earthfirst – Page 196

5 Arrested as Work stopped on Muir Dean open cast coal site in Fife

26. March 2009
Yesterday at 2pm five protesters stopped work at the Muir Dean open-cast coal mine near Crossgates in Fife, operated by ATH Resources. They climbed onto a huge excavator in the centre of the pit, displaying a banner demanding “No New Coal”.

Unexpectedly, Fife police arrested all five protesters after detaining them earlier, despite them agreeing to come down off the excavator, and even though workers at the site were happy for them to just leave. They were held at Dunfermline police station and have now been released on bail.

One activist said “We’re here to send a message to ATH Resources that mining the dirtiest fossil fuel and fuelling climate change is not acceptable. As mining companies such as ATH don’t appear to be listening, we’ve come to stop them mining, too.”

Controversy surrounded the Muir Dean site as the original planning application was refused by Fife council and unanimously voted against by the council planning committee following hundreds of objections from local residents [1]. The decision by the local council to refuse the application was overturned by the Scottish Government sparking anger in Crossgates. Work at Muir Dean started in April 2008, being one of the “new coal” sites opening across Scotland and the UK.

The protesters are acting to oppose the thirteen new open cast coal mines due to open in Scotland as well as existing mines that significantly impact upon the quality of life of local communities. Scotland’s CO2 emissions are increasing significantly because of the burning of coal, and with the current push for new coal it will be impossible for Scotland to meet its 80% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050.

Another activist stated “The time to take action to prevent runaway climate change is now. People need to take responsibility for their surroundings as well as the wider world. The companies causing climate destruction must be stopped”.

The ATH Resources operated site produces around 450,000 tonnes of coal per year and will produce 4 million tonnes in total – equivalent to around 7.32 million tonnes [2] of CO2 being released into the atmosphere.

The protesters apologize to any workers affected by today’s demonstration, but in recognizing the desperate need to stop burning coal see no other choice but to target the companies responsible for mining it.

[1] http://www.theherald.co.uk/business/news/display.var.1813977.0.ath_given_permission_to_begin_muir_dean_operations.php

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal – Relative carbon cost: every kilogram of coal once trapped in CO2 weighs approximately 1.83Kg.

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The 5 detained protesters were arrested for a “Breach of the Peace” and held over-night.

All accused are out with trial dates in August.

Fight Speciesism! #8 – Out Now

Spring 2009 issue of the latest anti-speciesist, anti-capitalist, abolitionist direct action news is out now.

Articles: SHAC 7 solidarity, operation sinking ship, hunt sabbing, mink released, ‘fashion’ shop closed, liberationists arrested, max mara campaign, international actions, prisoner letters, police under attack, alf vs wageningen uni, prisoner support, monkeys fight back, netcu, bullring riots, aeta 4, earth liberation, mexican actions, whale wars, rioting in london and edo smashed.

Spring 2009 issue of the latest anti-speciesist, anti-capitalist, abolitionist direct action news is out now.

FS! #8 https://www.indymedia.org.uk/media/2009/03//424982.pdf

PRINT / SHARE / DISTRIBUTE

Antispeciesist Action is a collective of militant antispeciesists and animal liberationists committed to confronting animal abuse, suffering and exploitation of non-human beings through the use of direct action.

G20 critical mass & link to action maps, meeting points, and resources

A voyage of exploration into the world of Carbon Trading, what it is and who’s making a killing out of trading in hot air.

Wed April 1st 9:00 AM Meet at Bank Junction (Bank tube station) EC2

You’d be a fool to miss it! Want more? Get involved with: http://www.climatecamp.org.uk

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A voyage of exploration into the world of Carbon Trading, what it is and who’s making a killing out of trading in hot air.

