earthfirst – Page 263

Shoshone Defenders of Mount Tenabo Constructing Encampment (occupied North America)

December 1, 2008
At some point today, several men will begin constructing a permanent arbor on the Southern flank of Mt. Tenabo, where they will camp and monitor the Canadian mining company Barrick Gold.

The encampment was called on during last week’s protest, where Shoshone Grandmothers and their supporters attempted to confront Barrick Gold and bring an end to the destruction of the pinion forest – which began almost immediately after the company got approval to go ahead with its ‘Cortez Hills Expansion Project.’

A massive cyanide heap leach gold mine, the project will ultimately destroy approximately 6,800 acres of land — fracturing along with it, the spiritual life and cultural practices of the Shoshone People.

“This is our treaty land. It was a treaty made with the federal government. It was not made with a foreign nation. And it is a foreign mining company that has come into our country and is destroying our mountain, our land, our food, our medicine and they have no respect,” stated one Grandmother at the protest.

“…It can’t go on. It’s perpetrating genocide against the Native American people. And we are not the only Native people suffering this distress,” said another. “It is happening world over; but we happen to be Western Shoshones and this is our land and we’re protesting the poisoned water, the destruction of the land, the road we’re standing on here, the big machines: everything that the mining industry stands for. They say they’re doing it responsibly, but they’re not because when they leave the Western Shoshone people will still be here and the land will be barren.”

To help make sure this doesn’t happen, the Western Shoshone Defense Project (WSDP) asks that you help by making any of the following the donations:

24 Nuts and Bolts (bolts need to be 1 foot in length with matching nuts)
Gasoline for saws and hauling costs.
Food items such as eggs, bacon, meat, potatoes, beans, etc. (including some sweets!)
Helpers — to assist with construction of arbor and for support in the encampment
Monetary donations for all of the above
Moral support and prayers

You can contact Joyce McDade for additional information, e-mail: EJMcDade20@wmconnect.com

Happy Valley Occupation Celebration – Two Years! (Aotearoa/New Zealand)

SAVE HAPPY VALLEY!
OCCUPATION CELEBRATION – TWO YEARS!
THE WEEKEND OF FEBRUARY 2nd-3rd, 2008

You are invited to the Save Happy Valley Coalition’s celebration of our SECOND successful year of occupying Happy Valley. We have been continuously occupying Happy Valley since January 28th 2006 in order to prevent Solid Energy from turning it into an environmentally devastating opencast coal-mine. Despite spies, 6000 snails from Augustus transferred in icecream containers, the destruction of a nearby mountain, Solid Energy’s plans for massive expansion, and the October 15th raids on activists, people have managed to keep Happy Valley safe so far! Yay for train track blockades, film nights, alternatives to minerals forums, demos, radio interviews, everyone’s actions, and the OCCUPATION!

The Save Happy Valley Coalition, and anyone who wishes to join us for the weekend celebration, will be meeting at Les Warren Park, in Westport, at 8am on Saturday 2nd Feburary 2008. (The majority of us will travel to Westport from Christchurch on the Friday night, car pooling can be arranged thru the coordinator).

You will need all of your own tramping/camping gear and food, enough for the duration of your intended stay and you need to be prepared for unpredictable weather; rain; sun; hot and cold. This means that you must have have suitable footwear, waterproof and warm clothing, a sleeping bag and a tent (unless you have arranged to share with someone else). An extended gear list will be made available to you when you confirm plans with the occupation coordinator. If you do not have the required gear we may be able to provide it for you, but please ensure that by the Friday you have the correct gear.

We will be leaving the valley / returning to Westport on Sunday the 3rd but it would be awesome if you are able to stay longer in the valley!! Please let the coordinator know.

We hope you can join us. Please RSVP so we can coordinate easily 🙂 Please let us know if you have any special needs that are of concern, we will be as accommodating as possible and we can provide you with as much information as you require.

For more information please contact the occupation coordinator.

Thanks for your support!

