earthfirst – Page 313

York Critical Mass Report

7.1.2007

Critical Mass returned to York on Friday with about two dozen riders braving the cold to take another random ride around the city to celebrate cycling. The route took them to York’s newest road, round a roundabout the highest legal number of times, and into a short interruption from York’s boys in blue.

7.1.2007

Despite the lower numbers, we had no trouble taking even multiple lanes of traffic, even with aggressive drivers accelerating into the ‘Mass. The cops who witnessed this, instead of booking the driver, decided to stop the cyclists to have a nice chat with us about the highway code, staying safe on the roads and not playing our music too loud. Tsk, tsk! After this brief interlude we cycled on to the sound of toots of support (believe it or not) from motorists and even cheers from pedestrians and passers-by.

At one point the ride headed out on Lawrence Street, and into James Street. Someone shouted ‘its a deadend’. Well, it used to be: now it continues through to Layerthorpe, courtesy of the new ‘link road’. Despite claims that the new road is desperately needed to relieve traffic congestion it was absolutely deserted apart from us and a few kids practising bike stunts who joined us for a while. The new road cuts across the old cycle route that went straight across the city, now without even a tunnel or bridge to join up the two sections of the cycle path.

After riding past Sainsbury’s and out along Monkgate, we encountered an old favourite of Critical Mass, the roundabout. It is legal to go 2 1/2 times around such a feature; poor motorists, wondering what we were doing. We then rode through the Groves (quietly!) and into town along Gillygate (this leaves only Lord Mayor’s Walk before we’ve been everywhere on the inner ring road).

There’s been a request for extra riders to go to Leeds on January 26th (from 5:30 in Millenium Square), as they were less lucky with the police last time. And with February often a bad month for other Critical Mass rides, please make an extra effort to bring your bike down to the Minster at 5:30pm on 2nd February for the next instalment of York Critical Mass.

Sea Shepherd flagship now running as a Pirate

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society flagship Farley Mowat is now officially a pirate vessel. The ship cleared Australian Customs in Hobart, Tasmania, on December 29th, 2006, only hours before the nation of Belize struck our flag. The Farley Mowat has no home port and can be siezed and sunk by any navy.

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society flagship, ‘Farley Mowat’, is now officially a pirate vessel. We are at sea without a flag, in search of illegal whaling operations in hostile and remote waters at the bottom of the world.

The Farley Mowat cleared Australian Customs in Hobart, Tasmania, on December 29th, 2006, only hours before the nation of Belize struck our flag. The Belize registry had only been issued ten days before on December 19, 2006

The Belize registry was sought after Britain pulled the registry in early December the same day it was issued. In October, the Farley Mowat, registered under the Canadian flag since April, 2002, had her registry suspended by Canada.

This is all apparently part of a strategy by Japan to use its economic muscle to lean on any nation that allows us to be registered under their flag. According to a credible legal source in Melbourne, the Farley Mowat as an unregistered pirate vessel may be interdicted at will by any naval vessel of any government, its crew arrested, and the ship sunk.

‘This is incredible but not surprising’, responded Captain Paul Watson, ‘The oceans are crawling with poachers flying flags of convenience and the Japanese and Norwegian registered whalers are illegally slaughtering whales in sanctuaries and killing endangered species, yet we are forced to have our flag struck for opposing these illegal activities.’

The Farley Mowat will continue on to the Southern Oceans without a flag.

‘We have a mission and that mission is to save whales’, said Captain Watson, ‘We will not surrender this ship to any navy and we will not comply with any order to cancel our campaign. If anyone wishes to stop us from protecting whales they will have to sink us.’ The captain and the crew of the Farley Mowat are not concerned about being called pirates.’

‘It was not the British Navy that ended piracy in the Caribbean, it was Captain Henry Morgan who did that and he was a pirate’, Said Captain Watson, ‘I am proud to add my name to the long list of honourable and noble pirates like Sir Francis Drake, John Paul Jones and Jean LaFitte. To that end we have our own version of the Pretty Red or Joli Rouge and it is the crossed shepherdâ€™s staff and Neptuneâ€™s trident under a human skull engraved with the yin and yang of a dolphin and a whale. If they want us to be pirates than we will be damn pirates but we will not abandon the whales to the agony and misery of the harpoons without a fight. We are pirates of compassion in pursuit of pirates of profit.’

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has been opposing illegal whaling activities since 1977 and 2007 marks the 30th anniversary of Sea Shepherd high seas interventions against whalers and illegal fishing operations in the worldâ€™s oceans.

