earthfirst – Page 84

40 Climate Solidarity Actions Launch Worldwide to Defend Our Homes From Dirty Energy and Climate Change

UPDATE: Thursday, Nov. 15th – Four arrested for shutting down an American Petroleum Institute luncheon in New Orleans

Four protestors where arrested after a group of over a dozen shut down an American Petroleum Institiute luncheon in the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana. Today’s action in solidarity with Tar Sands Blockade was in response to Hurricane Sandy and the newly approved Parkway Oil Pipeline that would endanger the cities beloved Lake Pontchartrain.

New Orleans residents understand what the impacts of climate change mean for the health and safety of their community. The climate super powered storm of Hurricane Sandy serves as an all too familiar reminder of the devastation these more frequent storms will bring to the most vulnerable families around the globe. Today over a dozen organizers marched in the streets and shut down the American Petroleum Institute luncheon to protest the source of this threat, Big Oil’s stranglehold on our economy and our livable future. They chanted: “No pipeline! No tar sands! No destruction of Louisiana land!”

UPDATE: Wednesday, Nov. 14th – Rising Tide Vermont shuts down a talk by a Shell Oil Executive

Nine members of Rising Tide Vermont interrupted a Shell oil executive last night while he was speaking on a panel about ‘Big Oil in the Niger Delta.’

Activists shared testimony from Niger Delta community members suffering the impacts of Shell Oil operations on their homeland. Shell Oil has a long-standing relationship with Nigeria’s various military dictatorships and has been implicated in the genocidal devastation of ecosystems and communities in the Niger Delta. They also read statements from members of communities in Nigeria, Alberta facing toxic tar sands extraction.

After the speaker was interrupted several times in a row, police were called and the event was cancelled/postponed. Many people who planned on attending left, and the voice of Shell Oil was successfully challenged and silenced. No one was arrested.

“This day kicks off a week of actions in solidarity with frontline struggles in the movement for climate justice,” said Avery Pittman. “From the oilfields of the Niger Delta, to the tar sands in Alberta, to the ongoing blockade of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline in east Texas, communities are resisting extreme energy and asserting their right to a healthy environment.” Read more here.

UPDATE: Wednesday, Nov. 14th – Climate Solidarity Action in the Philippines as part of Global Week for Climate Justice

Hundreds march through the streets of Manilla, Philippines toward the US Embassy to call for urgent action on climate change. Rising sea levels caused by climate change are a matter of survival for the thousands who live along the coastline of this island nation. Marchers connected the dots on climate change and other climate super powered storms like Hurricane Sandy with their signs. The march featured beautiful, theatrical street theater and giant puppets was organized by the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice as part of the Global Week for Climate Justice, which listed Tar Sands Blockade’s Mass Action on Monday the 19th as part of their global week of action.

UPDATE: Wednesday, Nov. 14th – Montana rallies to stop dirty coal exports and celebrate civil disobedience

Over 30 people gathered in Helena, Montana’s Constitution Park to support the venerable US tradition of civil disobedience. Immediately before an omnibus court hearing for the 23 people arrested during last August’s peaceful protests against coal exports at the Montana Capitol, the group gathered with signs reading “Support the Coal Export Action 23,” and “No More Coal Exports.”

Several people addressed the crowd, including some of the 23 who had been arrested in August. “I came to Helena, to my own statehouse and got arrested because it looks to me like there is no more time for writing reasoned letters to the editor or having meetings with the politicians,” said Linda Kenoyer, describing why she participated in last summer’s civil disobedience. ”The time has come to put my body on the line, to risk my safety and clean record if that’s what it takes to get someone’s attention.”

View more photos and read about the action on Coal Export Action’s blog.

Almost 40 climate solidarity events have sprung up across the globe as part of the week of action November 14-20! These actions are in direct response to the aftershock of Hurricane Sandy, closing out the hottest year on record and the ongoing ecological devastation of tar sands extraction.

Climate change continues to put a disproportionate burden on low income communities and communities of color around the world, and this weeks events highlight this struggle as locals rise up to defend their homes from climate chaos. These events serve as a reminder that we are part of a growing movement to demand climate action. Get ideas for your own local action here.

