earthfirst – Page 297

Polish ecologists still under surveillance…

A letter, sent to all Polish police headquarters about an order to investigate and gather information about opponents of building the bypass through Rospuda Valley has already been circulated around the Internet.

Although everybody laughs at the fact that the police are wasting their time keeping ecologists under surveillance the case is quite serious because the purpose of this police action is defined as: “to gather information about possible dangers to public order and illegal sabotage acts from organizations which show their aversion to governmental enterprise”.

For the time being, it is not entirely obvious what they are looking for and how this information is going to be used by them but most probably journalists from www.zieloni.org.pl will also be under police surveillance (although we do not have any sabotage plans, we show our “aversion” to governmental project) that is why we’re going to observe constantly their plans and inform you systematically. Below you can read the letter to the police headquarters.

The same letter was sent to all police headquarters in Poland (a copy of the letter is available from the website http://adamwajrak.blox.pl)

From: The Crime Division of The Police Headquarters in Jelenia Góra
To: The Police Headquarters in Jelenia Góra

TELEGRAM nr MJ-B-5421/38/07

On account of the orders included in document no WK II 146/06 from the Chief of the Police Station, Konrad Kornatowski, dated 19 Feb 2007 about the plans for building the Augusów bypass (Podlaskie province) I would like to ask to order subordinate policemen to direct work of personal sources of information (and to recruit new ones) to gather information about possible dangers to public order and illegal sabotage acts from organizations which show their aversion to governmental enterprise.

All the information should be sent to SMI WWK KWP in Wrocław (with “Rospuda” in the subject of the report) and The Crime Division from The Police Headquarters in Jelenia Góra should be informed at the same time.

One copy was made.

(sent via fax)

Written by JL

VICE GOVERNOR
of the Crime Division
The Police Headquarters in Jelenia Góra

Chief Inspector Artur KRAWCZYK

[a comment by the author of the post] I am not sure what it supposed to be: is it a joke or should I start to panic that we are under surveillance. I wonder what they are going to do with this information and for what and where they are looking… It’s madness! So far I count on free flow of information and that they will restrain themselves when they see that everybody has read these letters.

M For Media Malarkey – SchNEWS Alternative Media Gathering 2007

M For Media Malarkey – the SchNEWS Alternative Media Gathering 2007

May 11-13th 2007: Cowley Club, 12 London Rd, Brighton, BN1 4JA

You are invited to SchNEWS’ first multi-media-activist gathering. As well as a coming together of those already involved in web, video, print, photography, and radio in alternative/independent media – as well as activists who use this media – this event will also be for new people wanting to get involved. Starting on Friday evening and going through to Sunday evening, there will be a range of discussions, hands-on practical workshops in the various media, as well as stalls and screenings throughout the weekend to showcase what’s currently being produced.

M For Media Malarkey – the SchNEWS Alternative Media Gathering 2007

May 11-13th 2007: Cowley Club, 12 London Rd, Brighton, BN1 4JA

After discussions amongst SchNEWS, as well as others’ imput, about what aspects of independent media should be highlighted during the gathering, several key points have emerged:

* Promoting campaigns and mobilising communities: evaluating and improving the way independent media helps the campaigns and actions it covers, as well as how campaigns use various media themselves – with speakers from campaigns talking about their experiences, and those working in alternative media.

* Improving Skills: Acknowledging that many people in alternative media come from ‘activist’ backgrounds, and are often getting by with very little ‘training’. For video activists it may be about the battles with technology to produce and distribute video, for writers it may mean they have limited research or ‘journalistic’ skills, and those creating leaflets/flyers/publications would often benefit with more knowledge about design etc. There will be workshops and discussions to help improve skills in these and other relevant areas.

The gathering will accommodate for the fact that while both these topics, and many others, are common to all media, and many people work in several media – there is also areas specific to each – so therefore some of the key sessions will start with the whole group together, then split off into the various types to discuss aspects in more detail.

As well as this there will be talks from those involved in Pirate Radio, mobile Indymedia set-ups for such events as the G8 protest in Scotland, and more to be confirmed.

While some speakers are confirmed, if you have relevant experience in these areas and would like to be involved, please contact SchNEWS now.

Likewise if you want to come along, and need accommodation, contact SchNEWS – we need to know numbers as soon as, so please give us fair notice.

The event will be free/donation, and vegan food will be available during the weekend in the Cowley Club.

email schnews@brighton.co.uk tel 01273 685 913
Keep checking www.schnews.org.uk for updates.

Spray Building ‘spring into action’ open for business

Here in Nottingham, A ‘free space’ has been made available and is now prepared for use. There will be many workshops here and at the other locations around town.

