earthfirst – Page 241

Battery farm raided by the ALF

May 07, 2008

“With the fire of vengeance in our souls, and the love angels in our hearts we cast the first stone against an intensive Somerset battery farm, and carried 153 hens to freedom.

Liberation’s crusade’s begun.
Animal Liberation Front”

http://www.directaction.info/news_may07_08.htm

May 07, 2008

“With the fire of vengeance in our souls, and the love angels in our hearts we cast the first stone against an intensive Somerset battery farm, and carried 153 hens to freedom.

Liberation’s crusade’s begun.
Animal Liberation Front”

http://www.directaction.info/news_may07_08.htm

Spirit of Freedom (May 2008)

Produced by EARTH LIBERATION PRISONERS SUPPORT NETWORK

“The whole experience has been tough, but all the kind and strengthening words and wise thoughts from strangers made it much easier!” (Former Swedish Animal Rights Prisoner)

Produced by EARTH LIBERATION PRISONERS SUPPORT NETWORK

“The whole experience has been tough, but all the kind and strengthening words and wise thoughts from strangers made it much easier!” (Former Swedish Animal Rights Prisoner)

Welcome to the May 2008 edition of Spirit of Freedom. As we go to print we await the sentencing of American vegan eco-activist, Eric McDavid, who has been convicted of thought crimes (he has been convicted of conspiring to carry out ELF actions, although at the time of his arrest no crimes had actually been committed). Eric’s sentencing has been put back on numerous occasions, so we wouldn’t like to say when the sentencing might actually take place. But as soon as Eric has been sentenced we will be circulating his details and encouraging everyone to support him. [for update on his sentence, see very bottom of post]

ELP is also watching, with concern, the developments in the case of American vegan eco-activist Marie Mason. Her co-defendant, Frank Ambrose, is a police informant and it is believed that Ambrose has given the FBI the names of fifteen other people who Ambrose claims have been involved with both ALF and ELF activity over a number of years. ELP will of course bring you all the news as we receive it. In the mean time we ask that everyone support Marie and the other targets to Ambrose’s lies.

But as well as these high profile activists, we ask you not to forget all the other prisoners, some of whom are less well known. Regardless of how long a prisoner serves, or how well known they are, its important we support all the eco-prisoners equally. So please, no matter where you are in the world, support the eco-prisoners and no compromise in defence of Mother Earth!

ECO-DEFENCE PRISONERS

Tre Arrow, SWIS #640393, Multnomah County Detention Center, 1120 S.W. 3rd Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97206, USA. On remand accused of involvement with an arson on logging trucks and an arson on vehicles owned by a sand & gravel company. (Tre is a raw energy vegan – He has asked that his letters of support are written on scrap paper or tree-free paper).

Grant Barnes #137563, San Carlos Correctional Facility, PO Box 3, Pueblo, CO 81002, USA. Serving 12 years for setting fire to a number of SUV vehicles. The letters ELF were spray painted onto all of the vehicles. (Grant is a vegan).

Nathan Block, #36359-086, FCI Lompoc, Federal Correctional Institution, 3600 Guard Road, Lompoc, CA 93436, USA. Serving 7 years & 8 months for an ELF arson against a Poplar Tree Farm and an ELF arson against an SUV dealership. Also admitted his role in an ELF/ALF conspiracy. (Diet unknown).

Marco Camenisch, Postfach 3143, CH-8105 Regensdorf, Switzerland. Serving 18 years. 1) Ten years for using explosives to destroy electricity pylons leading from nuclear power stations. 2) Eight years for the murder of a Swiss Boarder Guard whilst on the run. In ’02 Marco completed a 12-year sentence in Italy for destroying electricity pylons in Italy. (Marco is a meat eater who encourages organic living).

Daniele Casalini, Casa Circondariale, Via Burla 59, 43100 Parma, Italy. Il Silvestre activist awaiting trial accused of using explosives to damage an electricity pylon in protest at nuclear energy. (Daniele is a vegan).

Rod Coronado – See details in Animal Liberation Prisoners List.

Francesco Gioia, C.C. Sollicciano, Via Girolamo Minervini 2/R, 50142 Firenze Sollicciano (FI), Italy. Il Silvestre activist awaiting trial accused of using explosives to damage an electricity pylon in protest at nuclear energy. (Francesco is a vegetarian and Straight Edge).

Jeffrey Luers, # 13797671, CRCI, 9111 NE Sunderland Ave, Portland, OR 97211-1708, USA. Serving 10 years for arson on a SUV dealership & the attempted arson of an oil truck. The original sentence was 22 years & 8 months, but was reduced on appeal. (Diet unknown).

