earthfirst – Page 25 – Earth First!

Week of Action against the NATO Summit in Newport

The world's leading warmongers will meet this summer in Wales. A week of action is planned to oppose and stop them, from August 30th to September the 5th.

Two organisations are planning actions against the summit, inclusing mass demonstrations and days of action on different aspects of militarism. This promises to be a massive focal point for the movement against miliarism this summer. Details of can be found here:

https://network23.org/stopnatocymru/

http://www.nonatonewport.org/

Please get involved and spread the word! Help raise our profile by linking to stopNATOCymru on blogs etc., and more importantly, come along to the events and show your support.

Reclaim the Power to come to North West England anti-fracking site

Reclaim the Power, the action camp that shut down Cuadrilla’s operations in Balcombe for a week last year, will take place near Blackpool between 14 – 20 August. The precise location of the camp will be revealed on the starting day. An estimated 1000 participants from across the UK and local residents will take part in 6 days of direct action, training, and workshops as they join the dots between social, climate and economic justice.

More info in press release. Programme

Action Days in the Rhineland Coalfield

Action Days in the Rhineland Coalfield

Lots of things were happening in the Rhineland Coalfield today: Early in the morning, four activists locked themselves to coal train tracks. Two more activists abseiled themselves from a bridge. These two blockades stopped the coal transportation between the open-cast mine Hambach and the power plants. Further north, at the edge of the Garzweiler mine, a group of 80 people took a seat in front of the buckets of the digging machine, some of them locked themselves together. Another group ventured further down into the mine and climbed on the wheels the digging machine, accompanied by a Samba band and rebel clowns. And last but not least, about 20 activists were blockading the gate to the mininig area for six hours. It seems that more and more people are willing to take direct action against the polluting industry to stop climate change!

The Rhineland Coalfied is situated in the Western part of Germany, close to the Dutch bordier. There are three huge open-cast lignite mines, and right next to it, some of Europe's dirtiest coal-fired power plants, which emit about 100 million tons of CO2 per year.

Lots of the activists had their base on the climate action camp, that is taking this week on a piece of land that is scheduled to be digged away soon for the lignite mine.

View images of the action days on www.klimacamp-im-rheinland.de

anti-fracking news from the frontlines, Britain

There are currently three community blockades / protest camps – West Newton, Crawberry HIll (both in Yorkshire), and Upton (Cheshire).

For other news, upcoming events and info, see http://frack-off.org.uk

Twelve Hour Blockade Against Rare Earth Metal Exploration, Canada

The 23rd July we stopped the Canadian corporation Tasman Metals’ test drillings for rare earth elements (REE) in Norra Kärr, Sweden. We heard they probably had been securing the place with CCTV-cameras so we decided to drive as fast as possible right into the enemy claimed forest, straight through any alarm system. Then we ran a few kilometers until we found the drilling rig. Using bike-locks we chained our bodies to the nasty machine. We alerted some media with a press release. Then some cops came with people from the corporation in a few hours. They gathered 20 something cops but Tasman decided not to intervene even though we were breaking the law. They didn’t want the extra fuzz from brutal cop-violence. So we could stay at the beautiful site with the ugly machine the whole day talking to journalists and drinking coffee with excited supporters.

We know rare earth mining has been apocalyptic in desert biomes due to all the toxic waste. This mine would be right next to Swedens biggest drinking water reserve, the beautiful lake Vättern. It’s got bright clear water and supports 260 000 people with clean water at the moment, more cities want to plug in! Tasman Metals is hiding its ugly plans to make investors gamble with human and non-human health and we will not allow that!

In solidarity with all people fighting patriarchy and the white mans colonial worldview!

More pictures on the campaign website.

Arizona Forest Service Roads Spiked

July 23rd, 2014 Flagstaff authorities are seeking the public’s help to gather any information related to sharpened rebar that was placed in the Happy Jack area.

Forest Service law enforcement say that at least five pieces of the rebar was placed on forest roads that are frequented by off-highway vehicles.

