earthfirst – Page 234

Anti-Sprawl Direct Action in Montana

Flathead Valley, Montana, U.S. – A group calling itself Americans Stopping Sprawling Development (ASSD) has taken credit for a rash of incidents involving the removal of surveyor stakes and graffiti that is estimated to have cost developers as much as $20,000 so far.

A three page anti-capitalist manifesto was left behind by the vandals after the first incident which took place on May 17th. The document call urban sprawl “one of the greatest issues facing our society” and promised more actions against it.

The non-profit environmental group Citizens for a Better Flathead has joined developers and their allies and offered a cash reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of individuals responsible for a campaign anti-sprawl vandalism.

Citizens for a Better Flathead pledged $100 towards the reward fund. A representative at the Sierra Club’s Missoula office also disavowed the action.

Bath Bomb #11 Almost Literary Aerial Bombardment

The Bath Bomb
@nti-copyright: copy and distribute!
Issue #11
free/donat ion
June 08
Our pen is a molotov, and we’re gonna write all over Tesco!

Shall We Demo Rolf, You And I?

The Bath Bomb
@nti-copyright: copy and distribute!
Issue #11
free/donat ion
June 08
Our pen is a molotov, and we’re gonna write all over Tesco!

Shall We Demo Rolf, You And I?

Last week saw one of the more bizarre demos in the history of Bath Animal Action, as they took the fight to Bath Racecourse. The cause was well known animal welfare activist Rolf Harris doing a gig after a night of racing at the course, which BAA considered a tad hypocritical bearing in mind the terrible death and injury and whipping rate of race horses. (A one in four chance of a race ending in death at Bath race course, and much higher national statistic, not to mention the fact that only 40% of purpose-bred horses are considered ‘good enough’ to race. Evidence indicates that many of the ‘failures’ are shot at the stables or slaughtered for meat). So opposed to animal cruelty is Rolf, that he even wrote a legendary song entitled ‘Slaughter on the Ice (shall we do it you and I?)’ in which he condones the murder of animal abusers. Don’t believe me? You can check it out on the Rolfsters’ Myspace! Members of BAA turned up on the night, joined by a two-strong counter demo to encourage Rolf not to do any more race course gigs and let punters know about the cruelty they support. Afterwards, activists headed inside, leafleting over 250 cars and, noticing a stack of pallets by the stage, one scaled the pallets and blasted Rolf’s animal rights song at him through an MP3 player rigged to a megaphone, while the crowd were shown disturbing images of horse racing accidents. Security stood by, looking uneasy, and formed a line to try and prevent activists getting on the track (something they had no intention of doing!). After reminding Rolf of his own moral convictions through the mediums of song and heckling, the activists slipped into the night, job done. What was supposed to be the race course’s biggest ever bash turned into a coup for the protesters, forcing the brutality of horse racing to the top of the agenda, and dominating talk and media coverage of the event. And as for Rolf – he even praised the demo in the Chronicle! We even heard a rumour that later that night, a balaclava’d pensioner was heard screaming ‘burn, you animal abusing bastards!’ in an Aussie accent while dousing the main stand in kerosene. Shall we do it Rolf?

http://seehere.blogspot.com/2006/07/rolf-harris-canadian-seal-cull-protest.html
http://www.chai-online.org/en/compassion/entertainment_racing.htm

Climate Action Starts on Your Dinner Plate

Bon appetit! On Tuesday the 3rd June, members of Bath Activist Network and Bath Animal Action proved that, sometimes, there is such thing as a free lunch, as part of a nationally co-ordinated day of action on the relationship between the environment and food production. Designed to coincide with the start of the UN talks on Food and Climate Change, activists gave out delicious vegan food from 12-3pm near the Pump Rooms on Stall Street, pointing out the negative ecological impacts of the animal products industry, such as land theft, deforestation, methane emissions, food scarcity and aquifer pollution. Food for thought, you might say. They also offered a side helping of education on food miles, biofuels, deadly agricultural chemicals and GMOs, advocating wild foraging, grow-your-own schemes, skip diving, and positive local food initiatives to sink your teeth into, such as the London Road and Southside Food Co-ops. The stall was much-loved by nearly all, especially the chocolate torte – although it did leave the nearby sausage vendor and Environmental Health busybodies with a sour taste.

See here for leaflet: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=103798308&blogID=402206974.