Eric McDavid X-2972521 7E128, Sacramento County Main Jail, 651 “I” Street, Sacramento, CA 95814, USA. Awaiting sentencing having been found guilty of planning to destroy the property of the U.S. Forestry Service, mobile phone masts and power plants. (Eric is a vegan).

Daniel McGowan #63794-053, Unit I, FCI Sandstone, Federal Correctional Institution, PO Box 1000, Sandstone, MN 55072, USA. Serving 7 years for an ELF arson against a Poplar Tree Farm and an ELF arson against an old growth logging corporation. Also admitted his role in an ELF/ALF conspiracy. (Daniel is a vegetarian).

Jonathan Paul – See details in Animal Liberation Prisoners List.

Briana Waters, 36432-086, FDC – Seatac, Federal Detention Center, P.O. Box 13900, Seattle, WA 98198, USA. Awaiting sentencing having been found guilty of involvement in an ELF arson on a University. (Diet unknown).

Joyanna Zacher, #36360-086, FCI Dublin, 5700 8th St.- Camp Parks- Unit F, Dublin, CA 94568, USA. Serving 7 years & 8 months for an ELF arson against a Poplar Tree Farm and an ELF arson against an SUV dealership. Also admitted her role in an ELF/ALF conspiracy. (Diet unknown).

ANIMAL LIBERATION PRISONERS
(All Animal Liberation Prisoners follow a minimum vegetarian diet and most are vegan).

Jon Ablewhite TB4885, HMP Lowdham Grange, Lowdham, Nottingham, NG14 7DA, England. Serving 12 years for attempting to blackmail a farmer who supplied guinea pigs for vivisection. (Jon is a vegan).

Gregg Avery TA7450, HMP Winchester, Romsey Road, Winchester, SO22 5DF, England. On remand accused of conspiracy to blackmail, in relation to his involvement with the SHAC campaign. (Gregg is a vegan).

Natasha Avery NR8987, HMP Bronzefield, Woodthorpe Road, Ashford, Middx. TW15 3JZ, England. Jailed for breaching her parole conditions imposed on her for telling a fox hunting murdering scum what she thought of them. Also awaiting trial accused of conspiracy to blackmail, in relation to her involvement with the SHAC campaign. (Nat is a vegan).

Mel Broughton TN9138, HMP Woodhill, Tattenhoe Street, Milton Keynes, Bucks MK4 4DA, England. On remand accused of involvement with an arson and blackmail campaign against an Oxford University vivisection establishment. (Mel is a vegan).

Jacob Conroy #93501-011, FCI Victorville Medium I Federal Correctional Institution, P.O. Box 5300, Adelanto, CA 92301, USA. Serving 48 months imprisonment for helping organise the SHAC-USA campaign. (Jake is a vegan).

Rod Coronado, Voice of the Earth, PO Box 732, Tucson, AZ 85702, USA. Due to be sentenced to one-year imprisonment after Rod informed people how to make an incendiary device during a speech at an animal rights gathering. (Rod is a vegetarian).

Donald Currie A3660AA, HMP Parkhurst, Newport, Isle of Wight, PO30 5NX, England. Serving an Indeterminate Sentence, of not less than six actual years, for carrying out arsons against targets associated the vivisection industry including HLS. (Don is a vegan).

Lauren Gazzola #93497-011, FCI Danbury, Federal Correctional Institution, Route #37Danbury, CT 06811, USA. Serving 54 months imprisonment for helping organise the SHAC-USA campaign. (Lauren is a vegan).

Sarah Gisborne, LT5393, HMP Downview, Sutton Lane, Sutton, Surrey, SM2 5PD, England. Serving 5½ years for conspiracy to cause criminal damage following the damaging of 8 vehicles owned by people linked to Huntingdon Life Science. (Sarah is a vegan).

Joshua Harper #29429-086, FCI Sheridan Federal Correctional Institution, P.O. Box 5000, Sheridan, OR 97378 USA. Serving 36 months imprisonment for helping organise the SHAC-USA campaign. (Josh is a vegan).

Kevin Kjonaas #93502-011, FCI Sandstone, PO Box 1000, Sandstone, MN 55072 USA. Serving 72 months imprisonment for helping organise the SHAC-USA campaign. (Kevin is a vegan).

Daniel McGowan – See details in Eco Defence Prisoners List.

Heather Nicholson VM4859, HMP Bronzefield, Woodthorpe Road, Ashford, Middx. TW15 3JZ, England. On remand accused of conspiracy to blackmail, in relation to her involvement with the SHAC campaign. (Heather is a vegan).