“Communities around the world are working together to expose the threat that the fossil fuel economy poses to families everywhere,” said Arielle Klagsbrun of Missourians Organizing for Empowerment and Reform. “As extractive industries grow increasingly desperate for profits, corporations like Peabody Coal and TransCanada are resorting to the most dangerous of energy reserves, like hydro-fracking, tar sands exploitation and mountain top removal coal mining.”

This week’s actions are happening in almost 40 locations including the following:

- Saturday, November 17 – Occupy Sandy and Stop Spectra Pipeline Coalition takes action to respond to the devastation of the climate super powered storm, Hurricane Sandy and put an end to hydro-fracking.
- Sunday, November 18 – Over 3,500 people rally at the White House to call on President Obama to reject the permit for the Keystone XL northern segment. Event organized by 350.org, Sierra Club, and other allies.
- Monday, November 19 – Dozens of community members rally in Nacogdoches, Texas to oppose the construction of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline from endangering their homes. Tar Sands Blockade will be taking nonviolent direct action to halt its construction.
- Monday, November 19 – Community organizations in St. Louis are taking action to target JP Morgan Chase for bankrolling the tar sands extraction. Event organized by Missourians Organizing for Empowerment and Reform and Climate Action St. Louis.
- Monday, November 19 – Residents of Salt Lake City are performing theatrical exhibitions outside The Bureau of Land Management for its approval of public lands for the first tar sands mine in the US. Event organized by Peaceful Uprising and Utah Tar Sands Resistance.
- Tuesday, November 20 – In London, UK Tar Sands Network, Rising Tide UK and others will protest a meeting of Canadian tar sands executives, banking industry representatives and government leaders meeting to discuss further expansion of Alberta tar sands extraction.
- More events are on the map in these locations: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada; Norman, OK; Charlotte, NC; Denton, TX; Eugene, OR; Middlesex, NY; Corvallis, OR; Seattle, WA; Fairfax, CA; Bridgeport, CT; Bloomington, IN; Burlington, VT; Helena, MT; Nashville, TN; Cincinnati, OH; Port Townsend, WA; Jefferson, NH; Santa Clarita, CA; Albany, CA; Burlington, VT; New Orleans, LA; Salt Lake City, Utah; Austin, TX; Eureka, CA; Portland, OR; Denver, CO; Minneapolis, MN; New York, NY; London, UK; Minisk, NY; Astoria, OR; Wilton, NH; Swarthmore, PA; Philadelphia, PA…and counting!

“It’s encouraging to see these solidarity actions spring up across the globe in response to the escalating devastation of climate change,” said Nicole Browne of Tar Sands Blockade, who helped put out the call for the solidarity actions. “From the Alberta tar sands to the forests of East Texas and all around the world, these actions give hope to people everywhere who are defending their homes from reckless energy extraction that is fueling climate chaos.”

Hambach Forest: Day 3 of Eviction

Today is the third day of the eviction at the Hambach Forest, which is occupied against the biggest climate killer in Europe, the Rhenish brown coal-mining district (Rheinisches Braunkohlerevier).

After three days of eviction one activist is left, who's inside a tunnel system under the ground. As this is the first tunnel blockade action Police don't have a clue how to handle this. They ordered different technical teams, who also didn't have an idea.

Now police want to dig down from the top, which is highly dangerous. They have been told that there is an eviction team within UK police who know how to evict a tunnel-system.

Resistance will not be over after this eviction. The forest is not lost yet to be rescued. Everybody is welcome to help. Next summer there will be another climate camp in the area, and a Europe wide Reclaim the fields camp in this region…

Day 2 of eviction Hambach Forest / tunnel-system

At the second day of eviction the cops evicted everybody from the trees. On the evening of the first day they evicted everybody in concrete-lock-ons. Now there's one activist in a blockade-tunnel. And police don't have any idea how to evict that. So it still could still take a few days. Police that went down just said: "there's a huge tunnel-system, we don't know wich direction we have to go"

The occupation of the forest is against a coal open-cast-mine, that is together with two more sites, the biggest producer of CO2 in Europe. The dust from the pit is radioactive.