And for all of you who missed it on the day, here’s the recipe for that torte:

1. Line a circular dish with grease-proof paper and smear with a small amount of vegetable oil
2. Smash up some hobnobs and coat the bottom of the circular dish
3. Melt the following ingredients in a bowl over hot water, stirring: 450g dark chocolate, 5 table spoons of brandy, 5 table spoons glucose syrup or liquid glucose, available from most chemists.
4. When melted, add 1 pint of soya cream and stir.
5. Pour the mixture into the dish and put in fridge overnight 6. When you take it out of the fridge, dust with chocolate powder.

http://www.networkforclimateaction.org.uk/
http://www.vegansociety.com/home.php

Veganism, You Can’t Say ‘Fayrer’ Than That

The weekend of the 31st of May and 1st of June saw a contingent of Bath veggies take a trip to the annual Bristol Vegan Fayre. The event was a vegan’s dream, with bands ranging from Aswad to Bad Manners, and more free samples of vegan chocolate than you could ever imagine. As well as this, the event promoted environmental awareness, advice on healthy ethical living, national and global animal rights campaigns, and offered vegan cuisines from around the world, as well as (supposedly) the largest vegan barbeque ever. The debate of much of this year’s fayre was also ‘raw food’ diets and more activisty fare revolving around ongoing campaigns against cruelty. The weekend was a goodun, and upon tasting vegan cheese ‘Sheese’, the one veggie in the Bath contingent flipped to veganism, taking her boyfriend with her – result! Oh yeah, thanks to all the stalls who donated food to the Bath free lunch event such as Sheese, Yagga and Harvest.

http://www.bristolveganfayre.co.uk/

Bath Foie Gras Free! We Won!

Finally! After a year of relentless demos, blood, sweat, tears, and a good deal of begging for mercy, Bath centre is Foie gras free! The news came after the Royal Crescent agreed to drop the sick delicacy after a noisy demo followed by what we can genuinely call a civilised and pleasant discussion (seriously!). After that, it only took a phone call to the Bath Spa hotel to persuade them to ditch foie gras. The final list of establishments who no longer sell reads as follows – Le Petit Cochon (now ‘Pinch’), Epicerie Gourmande, Beaujolais, Bistro No.5 (who, like Le Petit Cochon, unfortunately had to learn the hard way what happens when foie gras slips back onto the menu – direct action stylee!) The Fine Cheese Company, Royal Crescent Hotel, Bath Spa Hotel and Cavendish Hotel, who were up for a scrap, but ultimately got KO’d at the end of round one! After a long, hard and often tiring campaign, we are glad to be able to leave the foie gras campaign on a high note after dealing with reasonable folks such as the head chef of the Royal Crescent. Never ones to take a break, Bath Animal Action are busy sniffing out more animal abuse in the city, and will be checking up on certain restaurants on a very regular basis. So, for now at least, from all of us over at Foie Gras Free HQ – over and out!

Smashed EDO

On Wednesday the 4th June, 5-600 anarchists and anti-war campaigners from around the country descended on the offices of bomb builders EDO MBM in Brighton, for a colourful and riotous Carnival Against The Arms Trade! A small delegation from BAN joined the throng. EDO, owned by former Nazi colluders ITT, are the manufacturer of the Paveway missile system, used in the murder of thousands in Iraq, as well as other nasty toys used in the occupation of Palestine. However, their evil has not gone unnoticed, and they’ve been the target of the 4-year ‘Smash EDO’ campaign [of ‘On The Verge’] fame, forcing the company to the loss of a huge court injunction to sell off their Rugged Systems division, and cycle through nine company directors. The parade started at midday on the Level, with sound systems, a critical mass bike ride, puppetry, circus performers and a gathering crowd kitted out in various shades of blood red. The chanting mass then made its way across the sunlit reclaimed streets of Brighton to the foot of Home Farm Road, where the company is based, carried along by the sound of samba and running police. At last, outside the offices, and faced by a heavy Sussex Police and London Forward ‘Intelligence’ Team welcome, the scene turned into a virtual music video: baton swinging, rock throwing, pushes and counter-pushes, all set to the tune of Rage Against the Machine’s ‘Know Your Enemy,’ and the sound of the police. Injuries were traded, eight arrests were made, one copper received a white gloss paint makeover, and the campaign lived up to its name, with the trashing of windows, the director’s car and computers. As one banner said, ‘Stop killing people, you fucking twats.’ Whoop, whoop.

http://www.smashedo.org.uk

Tricky Tesco Tries It Again

Is it a turd that won’t flush? Is it that cousin you’ve been trying to avoid for years unexpectedly knocking on the door? Worse, it’s another fucking Tesco! Just a quick shout out to all concerned with the blood-sucking parasite otherwise known as Tesco. It appears the store’s property developers have purchased the Bath Press site in a bid to open their first superstore in Bath. Groups including Bath Activist Network are already plotting against Tesco, and the coming campaign promises to be a bitter fight, but one that we can win. But we will not win unless we move away from the dour nimbyism that has dominated ‘Bath heritage’ style protest over the past couple of years. What we need is creativity, energy and an understanding that wherever Tesco goes, and whatever it does, people, animals and the planet get fucked over. We need – and are busy building – an uncompromising campaign that stands up for Moorland Road, and all small traders, stands up for the environment, checkout assistants, shelf stackers, Ecuadorian banana pickers and Chinese sweatshop workers, all used and abused by Tesco. We will fight Tesco and we will win, but we will not just fight Tesco away from our doorsteps, we will fight it as an idea, in its entirety – we will fight against everything that Tesco is, and hopes to be. The writing is on the wall Tesco – out of Oldfield Park, off our planet! To get involved in the campaign, Contact us at bathactivistnet@yahoo.co.uk

http://www.tescopoly.org/

Bath Bomb Benefit Bash!

