earthfirst – Page 304

The Campaign Against Prison Slavery

The Campaign Against Prison Slavery is a group set up to try to expose the reality of prison labour, how little of it teaches skills that can be used after release and which could help reduce the chances of re-offending.

We also seek to expose the private companies that have contracts with prisons that are making huge profits using prisoner labour while the prisoners are paid pennies an hour, any loses incurred by the prison industries contracts are covered by the tax payer.

CAPS now has a new website www.againstprisonslavery.org and the contact details are:

Campaign Against Prison Slavery
P.O. Box 74
Brighton
BN1 4ZQ
E-mail: againstprisonslavery@riseup.net

SAVE PRIOY PARK : Mass Rally (photos)

26.02.2007

As promised by local campaigners, and expected by the wider public, hundreds of local people converged upon Southend Civic Centre last Thursday for the ‘Parkrally’, to oppose controversial plans to widen the A127/A1159 Priory Crescent, or ‘scheme F5’ as it has come to be known.

The event follows the recent ‘storming’ of the British Archaeological Awards celebration at Prittlewell Priory in January, when dozens of local residents disrupted an invite only ‘wine and cheese’ event held for local dignitaries, in celebration of the discovery of the East Saxon king’s burial, which would be destroyed, should the £25m road scheme get the go ahead.

Feelings continue to run high, with majority public opposition to the scheme repeatedly being shown by local groups, and press, six years into the campaign to stop the road.

Speaking from the steps of the Civic Centre, where a meeting of the full Council was taking place inside, campaigner and local resident Shaun Qureshi said, ‘Southend Borough Council are either somehow still ignorant of the fact that so many people continue to demonstrate, or they are arrogant enough to feel that they can simply push us aside.

‘They have only time and silence on their side, and the commonly held misconception that the scheme has already been canned by the Department for Transport, who would be required to provide the funding. The feeling that the scheme will not now go ahead is due to the delay in anyone in authority either taking any responsibility, or coming to a decision on the issue.

‘However, recent events have proven that despite this, significant numbers of the local public can still be mobilised to take action, that we do have majority support, and should the go-ahead be given, that there will be outrage across the town if attempts are made to evict Camp Bling, concrete over the burial or to destroy yet another green space.’

A decision to fund the road widening has been awaited from the DfT since a local Public Inquiry took place in March 2004. Information from the East of England Regional Partnership Group shows that costs have now risen to an estimated £25m for the 870 metre length of carriageway , making it potentially, ‘The most expensive stretch of road in the world.’

http://www.savepriorypark.org

GP ship impounded during anti-Trident action

23 February: Greenpeace ship the Arctic Sunrise impounded during floating blockade of Faslane naval base. Snippets below from GP press releases.

This morning the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise out-manoeuvred MoD ships and is now anchored across the entrance to the base. Meanwhile six smaller blocking boats have dropped off Greenpeace volunteers in canoes who are attempting to scale HMS Vigilant, one of the UK’s four Vanguard nuclear weapons subs berthed at Faslane.

23 February: Greenpeace ship the Arctic Sunrise impounded during floating blockade of Faslane naval base. Snippets below from GP press releases.

Later that day:
UPDATE: Twenty military police stormed the ship and smashed their way onto the bridge of the Arctic Sunrise shortly after 5pm following the day-long stand-off. The military police cut the anchor chain and towed the ship into the nuclear base. All onboard have been arrested for being in a restricted area.

See http://www.greenpeace.org.uk for more (pix, etc)
and http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/6388967.stm

The Arctic Sunrise is due to berth on the Thames in early March, ahead of the parliamentary debate and vote on Trident replacement.

Dozens of Swampys desperately needed to save Rospuda Valley, Poland

People who will defend the valley are needed. Do not leave Polish eco-warriors alone. Polish ultracatholic government is building a road through primeval forest. An inquiry into the preparation of this investment shows that the decison process was undemocratic, a variant called Chodorki variant of the proposed bypass that was avoiding the valley altogether was excluded from the appraisal procedure, as well as the Eastern variant, which was the cheapest.