Jonathan Paul, #07167-085, FCI Phoenix, Federal Correctional Institution, 37910 N 45th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85086, USA. Sentenced to 51 months for an ALF arson on a horse meat plant. Also admitted his role in an ELF/ALF conspiracy. (Jonathan is a vegan).

Andrew Stepanian #26399-050, FCI Butner Medium II Federal Correctional Institution, PO Box 1500, Butner, NC 27509 USA. Serving 36 months for helping organise the SHAC-USA campaign. (Andrew is a vegan).

Kerry Whitburn TB4886, HMP Lowdham Grange, Lowdham, Nottingham, NG14 7DA, England. Serving 12 years for attempting to blackmail a farmer who supplied guinea pigs for vivisection. (Kerry is a vegan).

PLOUGHSHARES PRISONERS

Helen Woodson, 03231-045, FMC Carswell – Admin. Max. Unit, POB 27137, Ft. Worth, TX 76127, USA. Serving 8 years 10 months for actions that focused on the interrelationship of war & the destruction of the natural world. The actions included pouring red paint over the security desk of a federal court and making threatening communications. Previously Helen had served 20½ years for: 1) Using a hammer to disarm a nuclear missile silo. 2) Burning $25,000 on the floor of a bank whilst denouncing war, environmental destruction & economic injustice. 3) Mailing warning letters with bullets attached to Government & corporate officials. (Diet unknown).

THE LECCE FIVE
The Lecce Five have been charged with “subversive association” accused of damaging Esso petrol pumps to oppose the War on Iraq; sabotaging the cash machines of a bank which funds an immigration centre; and targeting the multinational company Benetton in support of Mapuche land rights activists in Chile. All of the defendants are currently either under house arrest or released on bail.

ANTIFA PRISONERS

Vahtang Devitlidze, ul. Libbedova 42, UO 68/2, otryad 14, brigada 142, g.
Hagyshensk, Krasnodarskiy Kray, 352680 Russia. Serving 2½ years for stabbing a neo-nazi in the leg whilst defending himself from attack. (Diet unknown).

Augustin Kraus, Vazebni veznice, PP-1, Litomerice, 41 201, Czech Republic.
Serving 14 months for his participation in attacks against local neo-nazis. His charge was “bodily harm”. He speaks Czech, Slovak and Polish. You can also write him short postcards in English. (Diet unknown).

Fabio Milan, C.C. via Pianezza 300, 10151 Torino, Italy. On remand accused of fighting with the police after an anti-fascist protest. (Diet unknown).

Andrea Neff, Bnr: 746/07/2, Justizvollzugsanstalt fur Frauen in Berlin, Arkonastrasse 56, 13189 Berlin, Germany. Serving 14 months for anti-fascist activity. (Diet unknown).

Christian Sümmermann, Bnr: 441/08/5, JVA Plötzensee, Lehrterstr. 61, 10557 Berlin, Germany. Serving 40 months for breaching the peace whilst serving a
suspended sentence issued for anti-fascist activities. (Diet unknown).

Tomasz Wiloszewski, Zaklad Karny, Orzechowa 5, 98-200 Sieradz, Poland.
Serving 15 years for accidentally killing a neo-nazi whilst defending himself. (Diet unknown).

OTHER PRISONERS

Olga Aleksandrovna Nevskaya, UU163/5, 7 Otryad, pos. Dzerzhinskiy, Mozhaysk 140090 Moskovskaya oblast, Russia. Eco-activist serving 6 years for arson, criminal damage and causing explosions in protest at the war in Chechnya. Due for release in 2009. (Diet unknown).

Vaggelis Botzatzis, Komotini Juridical Prison (“Dikastikes Fylakes Komotinis”), T.K. 69100, Greece. On remand accused of setting fire to two company cars owned by a energy/power company. It is believed that the person or persons unknown who carried out the arson did so in protest at the destruction of the natural environment and in support of two workers who died at the power plant. Vaggelis is also accused of setting fire to a bank and starting a fire inside a car yard. (Meat Eater).

Michael W. Sykes, 100 East 2nd St, Monroe, Michigan 48161, USA. Youth held on remand accused of anti-sprawl arsons, criminal damage, spray-painting an anarchist sign and burning the American flag. (Diet unknown)

Fran Thompson, #1090915 HU 1C, WERDCC, PO Box 300, Vandalia, MO 63382, USA.
Serving Life for killing, in self-defence, a stalker who had broken into her home. Before her imprisonment Fran was an eco, animal & anti-nuke campaigner. (Fran is a vegan).