Frances Martin
Occupation Celebration Coordinator
frances.crayon@gmail.com
021 2037040

www.savehappyvalley.org.nz/occupation

If you cannot make it for this weekend but are able to visit the valley at another time please contact us! 🙂

York & Ainsty South Hunt Sabbed – Hunt Slash Tires Following Sab Success

26.12.2007
SABOTEURS FROM THE YORK HUNT SABS GROUP TODAY MONITORED THE YORK AND AINSTY SOUTH HUNT, SAVING LIVES AND CONFRONTING THEIR ILLEGAL ACTIONS

York & Ainsty South Hunt today met in Easingwold Market Square for their annual PR stunt and Boxing Day Hunt. The Master put on a show whilst doing a speech, trying to act welcoming to the “antis” and ranted how they should be tolerated as the hunt always welcomes opposing views. Whilst he was busy talking to the supporters, hunt sabs fed the hounds dog biscuits to make them more responsive to monitors in the field and laid a non-harmful citronella scent which stops them smelling foxes. The two police officers present had already told people they wouldn’t be following the Y&AS to enforce the ban.

As they set off, to a slow start, the master became very intolerant and raised his whip to hit a sab as more citronella was laid in front of the hounds – funny how their attitude changes when there’s no public round.

About an hour in, the hunt begun flushing covers with a full pack of hounds – something which is illegal under the hunting bill – and there was no drag anywhere in the area, nor seen throughout the day. As hounds went into cry, sabs were on the otherside of the cover ready to get between the fox and hunt pack when they broke cover and went into chase. Following this, sabs made howls (a noise made by followers if a fox is seen) to distract the hunt master who was unaware of the sabs on the otherside. He then began rallying the hounds towards the direction of the noise and encouraging them, only to be caught on video camera by the monitors when he, and the full pack of hounds, broke cover. Fox burrows in the woods were filled in – something done the morning of the hunt so no chased animals can get down the holes – this makes them easier to find, chase and kill as they have nowhere to hide. After this, the master (who coincidentally claimed to be legally hunting in his earlier speech!) was asked about the ban and points of law were put to him as he was being filmed; his reply – a middle finger and muttering of “Fuck Off”. This was then changed to pointing and saying he’ll speak later when he realised he was being filmed.

They then moved onto another, bigger cover and did the same but chased a fox. Due to sabs’ intervention and laying of citronella, two chased roe deer and foxes escaped from the hounds. Due to the covering of the scent by monitors, the pack was confused and the hunt moved on to try and avoid being filmed breaking the law. The land owner then came to escort sabs out of the cover and was confronted about his allowance of an illegal activity occurring on his land; unable to answer he began ranting on about trespass and tried grabbing the video cameras.

Later on as the Y&AS headed back towards Easingwold to pack up, hunt supporters slashed two tires on the land rover used by sabs – obviously in envy of their days lack of success and sabs disrupting their illegal hunt.

THE YORK AND AINSTY SOUTH, LIKE MANY OTHER HUNTS, ARE CLAIMING IN THE PRESS THEY CONTINUE TO HUNT WITHIN THE LAW. THIS IS NOW EXPOSED AS A LIE. WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR HUNTS WITHIN THE AREA AND INTERVENE, SAVE LIES AND ENFORCE THE LAW.

YORK HUNT SABS

http://www.huntsabs.org.uk

December’s Greek round-up of bank, cash machine & Group 4-Wackenhut vehicle attacks

Arson at a bank’s ATM (Athens, 24/12/2007)

Source (greek only-page bottom): http://www.enet.gr/online/online_text/c=112,id=91228912

At 4:43 in the morning, the ATM of a Kyprou Bank subsidiary in central Athens, was set on fire. There was no responsibility claim.

Arson at a bank’s ATM (Athens, 24/12/2007)

Source (greek only-page bottom): http://www.enet.gr/online/online_text/c=112,id=91228912

At 4:43 in the morning, the ATM of a Kyprou Bank subsidiary in central Athens, was set on fire. There was no responsibility claim.
—
Molotov cocktail attack against security vehicles (Athens, 24/12/2007)

Source (greek only): Eleftherotypia – http://www.enet.gr/online/online_text/c=112,id=91228912