Police said, that there were hundred crimes counted from the occupation, but don't have proof of any of them. There have been a lot of solidarity actions in lot of citys against the eviction of the forest.
The forest is one of the oldest in Middle-Europe. There's a type of bat, that will not exict anymore anywhere after the forest is cleared. They will completlyey clear the forest in the next 5 to 10 years.

Next summer there will be the europe wide "reclaim the field" camp in the region and the german-wide climate-camp. But also before this there will be more activities. So come over and help fight RWE, the enery-giant, if you can. N-Power is part of RWE. Would be also cool to visit them.

Activists disrupt Shell greenwashing event

Rising Tide activists have invaded the stage tonight at a Shell-sponsored lecture at the Geological Society!

The title of the lecture – "Geological Aspects of Renewable Energy"; the *only* speaker – a Shell employee. Coincidence? Or perfect opportunity for serious greenwashing?

(The banner says – "Shell Tar Sands = 55 years First Nations treaty violations")

Belo Monte construction halts after protestors torch buildings at three construction sites

Work on Brazil’s $13 billion Belo Monte mega-dam was stopped on Monday after protesters torched buildings at three dam construction sites over the weekend.

Saturday, “a group of 30 people set fire to prefab structures at the Pimental site. They went into the cafeteria, destroyed everything and robbed the till” before setting it ablaze, said Fernando Santana, spokesman for builders Consorcio Constructor Belo Monte (CCBM).

And late Sunday, groups of 20 people set structures ablaze at Canais and Diques, two other dam construction sites, said Santana.

“On Monday, as a precautionary security measure, all activities were suspended at the construction site,” said Santana, suggesting that “vandals” might be trying to derail salary renegotiation under way.

CCBM have proposed a seven percent wage increase to the workers in an area where the inflation rate is at 30 percent

Protesters have disrupteed construction of the dam several times already over the past few months including an occupation of the main construction site at Pimental and in September a group of fishermen blockaded the Xingu River preventing a ferry from transporting machines and workers to a coffer dam being built for the Belo Monte Dam Complex. They then set up a protest camp on one of the main islands of the Xingu River near the construction site.

Indigenous groups fear the dam across the Xingu River, a tributary of the Amazon, will harm their way of life. Environmentalists have warned of deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions and irreparable damage to the ecosystem.

The dam is expected to flood some 500 square kilometers (200 square miles) along the Xingu and displace 16,000 people, according to the government, although some NGOs put the number at 40,000 displaced.

The indigenous people want their lands demarcated and non-indigenous people removed from them, as well as a better healthcare system and access to drinking water.

Expected to produce 11,000 megawatts of electricity, the dam would be the third biggest in the world, after China’s Three Gorges facility and Brazil’s Itaipu Dam in the south.

It is one of several hydroelectric projects billed by Brazil as providing clean energy for a fast-growing economy.

Castle Point Essex – Green Belt Threatened!

Former MP and Eco campaigner Bob Spink has jettisoned his 'green' credentials in favour of profit

Spink was originally elected as a Conservative but switched allegiances to the UK Independence Party. Having left UKIP Spink then campaigned at the last election as a environmentalist as part of a self-created 'Save Our Greenbelt' party.

Former MP and Eco campaigner Bob Spink has jettisoned his 'green' credentials in favour of profit

As can be seen from the attached local news coverage, Spink has renounced his 'green' credentials and instead has been acting as a consultant to developer Redrow to advise on a planning application to build 250 new homes on Green Belt land in his former constituency. To make matters worse, Spink's home is located in the centre of the proposed development and together with a consortium of residents has been offered a sum considerably in excess of the market value of his home by Redrow should the application prove successful.

The area under threat is ancient woodland, rich in flower and fauna including badgers, bats and woodpeckers.

This is another example of a former public figure using his time in office to acquaint himself with planning regulations for his private gain. There is considerable local opposition to this development and a great deal of animosity against Spink and the ease with which he seems to have jettisoned his Eco credentials in favour of profit.

We have established a protest group to oppose this development but we need to hear from experienced activists to advise us on how best to resist these plans.