Swampys in all qualities and quantities are needed in Poland to stop, or slow down the inwestment, and to create the much needed media coverage of this problem. As by now, no one of the national media reporting on the problem have not arrived to the core of the problem, that is the manipulations of the authorities with the choice of the variants and manipulated transport investment appraisal process. The government-owned TVP (kind of Polish BBC, alas ultracatholic and neonationalistic) is so biased when reporting on the issue, that it despereatedly tries to show ecologists as mentally ill people that possess even no capability to speak in their own name.

Here are the directions to Rospuda Valley.

The Valley is here:
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?ie=UTF8&z=12&ll=53.896045,22.934303&spn=0.146468,0.3162&om=1

The camp is over the river. Easy to find if arrived to Augustów no later than in the mid-day as it might be 4 hours walk from the town.
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=rospuda

From Kaunas to Augustów you might take a bus or a train. There is one train connection daily from Kaunas to Augustów, the train departs at 13:01 with change in Sestokai and arrives at 15:56. The schedules (also connections from other European cities to Augustów) are here:

http://rozklad.pkp.pl/bin/query.exe/en?

Nights are cold. Please check the weather forecast before departing. Get ready for more than minus 10 degree in the night.

plea for international support and publicity, let everyone you know, know. people needed to support camp with people power. if you plan to go to rospuda from u.k in mid march, contact piotr-dziedzice@gmail.com.

Rospuda Protest Camp – Films for viewing

Use the links below to watch the most recent films from the Rospuda Protest Camp. This will give you an idea of the conditions and temperatures being endured by the activists. Dialogue is in Polish language, but the images speak for themselves:

The camp:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaZiKfyRLdM&mode=related&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ_fWfQ2mjo&NR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44IySFbtmGc&mode=related&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bW41XY4eofQ&mode=related&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZS41nBvZcM&mode=related&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSVlnNVb6jM&mode=related&search=

Olecko town feeds the protesters:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mQJeoAdtJo&mode=related&search=

Police Critical of Mass (edinburgh)

23 Feb 2007
A critical mass of over 40 cyclists converged this Friday on Edinburgh city centre. After meeting between the art galleries near the mound they undertook a lively cycle ride, lasting nearly two hours through the town.

The mass had a generally uncompromising attitude to traffic, corking lanes at red lights to keep the mass together, ensuring the event was safe and fun for all involved.

Pounding techno music from the sound system set a really good mood for the cycle. There was a 25Watt megaphone-soundsystem with some uplifting tunes from Aphex twin, Squarepusher, a bit apocolyptic orchestral. One of the participants said “The music was quite amazing, it brought a whole different atmosphere to the ride. By changing the daily reality of people, with cars blocked and silent bikes riding to the music that filling the whole street, there is a vision of what is possible. I think critical mass is a revolutionary moment.”

Four police motorcycles arrived halfway through the ride, intercepting the procession outside the mosque near Edinburgh University. Several individuals were pulled to one side and warned that their lights were not legal. Despite forty cyclists being quite conspicuous and easily observable by motorists, they complained that several participants in the critical mass were breaking the law. Apparently flashing red lights are not adequately safe and visible, despite forty people with flashing red lights looking much like an xmas party. The name and address of one Edinburgh University student was taken, but no-one was arrested or formally cautioned, although they were warned that they may face an on the spot fine if caught again without legal lights. Despite this, the four police motorcyclists left the mass and no police were seen again after this unnecessary confrontation.

An Edinburgh University anthropology student who was accosted by the a police motorcyclists commented: “the problems they had with me were reasonable, i was cycling without any lights, they were just enforcing the law, I didnt go home when warned and was going slow on the inside lane and partially obstructing the police motorcycles”

One of the participants, an unemployed man living in Leith said: “the police were being antagonistic. So what if some of us had flashing red lights, and did not have the legally necessary white lights on the front of our bikes, haven’t they got better things to do? I think they just hate it when a bunch of people get together in a group to do something fun or radical and they cant control or dominate the situation. Despite the police, it was the best critical mass i have been on, good people and good atmosphere.”

A computer programmer from near the meadows said “I thought it went just dandily, it was good that we went slowly and blocked the whole road and there was nothing they [the police] could do about it because we were well within the law.”

“I’m going to dress up like a fucking christmas tree for the next critical mass, then they cant complain!” exclaimed one cyclist.

