earthfirst – Page 147

Black Wood Solidarity Camp handed eviction papers

25.03.2010
This morning a sheriff officer from Dunfermline Sheriff Court handed the newly-established Black Wood Solidarity Camp its eviction summons, with notice to appear in court on Monday morning. Despite not making an appearance yet at the site, it is believed that UK Coal representatives met with Fife police on Monday to discuss how to deal with the occupation.

UK Coal has been very quick to begin court proceedings against the camp and once again, as was the case with the Mainshill Solidarity Camp, the occupiers have been given very little time to respond.

As well as rushing court proceedings, it is also thought that UK Coal rushed in its contractors dealing with the re-location of Great Crested Newts, a European Protected Specie, the day after the site was occupied. As part of the conditions for planning consent the newt population on site was supposed to have been moved before work began. However, on Monday afternoon a convoy of contractors arrived and appeared to start this work.

In addition, an ecologist has been surveying the site this week and told the camp that the work to move the newts was behind schedule. Once again, as was the case in Mainshill, ecological surveys and work relating to surveying the presence of nesting birds, bats and other species, is being carried out after felling and the destruction of the sites ecosystems has begun. All of this highlights the fact that councils and mining companies are merely paying lip-service to fulfilling the legal requirements in dealing with protected species and fragile ecology, and how employees of environmental consultants such as RPS are nothing more than ecological box-tickers for the mining companies.

Supporters and local residents have continued to visit the camp and defences are being strengthened in anticipation of the inevitable granting of the eviction order on Monday. Come to the Black Wood Solidarity Camp and stop UK Coal trashing this site, the climate and community health!

Black Wood Solidarity Camp
coalactionscotland@riseup.net
http://blackwood.noflag.org.uk/

Plane Stupid issues 48hr subvertising challenge

It’s that time of year when every airline starts aggressively advertising for your business. Well, we’ve had enough. Plane Stupid is inviting all of you to take part in its very own subvertising competition. From Thursday 22nd April – Friday 23rd April, we’ll be launching 48 hours of sticker-whacking, subvertising, adbusting pandemonium.

The aviation industry spends millions every year telling us that we’re no good to anyone unless we keep flying with them. So it’s time to hit back! Like tobacco adverts, aviation advertising needs to become a thing of the past. But until then, let’s subvertise. Any poster, advert or billboard is fair game.

Whether you’re a first time activist looking for an easy way-in, or an old timer looking for some light relief………it’s time to take to the streets and reclaim some public space. Taking part is easy:

1. You can download a choice of designs from our Flickr site, or use your design skills to make your own.
2. Print them out on standard, non divided, A4 sticker paper (available from most printers and stationers).
3. Then find your nearest aviation advertisement.
4. Stick ’em up punk!
5. Take photographs, set up a new temporary email address in an internet cafe (under a pseudonym) and email your images to info@planestupid.com.

The group who stickers the most adverts in the 48 hour period wins. Wins what? Prizes! We got the bumper crop of 5 spray cans, Culture Jam by Kalle Lasn, Do It Yourself, A handbook for changing our world, by the Trapese Collective and Scribbleboy by Philip Ridley to give away.

Of course don’t feel limited to individual stickers, think big! You can write your own message on large stretches of blank wall paper to cover whole bill boards. Make up some wall paper paste, get a paint roller, a stick it up. If necessary – attach the roller to a broom handle for those hard to reach places. Helpfully, there’s some great how-to guides on t’internet.

One last point. Please be respectful about where you sticker. Corporate nasties are fine…..but the local old people’s homes may not appreciate your art on their walls!

Use your head, and remember to dress well for the occasion – caps and scarves are the in thing this subvertising season. Some officers of the law may be convinced that subvertising is borderline illegal, so take a friend as lookout, keep an eye open for CCTV and don’t get caught.

LNG Pipeline protest update… the battle goes on :)

A lot of people fought long & hard against the 200 mile LNG pipeline from Milford Haven to Gloucester. Now that is laid in the ground it is hard to see what is worth fighting for.

Many people originally involved in this campaign are against fossil fuel use & the fact is that the gas is going to come down that pipe even if it is at a lower pressure. So why keep campaigning on a lost cause? We owe it to all the people living along the length of the pipeline to continue to campaign against the PRI being built & making sure that the pipeline is as safe as it can be. We cannot leave it to National Grid to protect these people, just look at their track record!