MOVE
MOVE is an eco-revolutionary group who carried out protests in defence of all life. All move prisoners describe themselves as vegetarians. There are currently eight MOVE activists in prison each serving 100 years after been framed for the murder of a cop in 1979. 9th defendant, Merle Africa, died in prison in 1998.

Debbie Simms Africa (006307), Janet Holloway Africa (006308) and Janine Philips Africa (006309) all at: SCI Cambridge Springs, 451 Fullerton Ave, Cambridge Springs, PA 16403-1238, USA.

Michael Davis Africa (AM4973) and Charles Simms Africa (AM4975) both at SCI Graterford, PO Box 244, Graterford, PA 19426-0244, USA.

Edward Goodman Africa (AM4974), SCI Mahanoy, 301 Morea Rd, Frackville, PA 17932, USA.

William Philips Africa (AM4984) and Delbert Orr Africa (AM4985) both at SCI Dallas Drawer K, Dallas, PA 18612, USA.

Mumia Abu Jamal, (AM8335), SCI Greene, 175 Progress Drive, Waynesburg PA 15370, USA. In 1981 Mumia, former Black Panther and vocal supporter of MOVE, was framed for the murder of a cop. He was originally sentenced to death but is currently awaiting re-sentencing following a court hearing in 2001.

STATEMENT ON VIOLENCE
Some people listed in this newsletter have carried out violent actions. ‘Spirit of Freedom’ does not condone violence. But we are also against censorship & believe people can decide for themselves who they wish to support.

ABOUT E.L.P. SUPPORT NETWORK
ELP is an international eco-prisoner support network founded, in Britain, in 1993 to support jailed eco-activists. We support the prisoners by producing various regular prisoner lists:

Spirit of Freedom is ELP’s international monthly prisoner listing which is circulated by e-mail.

Urgent ELP! Bulletin is an e-mail service that distributes the names of any new eco-prisoner as soon as ELP gets their details. For more info e-mail ELP4321@hotmail.com

On-Line Newsletters – ELP has a number of websites that provide news, prisoner lists and additional info about ELP & the prisoners.

English language ELP Website
www.spiritoffreedom.org.uk

Greek language ELP Website
http://greekelp.blogspot.com

North American ELP Website
www.ecoprisoners.org

Turkish language ELP Website
www.geocities.com/yesilanarsi/elp.htm

ELP Extra is an e-mail group that circulates the details of political prisoners, ELP learns about, who do not fall within the remit for support by ELP. To subscribe to the list e-mail ELP4321@Hotmail.com

Australian ELP.SN is our Australian contact. For more info e-mail elp4321@hotmail.com

Belgium ELP.SN is our Belgium contact. For more info e-mail elp_bel@hotmail.com

German ELP.SN is a prisoner led initiative run by eco-prisoner Marco Camenisch. For more info contact Marco Camenisch, Postfach 3143, CH-8105 Regensdorf, Switzerland.

Greek ELP.SN is our Greek contact. For more info e-mail greekelp@yahoo.gr

North American ELP is our North American contact. For more information e-mail naelpsn@mutualaid.org

——-

Urgent ELP! Bulletin (9th of May 2008)

Dear friends

Today the American vegan eco-defence activist, Eric McDavid, was sentenced to an outrageous 19 years and 7 months imprisonment having been found guilty of conspiring to destroy the property of the forestry service, mobile phone masts and power plants. At the point of his arrest he hadn’t actually damaged anything and was merely, allegedly, thinking about carrying out these actions.

Sentencing a man to just under 20 years imprisonment for a thought crime is a total outrage and we encourage everyone to support Eric by sending him urgent letters of support.

McDavid, Eric x-2972521 7E128
Sacramento County Main Jail
651 “I” St.
Sacramento, CA 95814
USA

For more information on Eric check out his website http://www.supporteric.org/

Turkey ELP.SN is our Turkish contact. For more info e-mail
yesilanarsi@yahoo.com

People Against Climate Change Deliver a Tonne of Coal, Ireland

Yesterday morning, Thusday 08/05/08 PACC – People Against Climate Change – delivered a tonne of coal to the Minister for Finance on his first day in office.

Press Release for this event is available here:
http://www.pacc.ie/?p=6

People Against Climate Change
http://www.pacc.ie

Stuck for something to do!? Uninspired & lacklustre..? The all new singing dancing EF!AU is here to lift your spirits

As if putting the boot into the genetics industry, filling empty spaces with joy & creativity, and fooling the fossil-heads wasn’t enough, people have been busy washing lumps of coal and covering themselves with paint…we kid you not…all in aid of halting the trashing of the planet!