Bath Bomb doesn’t print itself – you do, on your boss’s photocopier! But there are still costs involved with running a free sheet, and as always, we’re skint. That’s why we’re using BANers Jon and Fin’s joint birthday party as an excuse to scrounge cash off the unsuspecting public. The Gig will start at 8.00pm at the Porter Butt and the suggested donation on the door is £4. The line up includes Welsh folk-punk aficionados Kiln(A)boy, local dubsters Dirty Revolution and psychobilly legends the Cheater Slicks. We’re also splitting the proceeds with the Bristol Anarchist Book fair collective. Good music, good causes, good times, so get yourself down!

http://www.stuffit.org/abookfair/

Bubbling Under – Climate Camp Special

On Sunday the 15th of June, Bubbling Under will be bringing us two masterpieces of the activist film world covering the J18 protest/riots and last year’s Camp for Climate Action at Heathrow. Thrown into the deal will be a speaker from the Climate Camp movement hell bent on talkin’ your ass down to this August’s Camp at Kingsnorth coal-fired power station in Kent. It is, as always, free entry and will be starting at 1pm, and due to the fact that most of Bath’s activists sleep in fields between mid June and September, this will be the last Bubbling under until September!

Freedom To Move, Freedom To Stay

On Thursday 15th May, from 12-2pm, 14 activists from Bristol No Borders and B.A.N., picketed the Bristol-based office of the IOM. What’s the IOM, you may ask? Hiding behind those three unassuming letters, it’s the International Office for Migration. Beyond the walls of the anonymous-seeming Parkhouse Business Centre, 10 Park Street, this shadowy institution specialises in migration management: reducing people to the equivalent of products, they direct the desperate to wherever cheap labour is demanded, and then, when the job’s done, ditch ’em. There’s no job too dirty – when national governments around the world want to wash their hands of the negative PR of deportation, kidnapping, slavery and de facto murder – i.e. sending Iraqis back to war-torn Iraq – the IOM steps in. Need an off-shore, deniable, concentration camp to forget about those pesky asylum seekers? The IOM’s the company for you! Would you like barbed wire and handcuffs with that?

But they don’t just fill a market niche, like any other business-savvy enterprise. These people determine immigration policy. They also bribe refugees to go home with cash incentives, just so it all seems nice and civil – but if you refuse, you get locked up and dragged back anyway. So, in the light of the IOM’s blatant breach of every basic human right going, the activists leafleted and spoke to passers-by, lifting the lid on the atrocities of the pen-pushers inside. The pickets will continue every month, with the next one on the 19th June.

Meanwhile, the day before in Bath, UK Border Agency grunts raided the Ocean Pearl restaurant in the Podium, arresting 7 so called ‘illegal workers’. This raid was a repeat performance of that which struck the Cinnamon restaurant of Keynsham last September [as reported in BB#2]. Clair Fennessy, running this operation, had this to say for herself: “We carry out operations like these to put a stop to illegal migrant working and its harmful social effects.”

Yeah, lady, you’re a saint.

Warning Poison Alert

Over the past couple of weeks, pet owners in bath around the Sydney Gardens/Widcombe area, have been shocked and disgusted to discover a brown syrupy liquid that has killed 4 of their dogs and caused at least 20 more to need trips to the vet. The council denies any involvement and has put up warnings. The substance, which smells of coal tar/bitumen has been sent to Bristol Uni for analysis. Dog walkers please be aware and if you have any info please contact bathanimalaction@yahoo.co.uk

STOP PRESS! So it turns out that the poison used was residue discharge from fireworks…

Coming Up

Roots, Manuva, Action. Keep your ear to the ground, the Roots Of Change are coming. This will be an event on 12th July held in the Green Park Market from 2-5pm to big up Climate Camp and distribute info on climate change issues in general. Help make this event colourful and well attended!! Contact Bath Activist Network to get involved.