The pipeline is laid and the terminals in Milford Haven are now operational, nothing is going to stop National Grid using more of the earths resources after spending billions on this project. One of the main concerns all along has been safety. This is where we can really make a difference by opposing the PRI ever being built. If there is no PRI then the gas will have to be pumped through the pipeline at a lower pressure which will make it safer for the thousands of people living nearby. It is vital people raise their concerns about the safety of the pipe. See the local news article at http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/gloucestershireheadlines/National-Grid-goes-appeal-gas-plant-refusal/article-1870359-detail/article.html#StartComments

When the appeal goes ahead as many people as possible need to get involved to voice their concerns & objections. If National Grid win the appeal then the campaign needs to look at whether people involved want to take further steps to obstruct National Grid. This may mean some more direct actions if there are people willing.

Only a few weeks ago a natural gas pipeline exploded in the USA leaving 5 dead and dozens injured. See the news report at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/08/nyregion/08explode.html

Please keep an eye on the local press, join the Facebook group, visit our Myspace or the Pipeline Twitter website to keep up to date with news.

Our facebook group is at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2248923913&ref=nf#!/group.php?v=wall&ref=nf&gid=2248923913

The Myspace group is at http://www.myspace.com/fightingthepipe

A new documentary and discussion website has been set up called Pipeline Twitter at http://www.pipelinetwitter.co.uk/

It is really important that we all keep communicating! Our email address is fightthepipe@hotmail.co.uk.

BP FORTNIGHT OF SHAME – LONDON MASS ACTION

Save the date!
Saturday, 10th April. 1PM. London.

Join us at a secret London location for an afternoon of sun, sound systems and subversion. Make sure BP knows that they won’t go into the tar sands without a fight. Meeting point and more details to be announced nearer the time, and keep an eye on:

Save the date!
Saturday, 10th April. 1PM. London.

More info about the BP Fortnight of Shame, April 1 – 15 2010

The BP Fortnight of Shame is a call to action from the UK Tar Sands Network, Rising Tide and the Camp for Climate Action to force BP to
reverse their crazy plans to move into Canada’s tar sands – the single most destructive project on earth. It runs between the annual Fossil Fools day on April 1st, which in recent years has seen a flurry of action against the fossil fuels industry, and BP’s Annual General Meeting on April 15th. Grassroots groups across the UK and around the world, will be taking action in solidarity with First Nations communities in Canada to stop BP’s deadly plans in their tracks.

www.tarsandsinfocus.wordpress.com
www.risingtide.org.uk
www.climatecamp.org.uk
www.ienearth.org/cits

Site of New UK Coal Open Cast Mine Occupied in Fife – Black Wood solidarity camp update

Update below…
22nd March 2010: last night twenty five activists occupied the site of the Blair House Open Cast Coal Site in solidarity with near-by communities and in direct intervention of the environmental destruction that it will cause. Contractors have been felling trees on the site over the past week, and activists have moved in to stop this work and put an end to UK Coal’s plans for mining the Black Wood Wildlife site.

This occupation is the second occupation of a UK Coal site in two weeks. The Defend Huntington Lane camp in Shropshire has been stopping work and felling for nearly two weeks now [1]. This occupation comes two months after the eviction of the Mainshill Solidarity Camp in South Lanarkshire, where 45 arrests were made in an eviction that lasted 5 days [2].

UK Coal have been given permission by Fife Council to mine 720,000 tonnes of coal from the site, a decision that disregarded the wishes of local residents. Nearly 150 people objected to the planning application for this site and there were no letters of support. The Council, in their defence, wouldn’t dare refuse another open cast coal mine application after their refusal of ATH Resources mine at Muir Dean on the insistence of Crossgates residents, was overturned by the government and cost them financially.

The planning process was designed to slip the mine past the majority of people living near it. As an example, the neighbour notification for the mine only included residents living within 90 metres of the site boundary, which only really involved notifying a few Oakley residents living opposite the site entrance.

Impacts on nearby communities will include noise, dust, HGV movements, impact on the landscape, ecology, and loss of recreation access. The Solidarity Camp stands in support of nearby residents opposing this mine and the inevitable other mines that will be applied for by profit-hungry UK Coal.

The site is ecologically diverse and home to a population of Great Crested Newts, a European Protected Specie, the Black Wood Wildlife site, designated as an area that once had ancient woodland and is now home to birch forests and oak trees, orchids, breeding birds and wintering birds, bats, red squirrels and Brown hares, listed on the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. The Cowstrandburn river will be diverted and undoubtedly polluted, along with other watercourses in the area.