Parliaments have been climbed, airport terminals flash(mobb)ed, fields & various other sites occupied, building stormed & blockaded, pipelines blockaded & destroyed…

Parliaments have been climbed, airport terminals flash(mobb)ed, fields & various other sites occupied, building stormed & blockaded, pipelines blockaded & destroyed…

Throw into the mix ye oldie Reclaim the Streets, the tried and tested eeeeevil Mr/Ms Sabotage, the launch of a new campaign ‘Leave it in the Ground’, plus a summer-full of dates, new contacts list, it’s a wonder we’ve fitted in a brand new sexy EF! summer gathering poster (front & back). Download the latest EF!AU to share with others, subscribe or check out some past issues. The next issue will come out at the beginning of August.

And of course, this year’s EF! Summer Gathering (or follow the link to the left) is from Wednesday 27th August to Monday 1st September 2008, if you want to plot & plan, and laugh & chat with old friends & new.

Phew, what a scorcher!

Local residents protest blocking power plant supply (Kozani, Greece, 9/5/2008)

After a decision of the Environment and Unemployment Association of Akrini, Kozani, dozens of residents occupied since 10 in the morning, the northern gate of the Agios Dimitrios Power Plant, cutting the cinder supply of the belt-conveyer. They protest against environmental degradation and unemployment, and for the translocation of their village outside the plant’s polluted area. “Spartakos” a Public Power Company’s workers association announced they supports the protest.

Source:
http://www.prlogos.gr/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3651&Itemid=27

Tara Vigil Camp Being Evicted

May 08, 2008; 10:30 am
HELP NEEDED NOW

About a half an hour ago 20 Gardai, 20 OPW and 10-15 MD Security descended on the Hill to evict the Vigil Camp.

May 08, 2008; 10:30 am
HELP NEEDED NOW

About a half an hour ago 20 Gardai, 20 OPW and 10-15 MD Security descended on the Hill to evict the Vigil Camp.

2 Loader lorries and 12 other vehicles are currently there . The Temple structure has been dismantled, chopped into pieces and removed. They are now dismantling the A Chairde hut and the Tipi. The seven Vigil Keepers on site were not given time to remove their personal items and there is no channel of communication open as the workers turn their backs. There is no negotiation.

The OPW Archaeologist said that she would PERSONALLY put out the fire. She is referring to the Vigil Fire that has been burning for the Valley since Summer Solstice June 06.

URGENT

Phone credit is urgently needed on the Vigil phone. Also urgent is the need for cameras and witnesses to document this. Please do whatever you can NOW. Send credit, bring help.

VIGIL PH: 086 1758557
Related Link: http://www.tarapixie.net

—

Vigil keeps have managed to get some time.

The Gardai were not able to quote specifically any law that would allow them to estinguish the sacred fire, they have given them a days grace to ceremonously remove the fire, but as it is specifically the Hill of Tara sacred fire, it would have to be moved to another site on Tara!!!!! This in itself creates a conundrum.

No method statement has been provided.
People are now allowed to remove personal possessions.
A recognised Ferrovial employee was assisting, but was wearing MD Security clothing. THIS IT OBVIOUSLY OUTRAGIOUS.

There is approx 20 vigil keepers surounding the Temple Ti-Pi/Fire adamant that they have the right to continue holding the Vigil.
There is a good atmosphere, music + drums, kids and laughter.
Energy is high and spirits are positive.

—

3pm update:

The OPW did not produce any paperwork for this eviction. Nothing signed and dated by a Judge.

The Protectors are currently blockading their vehicles and not allowing them to LEAVE the site. Shortly after this happened, the OPW agreed to negotiations and are now at a meeting with members of the Vigil.

—

Vigil Press Release

Press Release on behalf of the Tara Solidarity Vigil Camp
8th May 2008
At approx 10:30 this morning, the Office of Public Works launched an eviction attempt on the Tara Solidarity Vigil Camp, which is in situ on public land.

The Vigil is “a non-hierarchical peoples’ solidarity vigil, here in support of local people and all individuals and groups in the campaigns to Save Tara. We are adamant in our non-affiliation with any particular political or religious parties but welcome any friends of Tara to the sacred Vigil Fire, which has been burning continuously since the Summer Solstice, 21st of June 2006”.