Wed April 1st 9:00 AM Meet at Bank Junction (Bank tube station) EC2

You’d be a fool to miss it! Want more? Get involved with: http://www.climatecamp.org.uk

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For other G20 plans, actions & info, follow the links under G20 1-2 April 2009 in the updated upcoming Action dates & gatherings

Callout for organising! Scottish Camp for Climate Action

Building a more sustainable future in four easy steps:
1. Get out your diary and find a pen
2. Open it at the pages for the 4-16 June and 3-10 August
3. Write in very large, bold lettering: CLIMATE CAMP SCOTLAND across these dates

What’s the Scottish Camp for Climate Action?

Some time between 3-10 August, activists, campaigners and communities from all over Scotland will set up camp! We will be living sustainably and equally, and taking awe-inspiring collective direct action to hold greedy climate criminals to account.

In a time of epoch-making economic and environmental change, we’re going to be making direct changes for the better. We’ll be taking control of our lives, of our society, and standing up for what we believe in. We’ll refuse to believe the greedy polluters and financiers, when they say it’s just not the right time to clean up their act. We’ll clean it up for them!

The Camp (whether urban or rural) will be a living example of collective, imaginative low-impact living, full of practical solutions. Its not just about plastic bags and light bulbs any more, these things isolate us and distract us from the real problems. Instead, we will work together to build strong, sustainable and powerful communities.

Whilst we haven’t decided where the camp will be yet, there’s no shortage of options. Whole swathes of airports, coal power stations, open cast mines and agrofuel installations and motorways are planned for Scotland. We also have the luxury of hosting the headquarters of international banks like RBS and HBOS, whose greed got us into this economic and environmental mess.

What’s happening in the run-up to the camp?

Some time between June 4-16 there will be a Climate Camp Convergence, with informative and practical workshops and discussions, opportunities for building links between campaigns, and the chance for us to collectively plan the future of climate activism across Scotland. By the time the August Camp rolls around we’ll be a force to be reckoned with.

How do I get involved now?

Making this happen needs loads of ideas, energy and input. In short, it needs you. And all your mates!

Come to an organising meeting!

We organise horizontally, without leaders, and everyone has input into decisions. At the moment, most of the organising is being done in Edinburgh. We want this to change! We plan for local organising meetings to feed into regular Scotland-wide Gatherings.

Next meeting: Edinburgh, Tuesday 24th March, 7pm
at the Autonomous Centre of Edinburgh (ACE) www.autonomous.org.uk

The following meeting will be on April 7th , 7pm, ACE in Edinburgh.

On the agenda, Tuesday 24th:

1.What focus each of the summer convergences will have: direct action, education, movement building etc, And what some of the specific content will be.
2. What the exact dates of each convergence will be.

Start organising in your area!

– Get organising with people in your area and see how much time, energy and resources you can bring to a Climate Camp in Scotland. To be effective, Climate Camp Scotland needs to have strong, decentralised groups doing the planning and preparation.

– Please get in touch if you want to help organise Climate Camp Scotland! so we can work together to find meeting times and locations that as many people can get to from around the country.

– Host the Climate Camp Scotland Info Tour in your area, to find out what’s happening this summer, what has to be decided and prepared, and how you can get involved.

– Email: climatecampscotland@riseup.net to request the Info Tour and with any questions however big or small!

Philippines: Thousands protesting open pit gold mine

March 23, 2009

Thousands of local villagers in the Masbate province of the Philippines, are in their second week of protesting the “unwelcome and unsafe” presence of the Filminera Mining Corporation (FMC).

March 23, 2009

Thousands of local villagers in the Masbate province of the Philippines, are in their second week of protesting the “unwelcome and unsafe” presence of the Filminera Mining Corporation (FMC).

Working in partnership with Australia/Canada-based company, Central Gold Asia (CGA), Filminera’s open pit gold mine in Aroroy was scheduled to be fully operational on March 20th, but a massive show of local opposition halted the company from moving ahead.

On March 14, as many as 4,000 villagers from Aroroy barricaded themselves in front of the mine site.