The vast majority of those in the mass were not intimidated by the police and continued with the critical mass demonstration, continuing along George St., and enjoyed cycling around the roundabouts and along the picturesque cobbled streets.

Edinburgh’s critical mass meets at 5.30pm on the last Friday of every month, outside the art gallery at the foot of the mound, It appears to be growing in numbers and enthusiasm as the warmer and lighter seasons approach.

Southend: Hundreds gather to oppose controversial F5 road widening

As promised by local campaigners, and expected by the wider public, hundreds of local people converged upon Southend Civic Centre this evening for the ‘Parkrally’, to oppose controversial plans to widen the A127/A1159 Priory Crescent, or ‘scheme F5’ as it has come to be known.
The event follows the recent ‘storming’ of the British Archaeological Awards celebration at Prittlewell Priory in January(1), when dozens of local residents disrupted an invite only ‘wine and cheese’ event held for local dignitaries, in celebration of the discovery of the East Saxon king’s burial, which would be destroyed, should the £25m road scheme get the go ahead.

Feelings continue to run high, with majority public opposition to the scheme repeatedly being shown by local groups, and press, six years into the campaign to stop the road.
Speaking from the steps of the Civic Centre, where a meeting of the full Council was taking place inside, campaigner and local resident Shaun Qureshi said, ‘Southend Borough Council are either somehow still ignorant of the fact that so many people continue to demonstrate, or they are arrogant enough to feel that they can simply push us aside.
‘They have only time and silence on their side, and the commonly held misconception that the scheme has already been canned by the Department for Transport, who would be required to provide the funding. The feeling that the scheme will not now go ahead is due to the delay in anyone in authority either taking any responsibility, or coming to a decision on the issue.
‘However, recent events have proven that despite this, significant numbers of the local public can still be mobilised to take action, that we do have majority support, and should the go-ahead be given, that there will be outrage across the town if attempts are made to evict Camp Bling, concrete over the burial or to destroy yet another green space.’(2)
A decision to fund the road widening has been awaited from the DfT since a local Public Inquiry took place in March 2004. Information from the East of England Regional Partnership Group shows that costs have now risen to an estimated £25m for the 870 metre length of carriageway (3), making it potentially, ‘The most expensive stretch of road in the world.’(4)
—————————————————————-
ENDS.

NOTES TO EDITORS:
1 British Archaeological Awards 2006:
www.britarch.ac.uk/awards/winners2006.html
2 Camp Bling website: www.savepriorypark.org
3 East of England Regional Partnership Group regional funding allocations advice to Government report January 2006, page 25:
http://www.eera.gov.uk/Documents/About%20EERA/Policy/Regional%20Governance/Regional%20Funding%20Allocations/Final%20EoE%20RFA%20300106.pdf
4 Southend Evening Echo Monday 13th February 2006

Bradford Climate Criminals flyposted

22.1.07
On Wednesday evening, a number of concerned Leeds and Bradford residents decided to draw attention to the activities of a number of climate criminals in Bradford city centre. Advertisements for damaging air flights were modified to tell the truth; that flying is the fastest growing cause of climate change, the “single greatest threat to human-kind” according to the government’s chief scientist.

Despite assurances that climate change is being taken seriously by any number of politicians or business people, the fact is that new runways are planned, motorways are being expanded, and pipelines being built to increase our dependence on fossil fuels. In the face of this hypocrisy, it was clear that the time had come to make a direct statement that irresponsible criminality of this kind will not be tolerated by sane and moderate people.

Several travel agents, shamelessly plugging massively destructive air flights for profit, had their misleading window displays obscured by handy stickers which made plain the true cost of flying. Those people taking part in this vital service did so as a way of encouraging others to stand up against the climate criminals and carry out similar public-spirited actions in their areas. The stickers used are available at a cost of 50p each to anyone who wants them – just email trees@riseup.net with your order. The stickers are just £10 for 20, post free!

There is still time to prevent runaway climate change but we must act now.

Part of that action must be to expose the ongoing activites of those who wish to destroy the planet for profit. Clearly, we can’t leave it to business and government to sort out the mess – they are the ones making it because of their bizarre obsession with an economic system based on continual growth and unsustainable consumption.