This morning, 20 OPW employees, up to 15 MD Security Workers and 20 Gardaí entered the camp and began to dismantle temporary structures which are used daily by the Vigil Keepers. The structures include a Temple, several dwellings and meeting huts. The Temple, which was made of wood, was desecrated by chainsaw as the Keepers looked on in shock. Their priority was to hold their ground protecting the sacred flame within the Vigil TiPi. To add insult to injury, hidden within the group of MD Security workers, wearing their logo was a known Ferrovial employee.

Ferrovial Agroman, a Spanish company, are one of the companies, in conjunction with SIAC, who are contracted to build the controversial M3 motorway. This begs to further question the repeated cooperation between the Gardaí and private security for SIAC/ Ferrovial Agroman, on the back of the demolition of the Direct Action Protest Camp at Rath Lugh on 17th Apr2008.

The OPW Archaeologist onsite stated, and has been recorded that she would “personally put out the fire”. Both the OPW onsite and the Gardaí were initially refusing to acknowledge the sacredness of the fire and in doing so are not upholding an individual’s right to religious worship/practice. The OPW have also admitted on camera that this was not an official eviction, and that they didn’t even have the official documentation or method statement to carry out the activity.

When negotiations were finally possible, the Gardaí were not able to quote specifically any law that would allow them to extinguish this sacred fire. Talks since have produce a guarantee from Ms Fionnula Parnell, Archaeologist from the National Monuments Department OPW, in the presence of a Gardai, that no attempt to remove the fire, or the TiPi housing it until the outcome of an agreed meeting on 19th May 2007. There are approx 30 vigil keepers surrounding the TiPi housing the fire adamant that they have the right to continue holding the Vigil and practice their individual and collective beliefs. Several of these people were assaulted by the privately hired security company in the presence of Gardai, and will be filing charges. Otherwise, there is a great atmosphere, music + drums, children’s laughter in the air. Energy is positive and spirits are high in the Summer sun. This is why the Vigil has attracted visitors from the 4 corners of the world in the 23months of it’s existence.

Ex-Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has in the past forewarned of dangerous trends in modern society “So much of what is happening within our society and in the wider world is bound up with questions of religion, religious identity and religious belief,” he said, “that governments which refuse or fail to engage with religious communities and religious identities risk failing in their fundamental duties to their citizens.” The Irish Constitution (Article 8) recognises that citizens have a right to “Freedom of conscience and the free profession and practice of religion are, subject to public order and morality, guaranteed to every citizen, and no law may be made either directly or indirectly to endow any religion or prohibit or restrict the free exercise thereof or give any preference, or impose any disability on account of religious belief or religious status”. The European Constitution (Part II – The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the Union) Article II-70 recognises ”Freedom of thought, conscience and religion: 1) Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right includes freedom to change religion or belief and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or in private, to manifest religion or belief, in worship, teaching, practice and observance”.

We, the Vigil Keepers, call on Minister John Gormley, as Minister of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government responsible for State Managed Visitor Services, to officially acknowledge the sacred Vigil Fire on the Hill of Tara.

For verification call Debbie Reilly on 086 175 8557

Issued on behalf of the Tara Solidarity Vigil
Joanne Corbett 086 6030389 www.savetara.com

Forest activists take their protest to the headwaters of the Styx River, Tasmania

2008-05-08

Yesterday morning, community activists halted the logging of old growth forests near the headwaters of the Styx River. Ten activists have peacefully occupied coupe TN47C, located 100 metres from the TWWHA boundary near the base of Mount Mueller to highlight the continued destruction of Tasmania’s unique old growth forests.

“Tasmania is in a state of environmental emergency. Every single day, our island’s unique old growth forests are felled, bulldozed and trucked off to the woodchipper. Gunns Ltd.’s stranglehold on the Lennon government has been highlighted again this week and once again it will be our precious carbon rich forests, the taxpayer and the community that will suffer as a result of yet another matey deal between climate criminals John Gay, Bob Gordon and Paul Lennon” said Still Wild Still Threatened spokesperson Ula Majewski.

“We are calling on the Rudd government to take serious action on climate change and put a stop to this outrageous situation by ensuring the immediate protection of ancient forests in the Styx, Weld and Upper Florentine valleys. The continued devastation of Tasmania’s old growth forests has global ramifications and must be halted immediately” said Miss Majewski.

http://www.myspace.com/stillwildstillthreatened
campflorentine@gmail.com

Forest activists will continue to take peaceful action against the continued logging of Tasmania’s southern forests.

Leave it in the Ground: open-cast coal mass trespass, 26th May – poster to download added

A new open-cast coal mine site is about to get underway in beautiful Derbyshire, unless we stop it now.

Lodge House site, which is east of the village of Smalley and spans either side of Bell Lane, is one of seven that UK Coal is to open-cast.