A battalion of soldiers was flown in to protect the mine site soon after the protest began, reports the CBCP. A second report from the CBCP explains that, as of March 18, there were “about 50 armed men belonging to Alpha Company 22nd CAFGU Battalion who are roaming around the mining site, while three boats of the 9th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army are anchored at the municipality’s shores and most of its men are conducting check points and searches.”

Fortunately the military hasn’t taken any action yet, but they could make a move at any moment.

Meanwhile, the company has declared a “five-day work holiday” at the mine, and given away free banquets, bingo socials “and all sorts of sports” to try and hollow-out the protesters’ legitimate demands.

The villagers are asking the government to revoke Filminera’s mining permit, and to repeal the Mining Act of 1995 “which favors foreign companies” over environmental protection, human rights, and indigenous peoples rights.

A number of primary concerns are fueling the demands, as the diocese of Masbate Social Action Foundation Inc. (DIMASAFI) explains in a recent statement:

Central Gold Asia, at the beginning of its activity has painted a rosy picture before the eight (8) impacted communities with promises of employment and social development. After years of exploration, it began to show its ugly face:

An open pit mining with wide tracks of land being scraped while mountains and hills are being flattened, leaving the communities agape at the unexpected sight;

farmers being displaced with meagre monetary compensation and relocated in nearby cattle grazing land with no possibility of farming activities;

the small scale miners with thousands of dependents being driven out of their place of work resulting in their scampering everywhere to dig for their survival;

rivers being closed with embankment for the construction of the tailings pond, and some rivers rerouted, with the consequent drying up of rice fields and fish ponds and water source of a nearby community;

age-old trees being bulldozed with plants and crops to the disappointment of farmers who have tilled the land for many years;

the source of drinking water that serves the nearby community being cut off;

the port of Barrera, a long time source of livelihood of the people residing along the coastlines, now being made the catch basin of the mine toxic wastes in case of overflow and the possible contamination of the 21,000 hectares of 68 fishpond owners in 9 barangays.

The situation for local communities will continue to deteriorate if the mine becomes fully operational.

However, if support and solidarity is an indication, it’s that the mine will never see the full light of day.

As of March 23, the protest is attended by at least 7,000 villagers, fisherfolk, and other concerned citizens. Several NGO’s and Ecumenical groups, including the Catholic Church, have also expressed their support for the villagers.

It appears that the local government supports them aswell. Aroroy’s Sangguniang Panlalawigan (legislature) “has slammed them for lacking even the basic requirement of an Environment Compliance Certificate,” notes a press release from Alyansa Tigil Mina, a coalition of NGO’s opposed to large scale mining. “It was also recently revealed that FMC lacks a Mayor’s permit and a business permit.”

Contacts

Rodne R. Galicha (ATM Sites of Struggles Officer): 09087421905
Marcial Velasco/Danilo Corpuz (ACRA Members of the Board): 09209190274
E-mail: kalikasan101@gmail.com Website: www.alyansatigilmina.net

500th day celebration for keeping Tescos off Mill Road, Cambridge

Today, 21st March 2009, a small milestone in community activism was reached when the 500th day of being able keep Tescos off Mill Road was reached.

To mark this occasion, tables, chairs and stalls were set up in front of the old Wilco premises and a street party took place, replete with music.

Today, 21st March 2009, a small milestone in community activism was reached when the 500th day of being able keep Tescos off Mill Road was reached.

To mark this occasion, tables, chairs and stalls were set up in front of the old Wilco premises and a street party took place, replete with music.

Alas I missed the music, so if anyone out there took some pictures of any of these performances, please feel free to post them here, but please remember to resize them.

Tescos has now had two planning applications turned down in the last year for setting up shop in the former Wilco premises, which for a couple of months last year was also Mill Road Social Centre, before Tescos saw fit to issue an eviction order and have the Social Centre’s worldly goods unceremoniously dumped by bailiffs in the car park behind the building.