Some 2.11 million tonnes of CO2 will be released into the atmosphere from the combustion of the coal, with more still being released from the mining process. None of this will be captured and stored. New coal mines such as this one undermine the governments plans to reduce Scotland’s CO2 emissions and highlight the hypocrisy of government ministers and local councils when it comes to reducing emissions.

Fiona Richards, one of the people currently occupying the site said, “This new coal mine is only one of 20 such others to have recently been given planning permission in Scotland. If we are to have any chance of limiting dangerous climate change and protecting communities from carbon-intensive industries, direct action must be taken as councillors, mining companies and the government have shown their unwillingness to solve the problems we face.”

Press Contact: 07806926040

Notes to editors:
[1] http://defendhuntingtonlane.wordpress.com/
[2] http://mainshill.noflag.org.uk/

Directions, wish-list, background info and more at http://coalactionscotland.noflag.org.uk/?page_id=1316

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Support for Black Wood Solidarity Camp needed – ancient woodland being felled
24.3.2010
The woodland was occupied last Sunday as 25 activists blocked and barricaded the access road using a scaffolding tripod, and took to the trees putting up nets, platforms and treehouses.
Despite the occupation, contractors have continued to fell the birch and oak forest, with occupiers having to watch a huge oak being felled metres from the camp. The sound of chainsaws and machinery surrounds the occupied woodland, with the forested area getting smaller and smaller each day, despite the close proximity to dwellings, tents and tree defences. Support and numbers are needed at the camp.

Meanwhile, local support for the camp is growing with near-by residents who opposed plans for the mine visiting the camp and offering their support. Other visitors have included ever-increasing ranks of police officers, including Glasgow’s V-Division, the tactical support unit, who went around with a spotter card and video camera. There is still a permanent police “checkpoint” before the entrance to the camp, but they’re quite friendly and might even offer to drive you to the bus stop if you’re lucky.

Looking out over the Firth of Forth from the site, over countryside, old coal bings and mining communities, the Longannet smokestack looms in the distance. ScottishPower’s Longannet coal-fired power station is the second largest in the UK and the destination for the coal from this site. Due to be “refurbished”, this is the largest source of CO2 emissions in Scotland and a testament to an archaic and dangerous energy supply.

For as long as places like Longannet burn coal, whether in Fife, South Lanarkshire or in Colombia, communities will have their health impacted, their land stolen and their environment trashed. The world’s ecosystems will continue to collapse and species extinction will continue to spiral out of control. Unless, that is, we make a stand. This occupation is the second occupation of a UK Coal site in two weeks – and such direct action, rooted in community struggle, offers the only glimpse of hope that we have of stopping the wholesale destruction of the planet.

Black Wood Solidarity Camp
coalactionscotland@riseup.net
http://blackwood.noflag.org.uk/

Camp Cuckoo taken to court, and trees later felled

15 March 2010
Legal action has been started to try to evict “Camp Cuckoo” campaigners who are fighting a road scheme in Essex.

Protesters are camped on Priory Crescent, Southend, opposing a £5m Cuckoo Corner road improvement scheme on the burial site of a Saxon King.

15 March 2010
Legal action has been started to try to evict “Camp Cuckoo” campaigners who are fighting a road scheme in Essex.

Protesters are camped on Priory Crescent, Southend, opposing a £5m Cuckoo Corner road improvement scheme on the burial site of a Saxon King.

Southend Borough Council said court papers had been served on protesters.

The king has been dubbed the “King of Bling” after archaeologists found gold at the 8th Century site and an earlier protest camp was named after him.

Protesters have put up six tents at Cuckoo Corner roundabout – at the opposite end of Priory Crescent where the previous camp, dubbed “Camp Bling”, was set up five years ago.

‘Significant disruption’

The council said the Cuckoo Corner scheme aimed to improve the flow of traffic at one of the town’s worst bottlenecks.

Lorraine Butler, interim head of enterprise, said: “The aim of the legal proceedings is to take back possession of the land so we can begin work.

“The protesters have no right to be there and their actions have already caused significant disruption.

“Peaceful protest is everybody’s right in a democratic society but any action that hinders the progress of the approved scheme is not acceptable.

“Their actions have left us with no alternative but to resort to legal proceedings to ensure we can progress with the scheme.”