For further info on any of our stories see www.myspace.com/bathbomb

EVENTS

Monday nights
Bath Hunt Sabs Meeting, 8pm, Bell
Wednesdays 4-7pm
London Rd Food Co-op, Riverside Community Centre
Saturdays 11.30am-12.30
Bath Stop The War Vigil, Abbey Courtyard
25th June, 6.30pm
Bristol Anarchist Bookfair meeting, Kebele, Bristol
25th June, 8pm
Transition Bath Transport Group, 55 New King St
28th June, tbc
Transition Bath Local and Wild food event Www.transitionbath.org.uk
30th June, 7.30-9.30
Transition Bath Energy Group, upstairs, the Ram pub, Widcombe
2nd July, 7.30-8.30
Bath Animal Action meeting, back room of Bell
3rd July, 7.30-9
Bath Activist Network meeting, Hobgoblin
12th July, 2-5pm
Roots Of Change, Green Park Market
18th July, 9pm-late
Leftism, proceeds to BAN, £2/3 The Crown Inn, Bathwick Hill

Q: Who Are Bath Activist Network? A: A local umbrella group campaigning on issues as diverse as development, environmentalism, anti-war, animal rights, workers’ rights and more. Helping to produce The Bath Bomb, we are open to anyone, and our members range from trade unionists to anarchists, liberals to greens, and people who just want to change Bath for the better. For details on meetings, demos, or just to get in touch, ring us on 07949 611912, email bathactivistnet@yahoo.co.uk, or see our website: www.myspace.com/bathactivistnetwork

GOT A STORY? WANT TO RECEIVE THE BATH BOMB BY EMAIL? HOPING TO SUE?
Contact us by e-mailing bathbombpress@yahoo.co.uk. Large print e-versions available on request.

And now, to the disclaimer: As anyone is free to contribute, the opinions expressed in each article are not necessarily reflective of each contributor. Naturally, any right-wing or corporate bullshit will be binned and spat on. Needless to say, the opinions of the author of this disclaimer does not necessarily represent the views of any other contributor…

News from the battles for free space in Copenhagen

Struggles around free space and squats continue abounds in Copenhagen, Denmark. Not only are there still weekly demos still for the campaign to have a new Youthhouse (Ungdomshuset) but a new extension to the famous squatted Christiania has been occupied with great success. It also looks like the council has given in to pressure from the squatters movement and agreed a new Youth House for the kids!!

69 WEEKS for UNGDOMSHUSET:
69 weeks. At least 1 demo every week. Thursday demo number 69 was obviously symbolic (It was the street number of the Youthhouse) and the demo crew had announced it was going to last 24 hours, going through most parts of Copenhagen with different sorts of activities planned throughout – four meals during the 24 hours, open air cinema, pirate party, blocking traffic, speeches, concerts and happenings.
Initially there was some sceptiscism from both activists and police, but it soon became apparent that people were going to stick it out all 24 hours. The demo moved around Copenhagen, stopping in different locations to give speeches or show political films. At many points there were disagreements with the police following the demo, but the demo always got its way in the end, often stopping for long stretches in main roads blocking traffic. After 21 hours – on Friday around 2 pm – the police had finally had enough of the demo acting autonomously and confined the demo to a square in Vesterbro. This resulted in a big public manifestation on the square with both bands and DJs coming from other parts of the city to play.
After 24 hrs the demo ended in a count down and a big greeting to the activists and the city which had both been upside down for 24 hrs through sun and rain, light and darkness.
PICTURES: http://english.indymedia.dk/publish/show/180

A NEW YOUTH HOUSE COMES SLOWLY INTO BEING:
On Wed June 11th, the last city council meeting before summer, the politicians of the council voted in favor of the agreement on a new Ungdomshus in the buildings of Dortheavej 61. The votes were 38 pro and 13 against. The votes were given after 2 hours of discussion. Activists has promised militant activity in the streets again if this meeting was unable to come to a decision on a YES vote for a new place and an address.
The new house will be in what is now a local culture centre under the council. It will be in two connected buildings, one of which will be split in half. The culture centre will remain in the other half of the building and the city council has agreed to build a new add on to compensate for the space lost to the new Ungdomshus.
The first part of the take over (the smaller building comprising 600 m2) will happen on July 1st. After that the main building will be available for take over on January 1st next year.
There has been very positive contact between the left radical scene and the leaders of the culture centre, who are welcoming the new house.
PICTURE: http://english.indymedia.dk/system/photo/file/111/616161.jpg

CHRISTIANIA EXPANDING!!
The area on Refshalevej right next to Christiania that was squatted on the 31st of May is stil growing and the different houses and constructions are taken shape. Neither the City council or the state approves of the situation but can’t figure out who has the authority to act on the squat since half the road is state property and the other half belongs to the city.
Neither the City council nor the state approves of the situation but can’t figure out who has the authority to act on the squat since half the road is state property and the other half belongs to the city. Apparently ‘the constructors’ on Refshalevej for once are benefiting from the bureaucracy, since nothing will be done to clear the street until the two administrations agrees on who’s doing what,
Meanwhile small houses are being built both on water and on the ground as well as roadblocks to slow down car traffic has been established. Around 28 different projects are currently under construction and ‘the constructors’ invited more people to join in!