Please contact us via our Facebook page 'Friends of Bowers Road Green Belt Benfleet' and help us save our woodland.

http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/9892557.Ex_MP_for_Castle_Point_bids_to_sell_green_belt_home_to_developer/?ref=rss

Eviction of the Hambach Forest (Germany)

The eviction of the squatted hambach Forest begun this morning. The forest which is in the rheinisch browncoal region (close to collogne) has been squatted since April to stop the deforestation. RWE is cutting the trees to expand the largest open cast mine in europe where they extract brown coal.The rheinish Brown Coal area is the largest CO2 source in europe.

Several hundred police forces are in the area and activists are locked-on in the trees and on the ground. They cut the walkways to stop the police from entering the tree houses. The police removed an occupied tripod on the road to the squat and they have a special force for tree climbing in the forest. A few activists on the ground already been arrested and the main bridge to the forest is closed. In many cities around germany there will be solidarity actions today. Organise other action in your city to support the resistance against brown coal and for the hambach forest. Look out for offices of RWE or subsidary companys.

Notre-Dame-des-Landes (France): Yet Another Forest Eviction

We live in the Rohanne Forest. Over the last two years the many people who lived and passed by here built seven high tree houses and a beautiful three storey collective house. On Thursday 19th October the police came with bulldozers and destroyed and removed the house.

Starting the next day, and with lots of motivated helpers, we built a new kitchen six metres up in the trees, and a new communal sleeping area a bit higher. On Tuesday 30th October and Wednesday 31st October they returned with bulldozers and cherry pickers to destroy the two newly finished cabins, plus all of the seven high tree houses.

During the weekend we built a quick temporary shelter on the ground with palettes and tarps so we could sleep there while we rebuilt tree houses. It was basically a few mattresses on palettes, with beams lashed in the trees and covered with tarps.

Early in the morning on Monday 5th November around twenty vans of police blocked the roads around the Rohanne Forest. They entered on foot, and at half eight in the morning six sleeping people were surrounded by about thirty cops with shields, full riot gear and loud walkie-talkies, and shouted at to take what they could carry and get out of the forest. The cops started taking the shelter apart and cutting the tarps into small pieces while we were still inside. After forcing us outside and pushing us to the ground they slashed the mattresses and pulled everything apart, including cutting the polyprop into little tiny bits so it couldn’t be used again. If I didn’t know better I’d say we’re really starting to piss them off.

They tipped a first aid kit out onto the wet muddy forest floor and stamped on it, and did the same with a box of muesli and the whole contents of the bike panniers. They destroyed the two bikes despite our hand on heart promise from the head of operations that we could keep our bikes and they wouldn’t be touched. They pushed us, threatened us and forced us out of the forest. They tried to march us through a huge puddle near the entrance which we know to be knee-deep, but we suggested they instead follow us along the path which they did.

All the male bodied people were searched by the cops, and one had an identity card with them. The other two were taken to the police station for an identity control. The three female bodied people were asked to wait for a female cop to search them. And wait. And wait. And wait. It seems that there are not so many female bodied cops around and after about an hour they just asked for our names and places of birth. When they had no joy extracting personal information there was a small cop huddle, after which they came and told us we could just go. Why? We were told they’re sick of us, and that they didn’t want to waste time in the police station, again, if we weren’t going to give our names, again.

It was a pretty unpleasant way to wake up, all told, and it is getting slightly tedious having our houses destroyed every week. Having had some time to reflect though, I can’t help but see a funny side to all this. When we asked why we were being taken the police told us it was illegal to free camp in the forest. So around two hundred riot police surrounded the forest and spent almost an entire day scouring through every inch of it just to find six free campers. Twenty vans full of highly equipped cops just to take down a few beams and tarps put up in a weekend. We might have had enough of cops but it’s clear that we are annoying the shit out of them. To the next forest cabin!

Groundswell shuts down Ta Ann veneer mill (Tasmania)

Grassroots environmental group Groundswell have today shut down operations at Ta Ann’s veneer mill in Smithton, with a peaceful protest. The group are highlighting the ongoing loss of Tasmania’s forests by Ta Ann, 2 protesters are locked onto a conveyor belt inside the mill, completely shutting down operations. A number of other members of the group are present and holding a banner in front of the mill, which reads; “TA ANN – SELLING TASMANIAN FOREST DESTRUCTION”. Ta Ann is a Malaysian-based timber company that has been accused of human rights violations and continues to destroy pristine rainforest in the Malaysian state of Sarawak. Ta Ann has had logging contracts in Tasmania from 2006 and is the driving force behind the ongoing logging of old growth forests.