According to “Eleftherotypia newspaper report the “Revolutionary Attack Groups” (Epanastatikes Omades Epithesis) claim responsobility for the arsons of “Group 4 Securicor” vehicles in Kolonos, Athens. “On Dec. 24 we attacked the private guard company “Group 4-Wackenhut” headquarters destroying around 15 vehicles used in money transfers. This company, apart from owning private prisons in America and England, in our country constitutes the most important piece of the growing police-like corp of security professionals that floods the streets, breeding the big brother shoving cameras, circulating the banks’ wealth and guarding diverse capitalist targets contributing in the increasing social control and repression.”
They also mention:
“The message here is clear. When dealing with the rage of insurgents they cannot be safe, even in their headquarters. Our attack was an action of solidarity to our emprisoned comrades: Giannis Dimitrakis, Giorgos Voutsis-Vogiatzis, Marios Tsourapas, Chrissostomos Kontorevithakis, Vaggelis Botzatzis as well as to the prisoners of the Revolutionary Organisation November 17 that are being kept under a state of total isolation. It is an action of solidarity to the insurgent prisoners of April, many of whom face torture and constant transfers. It all continues…”
—
Police camera supply box on fire (Thessaloniki, 21/12/2007)

According to reports at http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=807773 a group of individuals set on fire a police camera power supply box, on Ethikis Amynis Street, Thessaloniki.
—
Arson at an Emporiki Bank (Volos, 21/12/2007)

Source: (greek only-page bottom: http://www.taxydromos.gr/article_detail.asp?node_serial=001001&node_id=2&article_id=7803)

Unidentified persons caused a gas canister explosion at a bank subsidiary in Volos, around 4:30 in the morning, at Emporiki Bank on Iolkou and Konstanta street, causing damages to the bank’s ATM. Police suspects individuals from the city’s antiauthoritarian milieu.
—

Potatoes to Heavy Industry – Xmas blockade in Iceland with video

24 December 2007
On Saturday nine ‘jólasveinar’ wandered into the Hellisheiði Powerplant by Mount Hengill, expressing their opposition to the rise of heavy industry and other nature devastating activities in Iceland, as well as solidarity with human nature conservationists. (The jolasveinar are 13 Icelandic santas, born of a child-eating troll mother, who descend from the mountains in the days before christmas to sneak through the houses, stealing, teasing and causing mischief.)

“We decided to take a stroll by there before coming to town, and give out rotten potatoes to the naughty industrialists, and maybe a gift or two to the workers that do their jobs badly” said Pottaskefill (Pot scraper) on behalf of the group. Naughty Icelandic children such as these traditionally get a rotten potato in their christmas shoe.

—
The Jule Lads, Nordic trolls who’s tradition preceed Father Christmas, descended upon a geothermal power station which is being enlarged to power the enlargement of an aluminium smelting factory by RUSAL/Nordural. Hengill was once a beautiful mountain range, at the edge of a highly volcanic area in Iceland, a ski resort peppered with natural hot pools and steaming rocks. Now it is nothing but a screaming factory.

The Jule lads join up for a special direct action with the Saving Iceland collective as they left to town… the video can be found here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfY5Ou31SWE

Please consider coming out to Iceland for our 2008 action camp, we need all the help from activists we can get. This island is Europe’s last wilderness and with huge dams, geothermal power plants, power lines, tarmac roads, polluting factories, not to mention all the terrible affects on the surrounding sea, and a whole host of other forms of destruction.

More photos at:
http://www.savingiceland.org/node/1077

rampART losses possesion case but buys two more weeks

20.12.2007
Today the rampART social centre lost in court against a claim for possession. A possession order will now be granted although not until the 3rd Jan 2008.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE NEWS ALERTS ABOUT LONDON SOCIAL CENTRES?

20.12.2007
Today the rampART social centre lost in court against a claim for possession. A possession order will now be granted although not until the 3rd Jan 2008.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE NEWS ALERTS ABOUT LONDON SOCIAL CENTRES?
Text ‘follow londonscn’ to 07624801423 then reply with a name as instructed.

If you are interested in making sure there are new social centres to fill the void, please come along to the meeting on the 6th. (more details closer to the time).

In the meantime, in their last newsletter, the rampART collective made a call out for help sorting out RAMpart2 (toward bottom below)…

The whole out of the blue eviction threat smacks of a vindictive punitive reaction to the campaign of objection against the proposed demolition of the houses next to the social center. It turns out that the so-called new owners of the houses are in fact a wholly owned subsidiary of the ‘previous owner’, the Rampart Trust Co Ltd that still owns the warehouse which the social center occupies. Even though there is no planning permission in place or applied for in relation to the social centre, they claim that they intend to start demolition in Jan/Feb 2008. Obviously this is impossible and they know it, so their attempt to have us evicted is not really because of any impending work in the new year.