Thu 5th – Wed 11th Apr, Spring into Action – A week of workshops, events, music and action on climate change happening at different venues across Nottingham. It is expected that within this period, there will be some workdays, were you will be able to turn up, and get involved in helping build the project

Spring Into Action – A week of events on Climate Change, happening in Nottingham

Thursday 5th – Wednesday 11th April 2007

This is the ‘full’ Programme of Events, with dates, time, locations ….. and everything

http://www.eastsideclimateaction.org.uk/workshops/programme/

info@eastsideclimateaction.org.uk
http://www.eastsideclimateaction.org.uk

Please check Nottinghamshire Indymedia on the ‘Events’ column [left hard side] for details of what when, how and where, nearer the time.

A week of workshops, events, music and action on climate change happening at different venues across Nottingham.

Climate change is real and its happening now. Governments and corporations dream of continued economic growth – economic growth can’t solve this crisis, but we can. A massive and concerted effort is needed on the scale of ‘Dig for Victory’ or the ‘Home Front’: A war on climate change.

We can’t continue our current way of life – the oil on which it all depends is running out too fast. A shift to a locally based economy will have to happen, with food and energy being produced by the people that use it. The only question is when? We could start now, or we could wait for a future of war, famine, hurricanes, droughts and floods. We need to gain the courage and change fast enough to cultivate a new world, before it’s too late.

‘Spring into Action’ is part of an emerging grassroots movement against climate change. Born out of the Camp for Climate Action (www.climatecamp.org.uk), ‘Spring into Action’ unites people across the east of England into making changes in our own lives, creating small scale solutions in our communities and resisting those who still seek their own short term gain over a safe future for us all.

So get involved, come join a workshop or run one yourself, come and help organise the change that you want to experience in our world.

info@eastsideclimateaction.org.uk
http://www.eastsideclimateaction.org.uk

Climate Camp How to Deliver Direct Action Workshops Workshop in Oxford

We have space for some more people to attend a small weekend workshop delivered by Seeds for Change, on HOW TO DELIVER direct action trainings for climate activism. The idea is that people come to this, get trained up on how to give trainings on direct action tactics, talking to the media/cops, some legal stuff, quick consensus decision making, maybe tripod usage etc… So that they can then go off and train people up in the run up to the Camp for Climate Action (14-21 August).

This way we can maximise the effectiveness of our actions, and try to share the workload.

Can you come? It’d be over the weekend of 14-15th April, at the Oxford Action Resource Centre, Princes St, East Oxford.

( http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=452768&y=205877&z=1&sv=princes+st&st=6&tl=Princes+Street,+Oxford,+OX4&searchp=newsearch.srf&mapp=newmap.srf)

Crash space provided.
Let us know as soon as possible at:
actionsupport@climatecamp.org.uk

Action Support at Climate Camp
http://www.climatecamp.org.uk

Shell Poisoning Erris Water Supply: Don’t Mention The Water

A two part short film (from an in-progress feature movie called Policing The Pollution) investigating the pollution of Carrowmore Lake, the water supply for over 10,000 Erris people in County Mayo. The polluter – Shell. Local resident John Monaghan and myself look over the water tests and confront Mayo County Council.

Don’t_mention_the_water_01 – video/x-ms-wmv 19M

Don’t_mention_the_water_02 – video/x-ms-wmv 17M

When I first met with John Monaghan during my time in Ireland, the first thing he mentioned was the pollution of the local water supply which was coming directly from the Shell/Statoil Corrib Gas Project at Bellanaboy Bridge.

This has been reported before on Indymedia.ie. Now their latest reports are starting to point to what we uncovered whilst out there.

In order to construct the refinery foundations 500,000 tons of wet Atlantic peat must be removed. Shell started this but halted operations when high-aluminium content “doib” soil was exposed. The aluminium made contact with on-site surface water and proceeded to contaminate surrounding streams and rivers, all of which lead to Carrowmore Lake, the drinking water supply for over 10,000 residents in the Erris community.

Acting after the initial problem arose, on 8 September 2005, Mayo County Council (MCC) issued Shell E & P Ireland (SEPIL) an official warning: “Failure to take immediate action to avoid pollution of the waterways will result in MCC issuing a notice under Section 12 of the Local Government (Water Pollution) Act 1977.”

Aluminium in drinking water has been linked to dementia and Alzheimer-type diseases, and bone disorders. Although the World Health Organisation (WHO) will not admit or deny this, stating the link between aluminium and such diseases “cannot be ruled out”, in 1993 they set a maximum limit of 200 ug/l (micrograms per litre).

The levels set on the Corrib Gas Project and issued directly to SEPIL are an “action limit” of 135 ug/l and an “maximum limit” of 200 ug/l.

It took Shell till February 2006 to act. They installed an Axonics Electro-Chemical Water Treatment Plant to strain out aluminium using electrical currents that passed through the water and collected the aluminium on conducting plates. But the aluminium levels kept rising and the Axonics plant continually broke down.