PICTURES OF NEW SQUATTED REFSHALEEVEJ:
http://english.indymedia.dk/publish/show/175
http://english.indymedia.dk/publish/show/178

BUT EVICTION NOTICE NOW SERVED
The new area squatted near Christiania – Refshalevej – has been given notice. The eviction date is not finalised but will be up soon.
For some weeks activists have been building in the newly squatted ground just outside Christiania called Refshalevej. Now the builders have been given notice by the city council and the state who have joint ownership over the area. An eviction is said to be pending although no date has yet been officially given.
The activists have stated that they intend to resist the eviction non violently, and that they intend to resquat the area immideaitely following the eviction.

COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE STRUGGLE FOR UNGDOMSHUSET
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ungdomshuset

EVICTION AND RIOTS CHRONOLOGY + PICTURES/VIDEOS
http://www.emoware.org/ungdomshuset.asp
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/03/363973.html

COMPLETE HISTORY OF CHRISTIANIA:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freetown_Christiania

Manchester & London Critical Masses this Friday + South London

OH MY!
It’s CRITICAL MASS this Friday….how ace is that?

Friday 27th June 6pm
Central Library Manchester

Afterwards we’ll have a BBQ and hang out a park, so bring BBQ’s, food, music, drinks etc. (vegan BBQs preferred as then it can be accessible to everyone!)

OH MY!
It’s CRITICAL MASS this Friday….how ace is that?

Friday 27th June 6pm
Central Library Manchester

Afterwards we’ll have a BBQ and hang out a park, so bring BBQ’s, food, music, drinks etc. (vegan BBQs preferred as then it can be accessible to everyone!)

A totally ace bike ride around our city to meet other cyclists and ride on our roads…For a few hours once a month we can show how beautiful our city can be when bicycles, instead of cars, dominate the roads.

it’s such a nice and sociable and fun way to spend a Friday evening on a bicycle..wow. so ace. and now we’re getting bigger and bigger..someone said they counted at least 150 people on the one last month, how ace is that?!!. come and be part of our lovely friendly cruise around..to collectively enjoy the beautiful experience that is riding a bike.

—-

People’s comments about Manchester Critical Mass

“…it’s brilliant. Usually I’m charging around on my bike, getting where i need to go as fast as i can. Critical mass is different. It’s about enjoying riding. It’s the most relaxed ride around the city I’ve ever had. Where all my worries and fears float away. And I’ve met some lovely people too”

“I was scared it would be some angry bike militants but everyone is so friendly and the ride is fun no aggro at all. See you next month!”

“it’s quite something to have that many peeps riding round at once.”

“Critical Mass sometimes has a reputation for being an angry rabble of cyclists that want to string up any car drivers they see. This is not true of Manchester Critical Mass, it is a fluffy mass of people that like to have fun on bikes, there are often have children with us and a bicycle sound system to add to the party fun atmosphere. As well as being fun and
a social event it is also to show how great a car free city will be. This is achieved every month by showing motorists an alternative, yet critical mass Manchester doesn’t aim to annoy drivers we want them to join us..”

“I spend all month, every month, riding around behind exhaust pipes and swerving out of the way from angry, disrespectful drivers, I live in a world that is dying from climate change..only the other day it was announced the white rhino is extinct, it tears me up inside. Riding a bike isn’t going to change all of that instantly but I believe that not only does it mean less cars on the roads but riding a bike also gives a feeling of connection with one’s surroundings and other people and through this we can start to act in other ways that can create social change”

“Critical Mass isn’t a place to vent the anger that comes from having to deal with cars (I don’t think), because it’s nice to, instead, spend that time enjoying riding my bike. Sometimes it can feel so alienating riding a bike surrounded by so many motorists. Critical Mass shows that we are not alone and that we are growing. It’s the most fantastic piece of direct action I’ve ever done- I want there to be less cars on the roads and by
being one less car there is!!!”

(taken from emails we’ve received)

============

Critical Mass in London for Marie this Friday

Assemble under Waterloo Bridge 6pm on Friday

The Critical Mass in London will attempt to go all the way to Brixton to celebrate the life of Marie, who was killed by 2 cars on her way to the demonstration against the arms trade in Brighon, see:

https://indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/london/2008/06/400604.html

Assemble under Waterloo Bridge 6pm on Friday

============

South London critical mass?!

The first ever south London Critical Mass is happening on Friday 4th of July, and every first Friday of the month there after.

It will take place @ 6.30, starting from Peckham library.

Help campaign for safer roads for cyclists. All other human powered transport welcome too!
Massive rolling sound system provided by rawkus rickshaws.

open cast plans for the north of england – meet in Newcastle to make plans, and for the Camp for Climate Action

The 2008 camp for climate action is to be held near to the proposed site for a new coal fired power station. E-on the company that wants to build the power station has stated that it will use a system called Carbon Capture and storage. C.C.S is still in an early development stage and has not been used on such a large scale.

The climate camp(www.climatecamp.org.uk) at Kingsnorth in the Medway valley will highlight and take direct action against the black hole in the governments climate change policy. COAL.