A new open-cast coal mine site is about to get underway in beautiful Derbyshire, unless we stop it now.

Lodge House site, which is east of the village of Smalley and spans either side of Bell Lane, is one of seven that UK Coal is to open-cast.

The area is about to be devastated, despite objections from local councils, residents and local environmental groups, but the Secretary of State granted planning permission in 2007.

The 122 hectare site will have one million tonnes of coal ripped out over five years and ‘returned back to its natural state’ according to UK Coal, however residents fear there may be more to the plot, as they were excluded from parts of the planning meeting on grounds of commercial confidentiality.

UK Coal are one of those companies that looks to maximise their profits by raping the land and profiting from it any way they can – after coal extraction, they return the area to business parks, housing and industrial estates. In some cases they return it to farmland and charge the farmers rent, or on low-grade land grow energy crops according to their website. They are even into windpower, but as yet have still not erected a turbine.

Coal is not clean energy, and with the new onslaught of proposed power stations, UK Coal are looking to cash in on climate devastation and destruction unless we stop them.

The area is rich with wildlife and backs onto Shipley Country Park; some houses, (the sort of place you dream of living in) have been shuttered up and items like toys, dog kennels and other personal bits remain, looking like something from a hurried evacuation from a war zone. UK Coal has stated that the site will be returned to farm land, but they are able to expand beyond the 122 hectares without needing further permission.

To combat open-cast mining, a new action group “Leave it in the Ground” has formed, supported by Earth First! with an invite to a Picnic in the Park on 26th May for a mass trespass to see it before the destruction starts, meet the locals and have fun. So come and Discover Derbyshire!

Meet at the Visitors Centre, Shipley Country Park, Slack Lane, Heanor DE75 7GX at 12 noon on the 26th May.

For more info phone 07852 460871 or email derby@earthfirst.org.uk

Blog http://leaveitintheground.wordpress.com
Website http://leaveitintheground.org.uk/

Download the poster to put up on noticeboards & bring your friends

Anti-GM protest shuts down BASF UK headquarters (& photos & video links)

At the crack of dawn, Tuesday, 6th May, after a long night of preparation, Earth First! activists from all across England jumped into two vehicles and speed towards south Manchester, dead set on taking some effective action against the ecologically destructive plans of notorious chemical company BASF. There was no desire for symbolic protest, but simple action that hit hard at the one thing they value the most, their pockets.

At 7.20 am they turned hard into the only entrance to BASF’s headquarters in Stockport, vehicles blocking the entrance while various affinity groups piled out and got to work. A team of eleven people with lock-on tubes took the ground in front of the long gate, while others D-locked several side gates that were for pedestrian use only.

Meanwhile, some people spoke to the guards and were told that he wanted to shut the gate. Which was excellent news, and there was a rapid change of plan. The arm-tubes were put back in the vehicles, which disappeared off, to be used for the next action, and once the gate was closed a seriously heavy-duty motorbike chain was wrapped around it and one activist D-locked himself to it. And that was us there until 12noon, job done, BASF’s UK headquarters shut down for the morning.

A 30×10 foot banner saying Stop GM was hung from a nearby flyover so everyone would get the message as to why were there. Though, given we were on the border with Cheshire, one confused local inhabitant was curious as to what we had against Greater Manchester!

The only trouble came from the various BASF executives clearly eager to get to their phone conferences and thought driving at people constitutes acceptable behaviour. With such a casual attitude towards protestors standing in their way it is hardly surprising that they do not give a damn about what effect their products have on the rest of the world.

The weather was wonderful, sunny and warm, and we relaxed on the road while all the BASF workers were told to drink coffee in M&S or sit in the B&Q carpark – which naturally were leafleted so they had something to read while they waited. The police, when they turned up, were polite and clearly outnumbered by the protestors, so let them get on with it. There was a police liaison to keep things happy, and when the blockade was lifted, and everyone left with all their equipment – including the D-Locks and chains – and their were no arrests. The only thing they wanted was the large Sainsburys banner which had been redecorated with anti-GM messages, which they wanted to return to Sainsburys in case it had been stolen. We could not say fairer than the police delivering our anti-GM message back to the supermarket chain…

Though we were only there for the morning, the activists left on our own terms, knowing that the impact would continue to reverberate through the company. Evidence from other actions shows that the impact does not stop once the blockade is lifted, but the entire day will be lost. Meeting will have to be rescheduled, work-time caught up on, other offices will be furious about not being able to get in touch, and so on. And the bosses will still be paid for the time spent twiddling their thumbs. An excellent day out… if it could not be spent on the allotment, the next best place is lying on a roadway.