When asked by this journalist to discuss the levels of aluminium that the plant could safely deal with, no one at the Axonics company in Swansea would give a reply. The secretary said she was told to explain to me they were in a legally binding contract and were allowed not to make any comment without prior consent from the customer.

When the levels in the river, lake and water continued a steady rise the local community complained again. MCC acted again. This time it cut nearly all drinking water tests, reduced Carrowmore Lake tests dramatically and Shell began doing their own on-site testing.

By the end of 2006 the water coming off-site was regularly over the maximum limits, often two or three times and peaking at levels of over 2000 and 3000 ug/l.

Discrepancies were also found when records released from MCC were compared to the tests by Shell on-site.

On 13/12/06 Shell’s on-site testing showing an “indicative level” of 666 ug/l, still over three times the maximum limit. MCC Figures released in February showed the same date, same source of testing (SP1) and recorded 3271 ug/l.

On 20/12/06 Shell’s figures showed 180 ug/l. MCC recorded 1928 ug/l.

The knock-on effect has seen higher levels of aluminium appear in the lake and the drinking water itself. 03/01/07 it tested 521 ug/l. By 14/02/07 it had risen to 658 ug/l. The drinking water, tested twice from a source in Belmullet at the end of January 2007 first registered 1714 ug/l, then dropped several days later to 406 ug/l.

Shell denied they were anything to do with the rising levels, claiming it was because of river bank erosion in the area.

The pollution of Carrowmore Lake has more recently took centre-stage of the protest, leading to a site invasion by 60 locals and an occupation of council offices in recent weeks, who residents accused of failing to act on the issue (see Indymedia.ie/mayo).

On 2 April 2007, I was informed by local people in the area Shell had recommenced the removal of the rest of the peat, which will expose more of the doib soil. Only one-third was originally removed in previous operations.

For further information:

http://www.corribsos.com/

http://www.indymedia.ie/mayo

Robin Hood blockades the Base

On Sunday April the 1st, a team of outlaws from Nottingham blockaded the main gate of Faslane Nuclear Submarine Base for 4 hours.

This was just one day of the 365 day blockade of Faslane that was started in October in response to our governments plan to replace Trident despite agreements signed in international law in the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty.

On Sunday April the 1st, a team of outlaws from Nottingham blockaded the main gate of Faslane Nuclear Submarine Base for 4 hours.

After months in the planning, over 50 people from Nottingham and Derby headed up to Scotland over the weekend. It was an incredibly mixed bunch of people, aged from 14 to 76, and including seasoned peace campaigners as well as people completely new to protesting who felt impassioned into acting by the threat of new nuclear weapons.

After a day spent marching around the nuclear base on the Saturday, final plans for the blockade were put into place that evening. It was a daunting task. The main gate was expected to be completely held by police, and we needed to be there by 6.30am! Nevertheless, despite a tyre blowing out just a few miles from the base, blockaders took the police by surprise and managed a full take-over of the space in front of the main gate seconds after arriving. A mixture of tried and tested concrete lock-ons, and innovative new methods (plastercasting ourselves to each other) were used by the 15 people who locked down in front of the gate.

The success of the operation was amazing, and the support from rest of the 50 or so people was brilliant – from a constant barrage of noise and chants, to biscuits and cigarettes being lobbed over police lines and screens to the blockaders. The last people were carried off by police at around 11am. Everyone was jubilant with success!

But it wasn’t over yet! The Rebel Clown Army was arriving and making a real nuisance of themselves… one was arrested when found in a vehicle he shouldn’t have been in, and others later locked the police in their own compound, making them look even more like fools than they normally do, when after 20 minutes of head scratching and calling the cutting team they found the key just near by!

More members of the Robin Hood team then stood in front of the gates and sang Palm Sunday hymns. When threatened with arrest, one woman refused to move to allow access to the gates. She was quickly joined by a man inspired by her actions who stood with her in solidarity and they were both arrested.

So, out of the 50 strong Robin Hood team, 17 were arrested. They were all held for over 24 hours. Yet spirits were still high when they were all released with only a written warning. On a personal note, I found this event really inspiring. Lots of people who have never done anything like this before came together to pull off a really successful blockade. Hopefully it won’t stop there, and we will continue to work together.

Machinery occupied near anti-pipeline camp (plus camp directions, carnival footage, news of court ruling on terminal…)

2.04.2007

Activists have once again climbed on machinery to delay work on National Grid’s 200 mile gas pipeline. Work was stopped near the anti-pipeline tree camp for several hours on two consecutive days.

2.04.2007

Activists have once again climbed on machinery to delay work on National Grid’s 200 mile gas pipeline. Work was stopped near the anti-pipeline tree camp for several hours on two consecutive days.