The rich are plundering the Earth, and as always the poor will suffer the worst. We can all act in our lives, and join together to create a radical, and ultimately reasonable and moderate, movement for social change and climate justice.

This action was inspired by the Camp For Climate Action, which seems to have been a new beginning for the fight-back by reasonable and moderate people against the climate criminals and profit-terrorists who seek to kill us all.

Carbon Trading Company’s Offices Occupied

Today, Wednesday 21st Feb 2007, in a non-violent protest, activists occupied the offices of a company dealing in Carbon Offsets, whilst other campaigners carried out an action outside the Company’s offices in Kings Cross London. The action was carried out to highlight what they claim is the greenwash of this company, and the dangers of sidelining the hugely important issue of climate change. This action, sweeping coal under a carpet, was carried out to demonstrate their assertion that carbon trading is to attempt to sweep the issues associated with climate change under the carpet.

Below is a copy of London Rising Tides press release relating to this action.

LONDON RISING TIDE OCCUPY HEAD OFFICE OF CARBON NEUTRAL COMPANY IN LONDON

London Rising Tide has occupied the head office of the Carbon Neutral Company (formerly Future Forests) on the day they had been invited to appear before the All Party Parliamentary Committee on Climate Change, that is chaired by the Carbon Neutral Company.

This is what they have to say:

CARBON ‘OFFSET’ = CLIMATE UPSET

Today we have occupied and with any luck shut down the head office of the Carbon Neutral Company (CNC) here in King’s Cross. CNC is one of many businesses which sell ‘carbon offsets’ to people and companies that want to cancel out their contribution to climate chaos (also known as ‘global warming’). CNC claims that it will neutralise the carbon dioxide (CO2) given off by, say, Silverjet (a private jet airline), and that it will do this by paying people in developing countries to cut their own emissions with schemes that involve renewable energy or tree planting. So what’s the problem?

Carbon offsetting: an excuse for no action?

Climate chaos is an issue of justice: it is hurting the world’s poorest (and least-polluting) people first and hardest, causing massive disasters and threatening millions of species worldwide. Many people are now questioning whether offsetting allows some of us in the richer, developed world to carry on with our massively polluting lifestyles, instead of lowering our own emissions. Those who are buying offsets are often doing so with the best of intentions, but the fact remains that it’s a smokescreen that has to stop.

If we compare the planet to a running bath, full almost to the brim with CO2, to offset CO2 emissions is like saying “I won’t turn off my tap. I’ll pay someone else £10 to pay someone else £2 to turn off their own tap.” (Guess who pockets the change?) The reality is that we need to turn off both, if we’re to have a chance of cutting CO2 emissions by 50% before 2016 (which is the single most important task facing you and me, right here, right now in 2007.)

Not only is tree planting a discredited failure when it comes to soaking up carbon, many other offset schemes are looking pretty shabby when looked at in detail by independent third parties.

Yesterday, Carbon Trade Watch released a report called “The Carbon Neutral Myth – Offset Indulgences for your Climate Sins” that gave a lot of evidence and information as to why offsetting is ineffective, injust and damaging to the climate change debate. ( http://www.carbontradewatch.org/pubs/carbon_neutral_myth.pdf)

Who are we?

Our group is called London Rising Tide (LRT), and we are part of a wider national and international movement that believes passionately in taking direct action for ‘climate justice’. We reckon it’s well past time for us to get creative, to get movement-building, to drown out the rising tide of corporate ‘greenwash’ (ie. profit-driven lies), to get food growing with neighbours and friends, and to get seriously disobedient, (but to do it with a good bit of humour).

A while ago, we were asked by the All Party Parliamentary Committee on Climate Change to make a submission about planned Climate Bill. The Committee is administrated by the Carbon Neutral Company. After thinking long and hard about it, this was our response:

‘We’re declining the invitation to address the meeting, since we believe in the creation of mass movements striving for systemic social and ecological change. Engaging with the committee would be a distraction from that, as it’s not in the interests of either Parliament or private companies to call for – or work for – such change. Also, we are deeply sceptical about the apparent privatisation of the committee process, especially when the company concerned is profiting handsomely from the sale to the public of the phony solution that is the carbon offset.’

