told CNN affiliate WYMT. "That's basically what it was."

A CSX train remains blocked my #blackjewelprotest as it sits fully loaded on a Harlan County railroad track. The miners insist they’re not moving until they get paid. pic.twitter.com/djVr2aWX8t

— WYMT (@WYMT) July 30, 2019

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