“Today’s protest is being held at the Ta Ann Smithton mill to oppose the ongoing devastation of Tasmania’s native forests just for the sake of a quick profit.” Groundswell spokesperson Dr Lisa Searle said.

“As the forest peace talks have carried on over the last 3 years, the destruction of Tasmania’s native forests has continued. The talks have so far failed to deliver any form of permanent protection and the future of these ecosystems hangs in the balance. .” Dr Searle continued.

“There is currently a very limited market for Tasmanian woodchips, and Ta Ann is driving the continuing destruction of huge tracts of forest. These forests are being clear-felled just to remove a few select logs for Ta Ann while low-grade sawlogs and woodchip-grade logs are being left behind to rot in these decimated areas.” Said Dr Searle.

The protesters will stay in place locked onto machinery until they are removed and Groundswell will continue standing up for the protection of our wild natural state.

*Update: ENVIRONNMENTAL activists have been removed from a conveyor belt at the Ta Ann veneer mill in Smithton.

Tasmania Police officers were called to the site earlier today after two protesters from green group Groundswell chained themselves to machinery inside the timber processing plant. Several other activists gathered outside the mill.

Groundswell said the “peaceful protest” was aimed at highlighting the ongoing loss of Tasmanian forests to provide the timber used in the mill.

Ta Ann Tasmania said it was disappointed the group was illegally protesting at its Smithton mill today.

“Ta Ann Tasmania also wishes to point out that it is not a logger, as falsely claimed, but a "timber processor",” a company spokesperson said.

Tasmania Police issued a short statement at 12.25pm, saying the Ta Ann demonstration had been cleared

Notre-Dame-des-Landes (France): Operation Obelix, a menhir in your face, Ayrault!

Story of the assaults and looting of the ZAD – Europe's biggest anti-airport protest camp by the forces of capitalist destruction. Written thanks to the testimony of many friends.

*Le Sabot* – Tuesday,

Story of the assaults and looting of the ZAD – Europe's biggest anti-airport protest camp by the forces of capitalist destruction. Written thanks to the testimony of many friends.

*Le Sabot* – Tuesday,

We woke up at 5:00am and had coffee together. The cops showed up by the Paquelais road around 7:00am at daybreak. We got the info that the cops had attacked the south barricade. They moved without the usual three warnings, they spent thirty seconds at the burning barricade before getting some paint-eggs in their faces. They secured the whole road from the Far Ouezt to Sabot. Clashes occured at the first barricades of the Sabot. Cops managed to bypass the barricades through the fields and make us move back by copiously spraying tear gas in our faces. Sixty of us charged the cops. An exchange of various colourful projectiles and colorful shots against their tear gas. Cops and officials are forced to retreat, suffocated by their own tear gas, those big assholes. We spend all the afternoon in a tense face off. In the afternoon, the cops manage to secure the Sabot. Any resistance becomes impossible. The Zadists can no longer defend themself once the bulldozer has destroyed all the barricades and opened a trench along the Paquelais road.

Thirty people in solidarity with the struggle sit in front of the gaping hole left on the road, preventing the bulldozer to enter the community garden. The pigs take a lot of shit. Their eyes, without a shred of humanity and gray matter, remain unmoved despite the relentless jokes that from all sides. The night cops and the Departmental Directorate of Equipment collaborators who are working with them go away booed.