The pressure on GM companies has not gone away.

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Press release:

BASF UK HQ currently completely blockaded by protesters.

This morning 30 protesters from Earth First! have shut down the BASF UK headquarters (1) at Cheadle Hulme near Manchester (2), to highlight the company’s role in pushing GM onto our plates. BASF is planning to run the UK’s only trial of GM crops this year, a trial of blight resistant potatoes.(3)

The protesters arrived early in the morning at the flagship offices and have since been blockading the gate by sitting in front of it and locking on using d-locks and other equipment. They are successfully preventing any staff from
entering and are demanding the company pull out of GM immediately. They have also hung a giant 30 x 10ft banner reading “No To GM”. The protesters are planning to blockade the gate for several hours.

Mary Sunderland from Earth First! Said: “GM has no part to play in our future: it’s a dangerous, unwanted and unproven technology geared towards maximising profits for multinational corporations such as BASF. It is not the answer to food shortages, hunger or climate change. The real solution is to change now to a sustainable farming system and to distribute resources fairly around the world.”

The bio-tech industry claims GM will feed the world’s poor, but experts disagree. A major new study published in April shows that modified soya produces 10 per cent less food than its conventional equivalent, confirming earlier studies showing the same trend. The study finds that the very process of modification depresses productivity.(4)

This revelation came just a week after the biggest study of its kind ever conducted,the International Assessment of Agricultural Science, concluded that GM was not an answer to world hunger. The UN study, conducted by over 400 scientists and approved by over 54 governments is a sobering account of the failure of industrial farming. The key message of the report is that small-scale farmers and agro-ecological methods provide the way forward to avert the current food crisis and deal with the effects of climate change.(5)

Neil Ross from Earth First! UK adds: “It’s time for everyone who is concerned about the future of our food and environment to stand up again and to say ‘No to GM’. When five years ago 86 per cent of the UK public said that they did not want GM foods the government and bio-tech industry brushed those concerns aside as unscientific. Science is now proving that we were right to oppose GM. Thanks to the courage of many ordinary people who ripped up GM crops our countryside has been GM free for the past four years. (6) We are determined to keep it that way. The message to BASF and
the government couldn’t be clearer. Stop wasting money on GM (7) and start investing in the real solutions to hunger: small-scale organic farming and equitable trade.”

Notes

(1)BASF is the world’s leading chemical company.
(2) Heading south from Manchester on the A34 , turn right onto Stanley Road (B5094). Take the second left onto Earl Road. Continue under the flyover (Manchester Airport Eastern Link Road) and BASF HQ is on your right.
(3) The UK trials of BASF’s blight resistant potatoes were due to take place from last spring at two locations for a period of five years. One site is a research centre in Cambridge, where last year anti-gm campaigners succeeded in destroying the field during a night time raid. The second trial site was never planted as BASF was unable to find a site for it. Campaigners have already vowed to decontaminate the Cambridge site again, should BASF go ahead with the controversial trial. Many believe that the trials are unnecessary as blight resistant potatoes are already available
through conventional breeding.
(4) The study was carried out over the past three years by the University of Kansas in the US grain belt and published by Professor B Gordon in the journal ‘Better Crops’. He grew a Monsanto GM soy bean resistant to the herbicide Round-up and compared it with a conventional variety. The GM bean produced only 70 bushels per acre compared to 77 bushels for the conventional bean.
(5) The report from the United Nations World Food Programme, the International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) called for a back-to-basics approach to farming to meet the challenges of climate change and escalating food prices. The authors saw little role for GM technology in feeding the poor. The report
was based on a rigorous and peer-reviewed analysis of the empirical evidence by hundreds of scientists and development experts. http://www.agassessment.org/
(6) When GM crop trials started in the UK in 1998, no one could have predicted the public opposition to it. Within just 5 years, all GM companies including Monsanto, Syngenta and Bayer had retreated from Britain, numerous field trials had been destroyed and a moratorium against GM crop growing had been imposed.10 years later, Britain is still free from any commercial growing of GM crops. This opposition has also sparked massive resistance elsewhere in Europe.
(7) Using the Freedom of Information Act Friends of the Earth managed to obtained still partial information in October 2007 which shows that the Government gave at least £50 million a year for research into GM crops and food, compared with £1.6 million for research into organic agriculture last year, in spite of repeated promises to promote environmentally friendly, sustainable farming. http://www.i-sis.org.uk/dirty_GM_secrets.php

manchester[at!]earthfirst.org.uk
http://www.earthfirst.org.uk

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