Manchester Critical Mass and benefit gig

Friday 23rd February. Meet at 6pm as usual by the central library for a bike ride round our city which will then go to the Rampant Lion, Anson Rd/ Upper Brook St, Victoria Park (paralel to wilmslow road) starting at 8pm

Bands include Sweating Cobs, Burnst, Run Like Hell, Cash for Your Stories, Stray Dog Cafe and MC Flipflop. Plus DJs playing ska, reggae and d+b til 2am.

Djs playing reggae, punk and ska til 2am a £3 donation to critical mass would be lovely

Critical Mass is a bicycle ride that happens every last Friday of the month at 6pm from Central Library

We cycle round the city to celebrate the bicycle:

It’s for anyone that rides a bike;
Its a celebration of getting round the city without polluting it;
Its about every journey being an adventure instead of just sitting
on a boring bus or in a stressful car;
Its about cyclists riding together to demand more respect from other road users;
Its a way to meet other cyclistas;

also at that time on friday hundreds of cities around the world do the same thing…all get together for critical mass. its beautiful to know that as you ride with your mates through your own city that all around the world thousands of people are doing the same thing..

Beat the Chainsaw Pledge, Hereford

HEREFORD GREEN PARTY PRESS RELEASE:

Forty-nine locals vow to stand in front of chainsaws to prevent loss of Meadow trees.

HEREFORD GREEN PARTY PRESS RELEASE:

Forty-nine locals vow to stand in front of chainsaws to prevent loss of Meadow trees.

A capacity crowd of nearly 300 people filled two floors of Hereford’s Watershed building last night, to hear a coalition of groups talk about the Environment Agency’s poorly-designed flood defence scheme for the City. Attendees expressed support for the provision of effective flood defences – but also concern over the Council’s lack of vision and leadership in passing the current scheme by which established trees on Bishop’s Meadow will be needlessly cut down. Green Party prospective Council candidate Martin Wyness asked people if they would be willing to stand under the affected trees, thereby making it impossible for workers to fell them. Forty-nine people expressed a commitment to stand in the way of the chainsaws in order to protect Hereford’s wonderful cultural and natural heritage.

Members of the public attending the meeting expressed surprise that local ward Councillors were not present to take questions as to why they had not robustly challenged the scheme during the planning process. Disappointment was voiced as to why that process was not publicised sufficiently for residents to engage with it effectively.

The Green Party hopes that Councillors who felt they could not challenge the Environment Agency and DEFRA before, because of fears of losing funding, will now find the courage to stand with the coalition as it demands that the scheme is rethought.

Green Party prospective Council candidate Martin Wyness asked the Environment Agency representative present at the meeting: “Can you give an assurance that the trees affected will not be cut down in a rush in order to beat restrictions caused by the imminent bird nesting season?” The Environment Agency’s reply was that a survey would be carried out.

Because it is still too early for nesting, this effectively means that the chainsaws can come at any moment, even before the Environment Agency or Council looks at any alternative proposals.

The Green Party is disappointed that Hereford Liberal Democrat MP Paul Keetch has until now, not seen fit to question the scheme properly until he saw the scale of public concern. Hereford needs a dynamic and passionate Member of Parliament who will argue the case for keeping the money on the table while we amend the detail of these plans that would do so much damage to Hereford’s historic environment. A somewhat reluctant Mr. Keetch said on radio yesterday “I am assured by the Environment Agency that if there is fine tuning that can be done, it will be done”. Let us hope he holds the agency to that promise.

ENDS

NOTES FOR EDITORS

It is quite possible that Elgar walked beneath the trees that will be destroyed by this scheme. There is also a memorial on the site that says that Elgar penned The Enigma Variations after seeing the Cathedral organist’s dog fall into the river at this spot.

The coalition is fully in favour of a flood defence scheme for the city, but not this one.

RRA Architects showed their alternative and sympathetic proposal to the public meeting.

The coalition in favour of better flood defences includes: –

Cycle Hereford
The Disabled Users Access Group
Friends of Castle Green
Friends of the Earth
Fodder
The Green Party
The Hereford Civic Society
RRA Architects
St James and Bartonsham Community Association
Watershed

For further information please contact:
Martin Wyness
Media – Hereford & South Herefordshire Green Party
07809 150344
mediasouth@herefordshiregreens.org.uk
www.herefordshiregreens.org.uk