During the entire three decades of Sea Shepherd activities not one person has been injured and not one Sea Shepherd activists has been convicted of a felony crime. Sea Shepherd intervenes against illegal activities in accordance with the principles established by and contained within the United Nation World Charter for Nature.

tree clearance starts at Tara – help please

6.1.07

6.1.07
Opponents of the new M3 motorway in Co Meath have mounted a demonstration in the Tara-Skryne valley today to protest at the felling of trees along the route of the proposed road.

The protestors are accusing the National Roads Authority of tearing down mature trees at several sites on the route, including the historic Rath Lugh area.

——————>

” in the Tara-Skryne warzone. Serious damage has been done to Rath Lugh, Ardsallagh and Soldiers’ Hill (Blundlestown). But we were able to slow down ongoing destruction work to a certain degree with “direct action ” messures.

The damage to Rath Lugh is the heaviest loss we had to accept. And I have the feeling tree felling and earth-removal from around Rath Lugh has not been concluded yet.

The only area still undamaged so far is a Coillte plantation known is Lismullin Woods near Rath Lugh. The Gabhra runs through those woods, and a base camp is under in the plantation to serve as last line of defence for our archaeological and historical heritage within the Tara – Skryne Valley.

Please, if you got the time, head out to this camp, or the nerve centre of the Vigil on Tara Hill, and play your role in our defensive war for our heritage and culture. Basic food supplies are always needed and welcome. ”

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hilloftara/

CHICKEN FARM RAIDED, 22 CHICKS FREED

Click here for pictures from the rescue.
View video here: http://www.sarconline.co.uk/tv

anonymous communique:

“0100hrs, 03/11/2006, Fovant Down, Wiltshire.

Click here for pictures from the rescue.
View video here: http://www.sarconline.co.uk/tv

anonymous communique:

“0100hrs, 03/11/2006, Fovant Down, Wiltshire.
Target: Lloyd’s Animal Feeds Ltd – Livestock Division.

Lookout in place, tools at the ready, we began. Large bolt-cutters were used to chop through the tight security: one small padlock holding the door closed.

We shone our torches into the darkness and couldnt believe our eyes. Rows upon rows of battery cages, crammed full with thousands of Broiler chicks. They were being kept illegally in the tiny cages and grown to become “food” for the gluttonous, blood-thirsty meat industry.

Within minutes we were done. We left hundreds of thousands of innocent lives behind that night, designating them to a life of hell and a death that is beyond words. But with us we took 22 friends who are now living the life they were meant to live: free from exploitation and suffering in a system equated to concentration camps.

For all those left behind, we urge you to act. Animals need YOU, and they need you NOW. They wait inside locked buildings across the world.. it is up to YOU whether you reach for your bolt-cutters and break them out. Nothing stands in your way, except yourself.

Dedicated to current prisoners Don Curray and Joseph Harris, and deceased animal liberationist Barry Horne, who passed away five years ago on November 5th. The fight goes on in your spirit.

Until the last factory farm is brought to the ground, until the final slaughterhouse is made illegal, until every lab shuts its doors, until all animals are free from the shackles selfish bastards place upon them… A.L.F.”

activists lock down Alcoas’ London offices

Late on New Years Day activists targeted 2 Alcoa front companies, (Kawneer in central London and ASA in North London.) Both companies had their front access doors locked shut with D-locks and chains, and were left grafitti messages that they should leave Iceland straight away.
They are destroying the last pristine wilderness in Europe right now, as well as trashing other communities and ecosystems all over the world.
See www.savingiceland.org for a massive amount of resources and information.

This is a clear message to all heavy industries – this year, 2007 will be a year of dissent and revolutionary change. We will no longer hold back, the future of our world and our peoples is at enormous risk and the time to act is now!
No longer will we allow these multinationals to destroy with impunity, hiding behind the anonymity of global capitalism.
These are the first drops of a storm that you have reaped and which will intensify! We will target you everywhere and at any time. You will pay for your dirty dollars with insecurity. We are committed to shut you down!