Trees around the anti-pipeline tree camp in Penpont have been chopped down in recent days and heavy machinery has been brought in to enable work on the pipeline to start in the area. However, the anti-pipeline camp has still not been evicted. More people are urgently needed to take part in the growing resistance to the pipeline, which is causing huge destruction to the environment and poses serious safety risks.

For more information on the damaging effects of the pipeline: fightthepipe.co.uk

DIRECTIONS to Penpont tree camp:

The protest camp is in ancient woodland at Penpont, 4 miles west of Brecon on the A40 close to Bettws Penpont church. It is located at Ordnance Survey national grid reference SN9728728525. There is a bus going from Cardiff coach station to Brecon town (X43, takes aprox 1hr, costs around £4). From the bus stop you get off at in Brecon town (the only bus stop there) there is another bus that goes right past the camp (£1.60, aprox 10 mins- ask driver for tree camp, you will probably see banners on the left).

DONATIONS:

People on site are requesting any donations. Please send supplies of all sorts, especially beams for building, tarp, rope, nails, D-locks, heavy chains, stuff for lock-ons (sand, cement, gravel.), harnesses and other climbing gear, scrap metal, cuddles etc etc etc.
We can use almost any tat…

Please come visit the camp before it’s too late!

Footage of Saturday 24th March Trebanos carnival against pipeline.

News of court ruling stopping work on terminal – http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/6510957.stm

Spring into Action – Critical Mass

There will be a critical mass ride celabrating the joys of cycling and all carbon free forms of Transport on the Friday of Spring into Action.

Friday 6th April 5:30pm Market Square.

Come join us and celebrate all forms of carbon free transport, cyclists, walkers, skaters all welcome.

There will be a critical mass ride celabrating the joys of cycling and all carbon free forms of Transport on the Friday of Spring into Action.

Friday 6th April 5:30pm Market Square.

Come join us and celebrate all forms of carbon free transport, cyclists, walkers, skaters all welcome.

See you there

info@eastsideclimateaction.org.uk
http://www.eastsideclimateaction.org.uk

Nottingham folk succesfully blockade nuclear submarine base in Scotland

1.04.2007

Over 50 people from Nottingham and Derby successfully blockaded the Faslane Nuclear Naval Base In Scotland today. Various blockade groups in intriguing lock-on devices and some plastered together blocked the main entrance to the site. Police started removing people from 8.30 onwards but had problems with removing people from a 6 way lock-on device, which held strong for another 2 hours. The police had to draft in specialist equipment from other forces to deal with the device. 18 people were arrested and have been moved to Paisley. The blockade lasted for over 4 hours. Whilst on the phone to someone at the scene, one could hear a lot of chanting and cheering as one protester managed to shout ‘no to nuclear weapons’ just before being put in a police van.

1.04.2007

The action is part of an international campaign to blockade the navel base throughout the year in a bid to stop the replacement of the controversial Trident Missile Sytem. Blockades have been taking place for the last few months by groups from around the country.

Timeline: (updated when new info comes in)

6.45 – Groups arrive and blockades in place at the Main Gate. 1 group with oilbarrel lockon device, 1 group with 6 way lock on device, 2 groups of 3 with plaster attachments (lower arms plastered together).
8.30 – Police start removing people.
9.00 – Police have succesfully removed the oilbarrel lock on blockade. Up to 6 arrests by this time.
9.15 – The group is joined by members of CIRCO, the corporate arm of the Rebel Clown Army. See website. They will auction off the Trident Missile System tomorrow.
9.45 – The blockade has been in place for 3 hours now. The police announce that they are unable to remove people from the 6 way lock on device. They are drafting in officers with specialist equipment from another force.
10.51 – Other officers have arrived and with the new equipment people were removed from the 6 way lock-on device pretty quick. The blockade has been cleared now. 14 people detained in total.
11.00 – 40 people strong demonstration in front of the main entrance. Clowns entertain the crowds and have changed the HM Naval Base sign so it now reads ‘Under New Management’.
12.05 – A woman and a man are arrested for ‘breach of the peace’ offences. Apperently they came too close to the gate. The woman was part of a small group holding a palm sunday protest.
14.29 – The demonstration in front of the gates is still happening. Spirits are high and the clowns providing a load of entertainment. One clown arrested for apperently trying to enter a police vehicle. Protesters decide to stay until at least 4 o’clock when a shift change inside the base will take place.

Anti- Starbucks Picket in Cardiff, sat 31st March

On Saturday March 31st afternoon, South Wales Anarchists set up a stall on Cardiff’s Queen Street to giveaway free, freshly made Zapatista coffee. Which happened to be right outside a Starbucks outlet.

Free information was given out about the Zapatistas’ struggle and how Starbucks’ business practices exploit coffee farmers, its own employees and the environment.

With a mostly postive reaction from passers by, 15 litres of Zapatista coffee was given away.

Delicious!

http://www.southwalesanarchists.org