Power stations like Eggbrough, Drax and Kingsnorth produce huge amounts of filthy emissions, drax alone produces approx 21 millions tones of Co2 per year.
All this coal has to come from somewhere and it would ‘seam’ the money men have set their greedy eyes on the north of England again.
U:k coal and the banks group have several planning application to surface mine/open cast across the North East.
*Bradley Co. Durham- 550 000 tonnes
*Park wall north Co. Durham- 1 275 000 tonnes
*potland burn Northumberland- 2 000 000 tonnes
*Shotton Northumberland- 3 000 000 tonnes
*An extension to the exsisting site at widdrington

In addition to these applications there is already one of the largest open cast sites in the U:K at Stobswood near Morpeth. Surface mining sites are also operating in Widdrington, Blagdon estate in Northumberland. Steadburns and stoney heap near to Consett Co. Durham.

In the case of shotton/cramlington planning application, Shotton is in an opencast constraint area which means that there is a presumption against Surface mining. Northumberland county council up held the constraint and re-jected the application. However the communities and local government secretary Hazel Blears M.P Stepped in and overruled the county council allowing the opencast operation to go ahead much to dismay of the local community
(www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2008/02/08/ministers-quizzed-on-opencast-policy-61634-20450633/ )
The potland burn site is also in a constraint area yet U:K coal has still lodged an application probably because they feel the political climate is in their favor.

As if the ecological destruction, industrial injuries/deaths and disruption to the community that opencast mining leaves behind Npower have stated that they have an imminent planning application to build a new coal fired power station in Blyth on the site of the existing power station. Construction is due to begin 2014 on the same timeline as Kingsnorth.
Whilst the focus is on the climate camp and Kingsnorth, the North of England and our resources are central to the U:K government and their capitalist bosses plans for a new generation of dirty power stations .
This new generation of coal fired power stations and the unacceptable mining practices that accompany them must be stopped.
One of the key features of the climate camp is direct action.
The Banks group have offices in West Cornforth near Ferryhill, U:K coal head offices are in Doncaster’ leave it in the ground’ have began regular noise demos outside the next is 14th July. All the opencast sites are easily accessible.

People are meeting to discuss and plan for the upcoming climate camp at the star and shadow cinema, Newcastle upon tyne. Next meeting is Thursday July 3rd at 6pm why not come along and join the move against climate change.

Links and info:

www.climatecamp.org.uk
www.earthfirst.org.uk/leaveitintheground
www.greenpeace.com
www.thecoalhole.org
www.indymedia.org.uk
www.pontvalley.net
www.banksdevlopments.com
www.ukcoal.com

A visit to the Opencast Squat

21.06.2008
I decided to take a trip to Shipley today to see how the new residents of Prospect farm were settling in.

Just to recap the story so far. In the early hours of last Wednesday morning a group of caring individuals took possession of a building on the site of UK Coals planned new open cast site in Derbyshire. There aim is to protest/prevent the countryside and wider environment being devastated by the extraction and burning of the dirtiest fossil fuel.

As if we needed any reminding of the climate chaos coal burning contributes to, when I arrived on Saturday (21st June!) it was wet and drizzly and the forecast was for storms.

But the rain had not dampened the spirits of the crew now living at Prospect Farm (now re-christened Bodge farm). While they were still busy with all those jobs that need doing when you move into a new home they had already achieved a great deal and the place was very homely. A well-stocked kitchen was set up and a welcoming open fire means there is always a kettle on the go.

To the sounds of acoustic guitar from one of the tree-houses I watched a couple of people fixing fencing and looked up to admire the suspended cargo netting between the trees.

There have been other visitors coming to show their support including three generations of the family who used to live in the house before UK Coal kicked them out.

I was delayed on leaving as a large van full of provisions had just arrived and needed unloading. This had been spontaneously arranged and paid for by locals and included just about everything you could think of from tinned beans to cotton buds, fresh veg to bottled water.

Please get along there and support them, it’s a lovely location and the squat/camp has a great feel.

But get along there because at some point we have just got to draw a line. For all our futures and for generations to come, leave it in the ground.

http://www.leaveitintheground.org.uk

Solidarity actions for imprisoned liberationists

Italy, Mexico, Spain & UK
Solidarity actions for; Paola Gori, Jeff Luers & Sean Kirtley

Communiques reported to Bite Back Magazine: 15th – 19th June:

Italy, Mexico, Spain & UK
Solidarity actions for; Paola Gori, Jeff Luers & Sean Kirtley

Communiques reported to Bite Back Magazine: 15th – 19th June:

anonymous reports:

30th May – h 21.00 – Mountains of Emilia Region, Italy.
We set on fire a hunting tower placed in a wood populated by boars.
We have destroyed it with two liters of gasoline ignited by a retardant primer.
– A.L.F. –

Night of 5th June – Emilia Region, Italy.
A small chicken farm was visited again (see the communique of last month).
We have liberated one cock (the only male present) and slashed the tires of the car of the farmer.
– A.L.F. –

These actions are dedicated to Paola. She is a vegan, animal rights activist, prisoner in ‘Le Sughere’ Italian jail.
Please write* and support her.
Also, please support the victims of state repression in Italy and Austria.
Freedom for all!
Liberta ‘per tutti!”

received anonymously (translation):

“On the night of June 14 (International day in support of the earth liberation warrior Jeffrey Luers and all radical environmental prisoners), the Earth Liberation Front and Animal Liberation Front got together and went to the doors of one of the many companies guilty in the domination, destruction and extermination of the earth and its living beings.