Speaking of planning, it is still possible to lodge objections against the proposed new houses on the site of the existing houses. The officer dealing with the case is currently on leave and so the consultation period has apparently not been closed. If you’ve not yet written and especially if your address is one in Towerhamlets, then please write a letter perhaps objecting to the proposal on the grounds that it involved a demolition inside the conservation zone and the new construction will totally change the character of this piece of east end heritage. You might also mention that the owner is on record as planning to make an application relating to the building next door and therefore the development should be considered as a whole to really understand the visual impact that the changes currently proposed might have.

As well as providing your name and address, you need to clearly specify in the subject the application number PA/07/02707 and the fact that the letter is for OBJECTION (eg. subject : Objection to Application PA/07/02707 – 7-11a Rampart Street)

All the objection letter can be sent to Benson Olaseni, who will circulate the letter to Simon Ryan the case officer.

Here is the email : benson.olaseni@towerhamlets.gov.uk

You might be interested to know that the solicitors working for the owner in their claim to have us evicted are Brecher Solicitors who are at Heron Place, 3 George Street, London ( admin@brecher.co.uk, 02075631000) and give that address as the care of address for the co-claimants, the Rampart Trust Company Ltd (owned by Mr Wolfe) and RMO Developments Ltd (owned by Rampart Trust Co. Ltd)

While they keep their addresses off the claim, an internet search provides the following info.

RAMPART TRUST CO LIMITED (Registered No. 00394626)
27 NORRICE LEA, LONDON, N2 0RD

Rmo Developments Ltd. (Registration Number: 6183351)
Mowbray House, 58/70 Edgware Way
Edgware Middlesex HA8 8DJ

A little over a year ago, a property company sent somebody called Richard Selby to visit the buildings with Mr Wolfe, the beneficiary of the Rampart Trust – apparently to show a financier around for the purposes of a valuation. Coincidentally this Heritage Group (020 8958 0000 info@heritagegroup.co.uk) actually shares the same address as RMO Developments Ltd.

The agent acting for the owner in all dealings relating to the proposed developments is Alan Camp Architects ( +44 (0)20 7593 1000 mail@alancamp.com 88 Union Street London SE1 0NW). They’ve also had the involvement of Miller Property Consultants (17 Hogarth Avenue, Brentwood, Essex CM15 8BE 01277 233 100 / 07957 544 007 advice@millerproperty.co.uk).

I’m sure that in some countries there would be hordes of angry direct action anarchist types and cyber hackers causing obstruction and disruption to the evil ones but here things are usually done differently. We are making a call out for the following…

Offers of vans and drivers for transport when we have to move out.

Ideas and offers of storage space for the resources in the rampART

Notification of empties for future new social centres

Mobile phone numbers of those willing to drop everything to come defend the space.

Volunteers for people to reccy and access shortlisted buildings

Mobile numbers of people up for initially holding down a newly opened building.

A signup sheet of those up for helping clean up and fix up such a building.

A list of those people either wanting to act as live in ‘care takers’ or those up for being on an occupation rota.

email rampart at mutualaid dot org

We are also organising a meeting which aims to breath new life into opening not just one new space to replace the rampART but initiate a london social centres collective which would try to ensure that there are plenty of social centres, preferable throughout London on an ongoing basis.

It will take place 2pm Sunday 6th Jan 08
please pass the word and come along if this interests you.

Aldermaston bike ride March 2008

Bikes against the bomb!
Bike ride March 22nd-26th 2008

Bikes not bombs are planning a bike ride from London to Aldermaston Atomic Weapons Establishment and back again, as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the first Aldermaston march

Bikes against the bomb!
Bike ride March 22nd-26th 2008

Bikes not bombs are planning a bike ride from London to Aldermaston Atomic Weapons Establishment and back again, as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the first Aldermaston march

The bike ride is expected to take 4 days (22nd March – 26th March 2008). If you would be interested in attending, or even better, in helping to organise it, then please email info@bikesnotbombs.org.uk .