It is also a message to our movements. We have been warning of having little time left to make change, for too long. That time has run out and the time to act is NOW
We see nothing to celebrate in the passing and starting of another year unless it is to herald a year of monumental, revolutionary change; where a system based on senseless, selfish, greed is destroyed and systems based on respect, responsibility and cooperation are supported to flourish.

we are all ‘the people’
where is everywhere
and
now is the time

LOVE+RAGE

Didcot power station trashing lakes – house squatted

Hi all a group of us opposed to the destruction of Radley Lakes by infilling them with pulverised fly ash (PFA) from N powers coal burning Didcot power station, have squatted a large house on the edge of Thrupp Lake and are now in legal possession. Our intention was to use the house and its ground as a field center for locals and visitors, however N powers lawyers have been busy and they are in court on wed 10th of Jan to get this overturned and us evicted. We intend to resist this and need people to turn up who are prepared to help defend our stake in the lakes future, so if you get down there for the 10th or shortly after please do so, for updates call me on 07762733332.

We also need the following:
Ladders/steps
gas heaters,
blankets, duvets, sleeping bags,
furniture,
fluro jackets, cooking and eating utensils,
Netting (army/climbing type),
lock on equipment,
welding equipment,
tarps,
food and general stuff.

Failing this sign petition at
http://www.saveradleylakes.org.uk/documents/SaveRadleyLakesPetition.htm or
visit the website at
http://www.saveradleylakes.org.uk/

or send us a letter or donation to

RLLF,
Sandles,
Thrupp Lane,
Radley (Lower),
Oxfordshire,
OX14 3NG.

GREYHOUND TRACK DAUBED IN PAINT

reported anonymously:

“Portsmouth Greyhound stadium has been treated to a new paint job. Slogans such as ‘ALF’ and ‘You bet they die” were daubed in red paint on the outer perimeter fencing to draw attention to the local people about what is going on inside that hell hole.

reported anonymously:

Until all are free
ALF”

CHICKEN FARM CLOSED BY ALF

reported by activists in the UK:

“John Parkers Poultry in Hampshire has finally closed after a sustained campaign of direct action. The actions taken included:

08/03/06 – 50 hens liberated
04/10/03 – 1024 hens liberated.

reported by activists in the UK:

“John Parkers Poultry in Hampshire has finally closed after a sustained campaign of direct action. The actions taken included:

08/03/06 – 50 hens liberated
04/10/03 – 1024 hens liberated.
19/06/03 – Chicken units sabotaged, conveyor belts, cages, lights,
feeding apparatus etc… also 100 hens liberated.

These are just the reported actions, rumor has it there were several
more…”

22/12/06: Anti-consumer Christmas Carols, London

Festive delay, but finally here:
A seven minute video covers the brutal attacks by a group of crazed and dangerously drunk Christmas Carol singers as they rampaged their way from Carnaby Street onto Oxford Street, storming the most splendid institutes of “cheap and affordable” consumer churches.

NikeTown, Selfridges, Debenhams and Topshop – all fine establishments with clean employment rights records and highly paid staff members, with guaranteed pension schemes, were subjected to bastardised festive ditties by a visibly dangerous crowd of thugs, rude legal observers and cruel cameramen, none with the least amount of concern for public safety.

A cruel and vicious stunt that should not be copied by anyone, anywhere in the world.

221206: Anti-Consumer_Carols_London – video/x-ms-wmv 18M

New Year London Stunt Action by Saving Iceland

On new years day 2007 a group of activists climbed ST PAULS cathedral and the Tate Modern simultaniously to hang banners, as well as on the millenium bridge to kick start a year of decent against heavy industry in Iceland and Trinidad.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTESTORS ARE TO HOST A STUNT ACTION IN LONDON

On new years day, campaigners from the group SavingIceland.org climbed St.Pauls Cathedral and the Tate Modern as part of the SavingIceland.org campaign, a group dedicating to challenging the destruction of Europeâ€™s last remaining great wildernesses, in Iceland. This is to be a protest against the destruction of rural communities in Trinidad and the Icelandic wildernesses, the last of their kind in Europe, both at the hands of the aluminium industry.

The Icelandic government is sacrificing its glacial rivers and geothermal resources in order to power aluminium smelting facilities. It is to destroy some of Icelandâ€™s greatest natural treasures and pollute its waters. This will cause considerable damage to its tourism and fishing industries. The Trinidadian government is selling its vast reserves of natural gas to create an off-shore aluminium smelter that many fear will undermine the livelihoods of entire communities who are dependant upon fishing.

Tomorrowâ€™s action is part of an ongoing international campaign in support of local resistance against heavy industry in both Iceland and Trinidad.

SavingIceland.org has been involved in the organisation of two protest camps held in Iceland and numerous solidarity actions staged across the globe. It is currently coordinating its third protest camp on the island, commencing on 6th July 2007.

More information:
http://www.savingiceland.org