Wednesday

A small gathering in the Sabot followed by breakfast. The day before, Caesar’s legions destroyed all the barricades and projectiles (5 barricades smashed the shovel, paint-eggs, rotten vegetables, bottles of paint, stones, shield to protect from tear gas and rackets to throw it back to the pigs). In the early-morning, only one barricade protects us from the cops, built in the night by newly arrived comrades, farmers and supporters that came on the spot. Cops surprise us by very quickly spreading out in the field. They keep their position thirty meters from us. The cops shoot us with tear gas from behind then gas the road of the Sabot where we are. It quickly becomes impossible to stay there, the atmosphere is unbreathable and we are a bit helpless in front of the robocops. We move back they advance, gas mask on the snout, and they quickly enter and block off the Sabot (west side). The cops also take the East side of Belishroot barricades, barricades of Pimky (north) and contain people at the Far West (south). Speed confrontation, which leaves us with a bad taste of powerlessness. Different groups are trying to focus on the machinery to slow down their work, but the convoy is well protected, foot patrols, escorts and all the trimmings. Result of the day of destruction: the common house of the Sabot is down, the collective garden is devastated, home of the Cent Chênes (former bakery from ZAD, bread is excellent, thank you) is also destroyed. Three other houses we built on the Sabot zone are also down the ground. Cop climbers tackle the treehouses.

*Rohanne **Forest *

Tuesday, around 3:00pm, cops charge Rohanne forest with the aim to destroy the huts in the trees. Cops make use of many rubber bullets. The bastards aim for the head. A friend testifies that he took a flashball shot in the neck. Several friends were injured by shrapnel of concussion grenades. Others are wounded by rubber bullets.

On Wednesday morning, the police surrounded the forest and secured everything. Police trained for mountain rescue begin to fetch activists still perched in the trees to protect the huts. A cherry picker destroyed a hut under heavy protection of the cops.

The cops destroyed several huts with cherry pickers during the day. The zadists on the spot remain powerless in front of insurmountable repression.

*Barricades north and south on the Vigneux **road *

Tuesday morning, 7:30am, the cops take the central barricade running through the Suez road. Some of the activists go back to the south barricade and end up in the fields of the right to pass through the Rohanne forest and defend the north barricade blocking the road that leads to the Vache Rit. At the intersection of the Fosses-Noires and Vigneux road a battucada enters the cow field in front of the Saulce. Bulldozers and trucks full of rubble come and go and begin their death ballet. The house will finally be razed to the ground, the tree houses destroyed and also all the buildings on the ground. Cops that protect bulldozers and trucks receive paint-eggs. The cops, already ridiculous, are the laughing stock of the people there. Fierce Zadists resist on the north barricade all day long. The cops sprayed the activists on site with tear gas and concussion grenades. The barricade withstands the onslaught of helmeted frenzy until 5:00pm.

*Pimky Road*

The cops were in front of the Pimky on Tuesday afternoon. The demo which started from Notre Dame at 10:00am is just on the left side after the Fosses-Noires road. Many zadists and supporters make a human chain to prevent cops from accessing to the road to the cabin. The next morning, two friends hidden in the bushes for an hour and a half hear the cops make bad jokes. These brainwashed idiots finished by taking apart the four tents on site in the midst of filthy laughs.

*Search at the Secherie*

Wednesday afternoon, several police vans surrounded the Secherie making it impossible for inhabitants to enter or exit. Two officers of the Judicial Police are looking for a transmitter, certainly annoyed by the continuous emission of Radio Klaxon making the socialist state, cops and Vinci look ridiculous for the past two weeks. After an unsuccessful search of two long hours, the whole ridiculous troop go back, tails between their legs, hands empty. A bulldozer pulls up a tree on the site of the former house of the Coin, under heavy police escort along the the Fosses-Noires road. Our comrades hassle the pigs until they leave.

Thursday

The cops block the roundabout of Ardillères and Paquelais and search all vehicles. It seems that we expect a new wave of repression tomorrow “par Toutatis” !

AND for more … Obelix operation is launched !

The struggle will continue until the total defeat of the enemy forces and the withdrawal of socialist occupation army from the ZAD.

In the end, Vinci and the Left Government must not misunderstand ! The fact that nearly all of our living places are destroyed will not make us renounce. Quite the opposite. We will rebuild on the ruins that Caesar’s legions have left. We will now be more mobile and reactive to future attacks of the French state, of Vinci and its subsidiary AGO.

The State lies ! The ZAD is absolutely not evacuated ! We are all there and ready for anything ! This place will not be concreted !

Operation Obelix : A menhir in your face, Ayrault ! Vinci, out of our lives!