Fifty years on from the first Aldermaston march, anti-nuclear campaigners need to work quickly to halt the trident replacement. Aldermaston atomic weapons establishment is now building research facilities to build the next generation of nukes, despite this being illegal under the international non-proliferation treaty. Grab your bikes and come and help us stop them.

More than 5000 people are expected to attend the surround the base event at Aldermaston on the 24th March and we will form part of the bike block.

The bike ride will take an active role in anti-arms trade activities

The first organising meeting will be at the London Action Resource Centre (LARC) on January 26th, at 2 p.m.

For more info please contact info@bikesnotbombs.org.uk

For directions to LARC

62 Fieldgate Street, Whitechapel, London E1 1ES. http://www.remotegoat.co.uk/venue_view.php?uid=20591 for directions

http://www.bikesnotbombs.org.uk

Shell to Sea protesters scale government building to reach Minister’s Office

Wednesday December 19, 2007

A small group of Shell to Sea activists scaled the heights of the Department of Natural Resources today, to place a banner reading PROTECT IRISH NATURAL RESOURCES on the balcony outside Eamon Ryan’s office.

Wednesday December 19, 2007

Splitting into two small teams, the protesters used advice from GreenPeace to distract the security and gain access to the Minister’s top floor office and leave a message for him.

This action was carried out to bring to public attention the government’s support for every aspect of the Rossport pipeline/refinery scheme, and the giveaway of Irish Natural resources to multinational companies like Shell, with no lasting benefit for people in Ireland. The Green party have now had a full term of the Dáil to honour their election promises, but sadly, their end of term report is is marked FAIL.

None of the gas or oil in the wells off the western coast of Ireland will belong to the state, since the government still plans to give it all away for free to private companies. The recent changes to licensing agreements won’t apply to the eight billion euro Corrib project, and don’t amount to a serious stake for the people of Ireland in their own natural resources, 100 per cent of which is still being given away to companies like Shell and Statoil.

None of the money from these fossil fuels will be invested in renewable sources of energy like wind and wave power, and no thought has been given to the impact that the exploitation of these resources will have on climate change.

Áine, one of the Shell to Sea protestors, said “The government’s supine support for the oil companies shows that they prioritise the welfare of Shell shareholders over the wellbeing of their own citizens. Shell are being allowed to keep all the gas and sell it to the highest bidder, almost certainly in Britain. The refining of 4 million euro worth of raw gas per day will clearly degrade the environment, both locally for the people of Mayo, and also in terms of carbon dioxide emissions when the gas is used. From an Irish point of view, we would be better off leaving the gas where it is, under the sea.”

Shell to Sea protestors have also pointed out that the government’s double talk on climate change can be clearly seen when they are supporting the construction of a raw gas refinery, and say they are hoping for further exploitation of fossil fuels in the Atlantic margin.

ÁÍne continued: “Until supply-side solutions are put in place, the continuing exploitation of fossil fuels will be adding to carbon dioxide emissions which is causing climate change. Any possible benefit from this is lost because the gas and oil are simply handed over to the big corporations. The people of Ireland will see no advantage, either environmental or financial, from their own gas and oil resources.”

“Meanwhile the corporations which will see huge profits from Irish resources, seek to use the cheapest and most dangerous way of exploiting them. Our government is happy to see lives of people in Ireland put at risk by the use of an onshore pipeline and refinery in Mayo, simply to maximise returns for Shell shareholders. “

Short haul flight Manchester adverts cancelled

18.12.2007
Shocking U-turn from short-haul carrier!

Apparently, FlyBe has spotted the errors of their ways and cancelled their short-haul summer routes. Bravo FlyBe!

18.12.2007
Shocking U-turn from short-haul carrier!

Apparently, FlyBe has spotted the errors of their ways and cancelled their short-haul summer routes. Bravo FlyBe!

All they need now is to convince their mates Ryanair, Easyjet, et al. that short-haul aviation is unsustainable and heading us towards run-away climate change.

jeremy Clarkson adverts subvertised

Spotted on the Underground at Kings Cross Station; two adverts promoting DVD’s by Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson with large stickers stuck on declaring ‘This causes climate change’.