Various slogans were painted such as ‘No More Vivisection,’ ‘ALF,’ ‘No HLS,’ ‘Support Jeffrey,’ ‘Murderers’ and others which attacked the company Unilever which shares property with DHL (an HLS supporter). Now as one passed through these modern-day extermination camps, one can read the slogans of the FLA and FLT on most of its walls.

Compañero Jeffrey we know about your situation and it gives us great pleasure to know that soon you’ll be out here on the front line fighting again like you’ve done before. We hope that those bars and life in prison leave you with even more strength to continue.

To all those radical environmentalist prisoners, an embrace from Mexico.

For Animal Liberation!
For Earth Liberation!
For Human Liberation!
Direct Action!

FLA & FLT”

excerpt from anonymous report:

“In support of Jeffrey Luers and the struggle for animal liberation
During the early hours of June 14, the locks of every fur shop in the Bilbao city center were glued, in support of this prisoner and many others, and in general of the struggle for animal liberation.”

reported anonymously:

“Activists in the North West decided to ‘pimp’ a hunt scums ride.

The car was easy to find as it had both the pro-hunt ‘Felix Says’ sticker and a BASC (Shooting) sticker in the rear window. The BASC sticker sealed the car’s fate, the Judge in the Sean Kirtley case was into shooting and a member of BASC. The car had paint stripper applied, spray paint over the windows, windscreen wipers wrecked and one wing mirror smashed. Looked really pretty once we’d finsihed.

If the owner wants compensation then they should write to Judge Ross and NETCU. It’s the criminalisation of legal protest that has caused this.

ALF”

ARRESTED & CHARGED McLibel Protester!

On the 21st June 08, as part of the anniversary of the now famous 1997 McLibel court case in which two campaigners were sued by the McDonalds Corporation for distributing a leaflet critical of the company, camp

After being removed from the restaurant by police a campaigner was approached and his details requested. He gave his name and address but was told if he did not give his date of birth he would be arrested under Section 5 of the Public Order Act. He refused, as he believes that a person is only required to give their name and address for the purpose of a summons and no additional details. He was subsequently arrested under Section 5 of the Public Order Act. The arrest got public attention with people making use of their cameras and coming up to take leaflets.

He has been charged and bailed to attend Cambridge Magistrates – Narey – Court 613 – Magistrates Court at 43 Hauxton Road, Cambridge on the 3rd July at 9.30 a.m. – ANY SUPPORT APPRECIATED.

The protesters hoped to highlight the issues that originally comprised the leaflet that led to the court case ranging from animal farming to environmental degradation. According to a campaigner, “McDonalds hasn’t really changed. Whether it be the environmental impact of animal agriculture or the fact they continue to market junk food to children in the middle of an obesity problem, McDonalds still makes a lot of people very Mcangry.”

Many of the original leaflet’s criticisms of McDonalds were vindicated in court. According to the ruling of the High Court, Mcdonalds had ‘exploited children’, was ‘culpably responsible for animal cruelty’ and used marketing that had ‘pretended to a positive nutritional benefit which their food did not match’.

The campaigners are calling on the people of Cambridge to boycott the restaurant chain. We can all make a statement about our values by the way we spend our cash. We call on everyone to say no to this business in our city.

– You can learn more about the McLibel case at http://www.mcspotlight.org/

– An additional video of the protest was taken by an independent camera man see http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/06/401610.html (thanks!)

– Protester’s video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ld3I4zVxc2A

COURT DATE:

Cambridge Magistrates – Narey – Court 613 – Magistrates Court at 43 Hauxton Road, Cambridge on the 3rd July at 9.30 a.m.

arrest charges dropped – round-up: Fossil Fools Day & M1 Conspiracy

As with the majority of protest arrests (if you do a NO COMMENT interview), though there’s been a load of people arrested recently, they’ve released without charge, on bail to return to a police station.

This gives the CPS time to decide what to do, but also hinders protest because the police can dictate punative bail restrictions.

—-
M1 Conspiracy Case Thrown Out

1st May 2008

This gives the CPS time to decide what to do, but also hinders protest because the police can dictate punative bail restrictions.