The sharp pieces are responsible for slashing at least eight tires last weekend, according to authorities.

“The end of the rebar has been flattened and sharpened to a point and the exposed point has been painted to blend in with the road surface,” Linda Wadleigh, Mogollon Rim District Ranger, said. She added that the objects pose a threat to people hiking and walking and to wildlife in the area.

[EF! Journal editor's note: For more information on road spiking – Ecodefense: A Field Guide]

Catalonia: Wave of Sabotage Against High Tension Lines

July 18th, 2014 – In light of the news of the moving forward of the Very High Tension Line (la línea de muy alta tensión or MAT), we want to make public:

On Tuesday, July 1st, an all-terrain vehicle in the service of Tensalm, a company subcontracted by the Spain Electrical Network (REE), was burned, destroyed by the flames in the night within a Sarrià de Ter hotel in the Girona province.

We claim all the actions detailed below, a year after we began our work. All the actions have been systematically silenced by the communication media and for this reason we want to make public that, in denial of the lastest news from the daily El Punt, we have caused months of delay to the work and thousands of euros of damages and losses to REE.

At the margin of the assemblies and collectives that have carried out a struggle against the construction of the MAT, a multitude of activists from the region and foreigners, we have carried out a fight based on direct action.

We vindicate sabotage as a fundamental part of the fight against the imposition, the infrastructure that sustains the system, and all the social, laboral and economic mechanisms of capitalism.

The whole world is capable of carrying out sabotage, a tool that has belonged to the oppressed class for a long time. It can be as simple as unscrewing the bolts of any tower, and we encourage everyone who is against to act in the way they see as most fitting.

We publish this list of actions in order to incite sabotage, to give ideas, and to bring to light what they didn’t want to be known.

June 2013:
– 2 excavators sabotaged
-All-terrain vehicle of the ROTELLA company has tires slashed and radiators broken.
– Removal of stakes marking the towers.

August 2013:
– 2 excavators sabotaged
– 1 excavator destroyed
– Blocking of the trails with barricades

September – November 2013:
– 5 excavators and machines sabotaged
– 12 all-terrain vehicles of GAROC and ROTELLA companies sabotaged
– Blocking of trails with barricades and spikes

December 2013:
– Attack on the representatives of REE and their cars

January 2014:
– Attacks on GAROC excavators

February – April 2014:
– Guide cords for running cables repeatedly cut
– Multiple unboltings of the bases of the MAT towers
– Attack on the security guards of EULEN company, and broken windows.

May 2014:
– Cords cut
– Destruction of 2 generators
– 2 all-terrain vehicles of REE sabotaged
– Sabotage of support structures
– Several unboltings of the towers

June – July 2014:
– All-terrain vehicles sabotaged and burned!

This is an incomplete list since it is impossible to know all the actions that have been carried out, or who has done them. The bolts will be sent to the press, in order to put pressure for the publication of this manifesto.

No MAT, no TAV, no nuclear and no to the system that sustains them!

More information about resistance to the MAT can be found at

http://torresmasaltashancaido.espivblogs.net/ingles/

from contrainfo, translated by waronsociety

Workers evicted in protest against tar sands, USA

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July 17th, 2014 – from Swamp Line 9

Individuals from Six Nations and their allies have interrupted work on a section of Enbridge’s Line 9 pipeline. The work stoppage began around 10am this morning. Individuals involved asked workers to leave, asserting that the land is Haudenosaunee territory guaranteed under the Haldimand deed, and that Enbridge’s workers were present without consent or consultation.

“Meaningful consultation isn’t just providing information and going ahead without discussion – it’s giving the opportunity to say no and having a willingness to accommodate.” says Missy Elliot.

“Enbridge left a voice message on a machine with one person. That’s not meaningful – it’s not even consultation.” Emilie Corbeau, there in support of Six Nations points out.

Those involved intend to host an action camp, filling the time with teach-ins about Six Nations history, indigenous solidarity and skill shares centering on direct action.