There are rumours that they may have have ditched their original plan to extend the building and install refrigeration (any additional info confirming/denying this please post here), but we shall see what takes place over the coming months.

In the meantime, let’s try and make it 1,000 days without Tescos on Mill Road!

Call for support for squatted island on Thames – come visit & use

Due to the need for urgent environmental action. We have occupied an island in The Thames.

In these times of rising tides and melting ice shelves, we thought we should get a bit closer to studying the watery world and its rise.

Due to the need for urgent environmental action. We have occupied an island in The Thames.

In these times of rising tides and melting ice shelves, we thought we should get a bit closer to studying the watery world and its rise.

Ravens Ait Island is a unique wedding and conference centre with halls, many rooms, (opposite Hampton Court). Which we are transforming into an Eco Conference Centre. Come visit, help, book in to run a skill sharing workshop and put it on the timetable. Network it.

There will be an ongoing discussion here “how do we find SOLUTIONS to the environmentally critical situation we face?”

The situation we face along with all the species of the planet.

Ravens Ait Island, Portsmouth Road, Surbiton, Surrey KT6 4HN. Opposite Catherine’s Road, Kingston British Rail or Surbiton BR. (From Kingston BR turn right to Kingston Bridge, turn left at beginning of bridge and walk down Thames footpath on the same side as Kingston BR for 10 minutes untl you reach London River Yacht Club.

You will see the Island Ring us on 07769 791 387 or 07900 800 055 or 07964672922 to let us know you are coming and to arrange a boat to pick you up.

We need responsible and organised people to help set this up as an Eco Conference Centre, please get in touch as soon as possible if you can help in any way.

For Latest Info go to www.ravensait.org.uk or Facebook group or person: Ravens ait

WE network Agenda 21 a blueprint for a sustainable 21st century.
We want to focus on solutions to be networked up to the Copenhagen Summit,Ref “the AGE of Stupid”-(film see it). probably one of the most important meetings in human history.

We have just been to court got a possession order but are appealing we need many people to come and save this historic piece of common land that the council want to flog off to developers.
We need networkers, gardeners, builders, designers, climbers, media, grafters, poets, musicians, students, skillsharers of all variety,youngsters oldsters and all sorts to make a rainbow. As soon as possible.

Keep networking for a sustainable future

Lots more info & films at our website.

Newcastle Coal Port closed down by Climate Protestors

21st March 2009

21st March 2009
Climate protestors have closed down the Port of Newcastle for the day, with a peaceful blockade of coal loading facilities. The Port of Newcastle is the world’s largest coal port, transferring coal mined in the Hunter valley for export. Hundreds of protestors gathered at Horseshoe Beach with many launching kayaks, canoes and small boats to blockade the harbour. Newcastle Port Corporation cancelled all ships coming into the harbour for the day due to safety concerns.

NSW Greens MP Lee Rhiannon who participated in the blockade organised by climate action group Rising Tide Australia, was reported in an AAP news report “These people sent a serious message that the government, if they are going to be serious about climate change, they must address the coal industry,”

“On average some eight vessels enter the port each day,” she said. “So it has been a success. It is the fourth time this blockade has been held and each time it attracts plenty of support and we will continue with future peaceful actions if we think it’s necessary.”

Rising Tide spokeswoman Carly Phillips told the Newcastle Herald before the protest that “Australians are coming together to occupy the world’s biggest coal port and this country’s single biggest contribution to climate change,” she said. “People are angry that State and Federal governments are overseeing a massive expansion of coal exports at a time when the industry needs desperately to be phased out.”

Lee Rhiannon estimated 500 people participated in the peaceful blockade.