18th March 2010 – possession order granted to council in the morning, protestors leave site in afternoon.
Mainstream videos: 1 | 2

20th March 2010 – trees felled from 8am-noon, with bailiff team present but no opposition to deal with in trees, and Chargecrest Security to keep people away

-> “Saturday was horrific and we are still trying to come to terms with what we saw and the way we were goaded and ridiculed and physically and verbally abused all day by the Council’s hired yobs. However, we know that we reached a great number of the public who were driving past and seeing the terrible things that the Council and its thugs were doing and they way in which we were conducting our peaceful protest. We had so much support from the public and we are still standing and will re-group and fight on even stronger than before. If it hadn’t been for SKIPP and our protest, the Council would’ve got away with this terrible destruction relatively scott-free so I really believe that we turned a terrible tragedy into a small victory and we are even more determined now to continue our fight to get those evil, corrupt “people” out of power.”

Video from tree-chopping day – protestors tractor-dive

TAKE ACTION – SAVE THE BLACK CAT COMMUNITY SOCIAL CENTRE

TAKE ACTION – SAVE YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY CENTRE

For 5 months the Black Cat Community Centre has been providing a free, inclusive space for community events. It has hosted open mic nights, poetry sessions, yoga and dance classes, debt advice centres, meetings and many more events based upon demand and all free of charge – all have been keenly taken up by the people of Bath. This project is run by full-time volunteers using abandoned buildings otherwise going to waste. The council, in its infinite wisdom, has decided that this kind of blatant altruism and community solidarity must come to an end before the people start expecting the council to provide a decent service, and as such are sending bailiffs in to evict us so that the Riverside Studios may once again stand empty gathering dust.

THE BLACK CAT NEEDS YOU!

The first eviction attempt is expected this Friday 26nd March at 10:00am. We WILL be resisting this eviction attempt. This is OUR community and we should not be afraid to stand as the people against power-hungry politicians, fatcats, cops and bailiffs. This is a call to the people of Bath to stand tall with the Black Cat Collective. To receive updates and the all-important eviction alert please send a blank text to 07529 579 130.

YOU DON’T HAVE TO GET ARRESTED TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

A large crowd outside the building demanding that the centre be allowed to remain sends a very strong message to the council. There are also many vital non-arrestable street roles including:

Grabbing supplies
Arrestee Support
Legal Observer
Media Liaison
Making lots of noise
Bringing all your mates

If you wish to get involved in any way, please come knock on our red front door! Unit 3A, former Riverside Business Park, Lower Bristol Road, Bath, BA2 3DW.

West Midlands Climate Action presents … The Huntington Lane Fossil Fools weekend convergence

]Thursday April 1st-Sunday 4th
It’s time to Spring back into Action.

After discovering that many trees had already been felled signalling that work was due to begin, West Midlands Climate Action and a coalition of local groups, anarchists and activists last week swooped upon the Huntington Lane Surface Mine Site to claim the land. We’ve had a camp set up on the proposed open-cast site for about a week now. There’s a communal sleeping area, fire pit, a wood store and plans for a lodge.

Representatives from UK Coal have also visited the camp to find out our ‘list of demands’ and didn’t seem pleased with the response – That we wanted them to call a halt to all open cast coal mining on this site!

As part of Fossil Fools day West Midlands Climate Action are putting on a weekend gathering at the newly established Huntington Lane Camp. The weekend will include a ramble over the proposed Huntington Lane Surface Mine Site, Banner drops, campaign planning and most importantly carrying out any work on site that needs doing to help establish a permanent base on site.

We need as many people as possible, if you can come for the whole weekend that would be great, but even if it’s just for the day any help we can get will be greatly appreciated.

If you haven’t got a tent there is a communal sleeping area.

We have a wish list of things we need:

Food (and teabags please)
Tarps – the bigger the better!
Tools of all kinds
Rope of all kinds
Fire bricks (for the sweat lodge!)
Stove pipe etc for a rocket stove
Compost toilets
Tripods
People

And anything else you think we might need that is not on the list.

We need as many people on site as possible as soon as possible so if you can’t make the weekend or want to get there early any support will be welcomed by the camp.

The nearest train station is Wellington which is just outside of Telford and the camp is a 20 minute walk from the station.