The group states that they’ve tried the other processes available to them and here out of necessity. “We’ve tried pursuing avenues with the NEB, the township and the Grand River Conservation Authority. Our concerns were dismissed. What other choice do we have if we want to protect our land, water and children?” Missy Elliot of Six Nations asks.

Under bill C-45 the section of the Grand River adjacent to the Enbridge work site and pipeline is no longer protected. Approximately half a million people rely on drinking water provided by the Grand River.

“This isn’t just about line 9 – or Northern Gateway, Energy East or Keystone XL. This is about pipelines – all of them.” Daniell Boissineau, of Turtle Clan, asserts. “This is about the tarsands and how destructive they are to expand, extract and transport.”

“This is a continental concern. It’s not just a Six Nations issue or an indigenous issue. We share the responsibility to protect our land and water as human beings.” Elliot states.

Italy—More Arrests in the Struggle Against the TAV

This morning (11th July) three anarchist comrades were arrested between Milan and Lecce, and another one was raided.

The three are accused of taking part in the attack on the yard in Chiomonte in the night between 13th and 14th May 2013, the same episode following which Chiara, Mattia, Claudio and Niccolò were jailed in December 2013.

We don’t know much about the charges yet. In the press we read: damage, arson, violence on public official, possession and fabrication of explosive devices. Therefore it seems that prosecutors from Turin have been forced to rule out the charge of terrorism, following a previous sentence from the court of cassation that cancelled this charge in Chiara, Mattia, Claudio and Niccolò’s case.

from informa-azione.info / translated by Act for Freedom Now

Germany’s Hambach Forest Occupation Calls for Solidarity and Support

Greetings and Salutations from the Hambacher Forest Occupatio

Greetings and Salutations from the Hambacher Forest Occupation!

We are presently blocking the expansion of the largest opencast lignite mine in Western Europe with tree sits and barricades through out the Hambacher Forest. After the last eviction on March 27th 2014 we re-occupied the forest, this time, building up two tree sits with multiple platforms, tree-houses, walk ways in between and barricades .

At present we are facing regular intrusion of repressive law enforcement destroying our structures on the ground and have already faced two largescale evictions using tactical teams costing millions of euros while at the same time, the German government, is cutting sustainable energy subsidies. Instead choosing to compensate for the shut down of nuclear power plants with support to the extremely polluting and ecologically catastrophic coal industry (in our case RWE power company which is engaging in massive green washing PR campaigns).

We would like to send you updates and inform you of the upcoming Climate Camp and Skill-shares Gathering (July 26th to August 3rd 2014) happening in our vicinity which we are also helping to organize. We also have a support camp with legal status at the edge of the forest functioning as a de facto activist eco village with a vegan kitchen, guest
caravans, straw bail structures, gardens and many other on-going sustainable projects, to which we would like to invite all of you who may find yourselves in our neck of the woods.

As of recently, we have also built an info-shop/library for which we would like to appeal for any extra literature that you would be willing to share with us. We could cover the costs of shipment and if possible discount rates of literature itself not to mention we would be extremely interested and gratefull if you would be willing to share any back issues or extra literature. If this is a possibility please also respond with your preferable snail-mail address, as we would like to share some of our material with you as well.

We have a support centre in Duren, which is unfortunately undergoing a bit of transition at the moment. For the time being the literature for our Meadow Base Camp info-shop and the Climate Camp could be sent, care of one of our supporters:

Frau Annika Lindberg
Rohrbachstr. 37
60389 Frankfurt am Main
Germany

If you would be interested in updates from the forest please include your PGP key in the correspondence.

There is a sense of urgency as even though the forest has been occupied for two years now there is a new autobahn ready for opening in September bypassing the one separating the last remnant of the forest from the mine allowing the mine to expand and logging and strip mining to commence on the last remnant of the forest. We expect that to be the time of mass police actions. For that reason it is mega important to both get the word out and keep people involved, inspired and on track of the importance and the context of the struggle.