—-
M1 Conspiracy Case Thrown Out

1st May 2008
Seven climate camp activists against the widening of the M1(1*) had the case against them dismissed from Sheffield Crown Court yesterday. Charged with conspiracy to cause a public nuisance Judge Robinson said that: “there was not a jot of evidence” for a jury to infer an endangerment of any member of the public.

Seven climate camp activists against the widening of the M1(1*) had the case against them dismissed from Sheffield Crown Court today. Charged with conspiracy to cause a public nuisance Judge Robinson said that: “there was not a jot of evidence” for a jury to infer an endangerment of any member of the public.

Arrested over a year ago the protesters had their houses raided with property such as computers and phones taken and held for the duration of the investigation.

This ruling in the midst of a crack down (2*) on green protest sets a precedent for policing of environmental demonstrations. The Judge resoundingly rejected the prosecution’s argument that the hanging of banners over the motorway would constitute a public nuisance. He went on to say: “that all of the available material (presented to
the court) is consistent only with peaceful protest.”

Campaign spokesperson Dr Julie White, a GP from Sheffield, said: “this is victory for the right to protest in the face of government policy of expanding roads, runways and coal-fired power stations in a time of climate crisis.”

The activists say that the experience has not deterred them from taking action against the root causes of climate change and will be attending the Camp for Climate Action(3*) at Kingsnorth coal-fired power station in Kent this August.

Contact Julie White on 0779851073.

NOTES FOR EDITORS
1*) The Department of Transport have decided against widening the M1 any further: http://www.nowideningm1.org.uk/

2*) this month the Sunday Herald reported that protestors in Scotland had been harassed by police after peaceful demonstrations: http://www.sundayherald.com/news/heraldnews/display.var.2210574.0.protesters_police_treated_us_like_terrorists.php

3*)The Camp for Climate Action went to Heathrow last summer over the building of a third runway this year it will pitch up at Kingsnorth over the potential building of the UK’s first new coal-fired power station for 30 years:
http://www.climatecamp.org.uk/

—-

Bacton gas terminal 19

On 1st April, EF!ers blockaded the gas terminal at Bacton to celebrate Fossil Fools Day. The police tried to arrest everyone, and got 19 people. For a full report, see http://earthfirst.org.uk/actionreports/node/20420

Due to return to a rural Norfolk police station, people were keen to phone up the police station to find out what was happening. The police had not taken any decision, and a few days before decided to drop charges against all but 3 people locked-on who got off with cautions.

—-

Police drop charges against Wunderman protestors

The three activists arrested following the invasion of Wunderman’s offices have had all charges against them dropped.

The environmentalists, from direct action group London Rising Tide, had been charged with “burglary of pens, paper and phone calls”.

They were held after staging a four-hour sit-in over two of parent agency Y&R’s key clients – Land Rover and BAE Systems.

The action was part of a worldwide campaign against climate change, dubbed Fossil Fools Day. In the UK, the group also staged demonstrations outside Porsche dealerships, the head office of E-on, and a coal mine in Wales.

The three activists managed to get into the Y&R building –Greater London House on Hampstead Road, NW1 – by posing as executives from a newly-privatised wing of the MoD called HarrionProjects, a spoof company whose centrepiece is the Harrion, a civilian version of the Harrier Jump-Jet.

Once inside, they barricaded themselves into the conference room, opposite Wunderman EMEA chief executive Marcus Starke’s office.

Blockade of Faslane – One year since Scotland said NO

19/06/2008
Today a group of 5 Trident Ploughshares activists blockaded the main gate of Faslane nuclear submarine base for one and a half hours. The roadway was closed from 6.40am until 7.45am, and unable to fully reopen until 8.15am. Traffic was turned away and had to find an alternative entrance.

One of the activists, Janet Fenton, said “We chose today because it is one year since the Scottish government voted NOT to support Gordon Brown’s plan to foist illegal, immoral and unaffordable nuclear weapons on Scotland for another 50 years. Along with the majority of people in Scotland, we don’t want them here or anywhere else.”

The five were cautioned by MDP police at 7am as they lay across the roadway to the North gate, locked-on using tubes and clips. A specialist cutting team had to be called out to remove the activists individually who had their arms in tubes of steel, plastic and concrete. They were arrested for Breach of the Peace and taken for processing inside the base.

See video footage at http://youtube.com/watch?v=tGAHAUHMwjo

The protesters said that they were at the North Gate peacefully acting to block the entrance to the nuclear submarine base to play their part as citizens of the world in stopping the deployment of nuclear weapons:

* to remind the UK Government of their obligations;
* to support the politicians and others who are willing to work to get rid of nuclear weapons;
* and to make it clear that matters of conscience are the responsibility of all concerned people, and can never be reserved.

Another activist said, “By using our hands and our bodies in this way, without causing harm to others, we hope that we can make it easy to see how it is the simple actions of ordinary people that are needed to rid the world of weapons of mass destruction.”