Background Interview: Carly Phillips speaking with Erin Smith on Community Radio 2SER’s Razors Edge Program, March 18, 2009 – Blockade planned at the world’s biggest coal port

Sources:

AAP report in Sydney Morning Herald, 21 March, 2009 – Protesters force port closure
Newcastle Herald, 21 March, 2009 – Rising Tide protest to blockade Newcastle harbour

Social Centre in Hackney Downs- London- is Calling for Support

Dear all
Social Centre in Hackney Downs is calling for support.
We have been squtting this place for 4 years. We have gone through lots and now that finally we could do something with this beautiful place we have to be evicted.The landlord wants to build new flats.
We are still going to do as much as we can.
The local community is also supporting us. The plan is to create a community centre, play centre, youth club, art centre.We are creating a coop with the neighbours.

But we need all the support from everyone who wants to help.

Ongoing Gallery – Call for Artistes
Planned is Film Night-Call for independent film makers- animators-short films
Children activities in the afternoons ending with show case of their work and final children party
Life drawing Class wed 25 March and week ends Open Classes everyone welcomed!
Flamenco Classes from 1-3 every week day
Critical Mass ending here with Film and sound system?cycles powered – ( To be confirmed)
Jumble sale to raise money for court case and future Community Centre organised by the neighbours
Cafe’- we need people to bake-cook-help
Open mike-
Call for Acoustic musicians- Chill out -djs-minimal electronica- anything that is not gonna be too loud!
Although we could have live bands during the day;;we will keep you informed!

Events from Friday 20 March – Eviction 3 April 11.45am
Assembly Rooms
8, Andre Street
E8 2AA

utopia.unknown@gmail.com
WEBSITE UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Shell to Sea supporters occupy Shell office in Belmullet in Support of Maura Harrington

Monday, 16th March 2009, seven members of the Rossport Solidarity Camp occupied the Shell office in Belmullet, County Mayo, for over an hour, in support of Maura Harrington. Maura has now been in jail for six days of her thirty day sentence.

The camp members of the camp entered the office and held up a banner reading “Free Maura”. Shell’s Communication officer Christy Loftus came into the lobby and fielded questions from the group for the entire period. Some people made it into the main part of the building; during this time the fire alarms went off in the building. Gardaí were called to the office, came inside and asked the group to leave. The group remained in the building for another 45 minutes questioning Christy Loftus and then left later of their own accord. No one was arrested.

Also this morning, the Shell to Sea trailer was opened at Bellanaboy refinery site.
Shell to Sea campaigner Pat O’Donnell awoke this morning to find that the windows on his boat had been broken. It is not clear whether the vandalism is related to the campaign against Shell, but it was clearly targeted at O’Donnell’s boat, which was the only one damaged out of a boat yard of over 20 boats. This is the second time his boat has been targeted in the past two years.

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On Wednesday the 11th of March, Shell to Sea campaigner, Maura Harrington was sentenced to 28 days in prison after Judge Mary Devins found her guilty of assaulting a Garda during the incident at Pollathomais Pier on the 11th June 2007. For sentencing for the Section 2 assault, Judge Devins sentenced her to 28 days in prison along with a €1000 fine along with a €1000 donation to the Garda Benevolent Fund and that she be bound to the peace for 1 year. Ms Harrington however refused to sign the bond and so received 2 days in prison for contempt to be run concurrent with her other sentence. Judge Devins also directed Ms Harrington to undergo psychiatric assessment. Judge Mary Devins is the wife of Government Minster, Jimmy Devins.

On thw 11th June 2007, known locally as ‘Black Monday’, Gardai violently removed protesters attempting to stop the illegal instalment of a Shell portacabin on the land of publican Paddy McGrath near Pollathomais. Paddy suffered a stroke and was hospitalized for several months. Many people suffered injuries and despite complaints, no Garda has received even a caution.

Please send messages of support to:
Maura Harrington
Dochas Centre
Mountjoy Prison
N Circular Road
Dublin 7

Shell are due to start work from April onwards, come over if you can!

rossportsolidaritycamp@gmail.com
http://www.rossportsolidaritycamp.110mb.com