Website: http://wmclimateaction.wordpress.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/wmclimateaction

Huntington Lane Camp launched

After discovering last week that many of the trees had already been felled signaling that work was due to begin imminently, West Midlands Climate Action and a coalition of local groups and activists last week swooped upon the Huntington Lane Surface Mine Site to claim the land. We’ve had a camp set up on the proposed open-cast site for about a week now. There’s a communal sleeping area, fire pit, a wood store and plans for a lodge. Earlier today representatives from UK Coal visited the camp to find out our ‘list of demands’ and didn’t seem pleased with the response, that we wanted them to call a halt to all open cast coal mining on this site!

We urgently need as many people to come down to the camp as possible.

Donations of all kinds are most welcome, whether it be time, money, materials or kind thoughts. Please see the wish list below for the ‘most wanted’ items on site and perhaps pop along and see us if you can.

The usual kind of stuff is needed:

Food (and teabags please)
Tarps – the bigger the better!
Tools of all kinds
Rope of all kinds
Fire bricks (for the sweat lodge!)
Stove pipe etc for a rocket stove
Compost toilets
Tripods
People

http://wmclimateaction.wordpress.com/2010/03/17/huntington-lane-camp-launched/

To keep up with all the latest news the camp now has it’s own blog http://defendhuntingtonlane.wordpress.com/

We’ll see you on site.

Titnore Woods – amazing victory! But…

IN A TOTALLY unexpected move, Worthing borough councillors have thrown out the 875-home housing scheme threatening Titnore Woods.

They had been recommended to approve the plans and there was little suggestion that the Tory-run authority had any thought of saying no to the property developers.

IN A TOTALLY unexpected move, Worthing borough councillors have thrown out the 875-home housing scheme threatening Titnore Woods.

They had been recommended to approve the plans and there was little suggestion that the Tory-run authority had any thought of saying no to the property developers.
Maybe it was the vast wave of opposition in the town that swayed them, maybe the ongoing presence of the protest camp after nearly four years, maybe the articulate and knowledgeable speeches against the development, maybe the tangible seething anger in the hall from a wide spectrum of the town’s population, maybe it was something to do with the forthcoming elections…
It is also very likely that the developers’ consortium will appeal, of course. But that’s a fight for another day.
This is the moment to celebrate the winning of a massive local victory – and the reprieve, for the time being at least, of the woods and fields of West Durrington from the powers of greed and destruction.

Here’s what the local paper put up on its website:

Elation as councillors reject West Durrington development

WORTHING Council’s planning committee has rejected the controversial West Durrington development, which would have eventually featured around 1,200 homes and a school and led to the destruction of ancient woodland.

The council’s development and control committee unanimously voted against officers’ recommendations that the decision be referred, with their backing, to the Secretary of State, and instead rejected the plans outright.

Around 180 people attended the meeting, which was held at the Assembly Hall to accommodate the intense public interest in the scheme.
Many cheered and hugged in the aisle when committee members voted against the scheme.

Others shouted “thank you” and gave the committee a standing ovation.

Violent scenes at previous meetings meant numerous security officers monitored public access and patrolled inside the hall and a heavy police presence kept order outside.

But disturbances inside the hall were limited to a few vocal interruptions and any threat of disorder evaporated once councillors’ opposition to the plans became apparent.

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Titnore Protester begins hunger strike in response to wrongful arrest

On the morning of the 5th March ten police officers entered Titnore woods protest site in west Durrington brandishing cameras and gathering footage of the site. One man, Jack Rumbold was arrested and charged with “obstructing a police officer.” Mr Rumbold’s stringent bail conditions forbid him from entering the Titnore woods site where he had been living peacefully for some time, effectively rendering him homeless and unable to contact the other protesters he required to give evidence about the arrest. On the 17th March Mr. Rumbold walked into Centenary house, Durrington’s local police station demanding that he be re arrested and held on remand. Mr Rumbold’s actions were made in an attempt to force the authorities to reassess the situation regarding his disproportionate punishment. Jack maintains there is “no case to answer” regarding the incident. This comes at a time when camp Titnore should be celebrating it’s recent victory in Worthing town hall as the local planning committee rejects plans to devastate over a hundred acres of Goring’s ancient woodland. However, for the camp the relief is all too fleeting, with preparations already being made for the upcoming appeal against the democratically made decision. As the reality of the battle ahead sinks in the camp’s thoughts are with Jack, who will be on hunger strike in a prison cell in Lewes.
For more information contact Titnore Wood’s protest site at 0791353408