Climate Chaos – Page 134

Shell Targeted across Edinburgh

11 Nov 2007
In solidarity with the people of Rossport and Nigeria, the Shell petrol station on Dalry Road was blockaded for 2 hours on Saturday by 20 people including members of the Clown Army. The Comiston Shell Petrol Station was subjected to a nighttime redecoration.
‘From Oganiland to Rossport’ was the message of anti-Shell protesters blockading Shell
Petrol Station in Dalry Road, Edinburgh, this morning (Saturday 10 November).

The group of around twenty protesters shut off the petrol station by blocking entrances and hoisting signs. The protesters aimed to educate and entertain those prevented
from accessing the station, bringing with them an array of musical instruments and games
as well as information about Shell.

An activist explained. ‘This action is not only a protest against Shell’s atrocious environmental record in the Niger Delta and Rossport, County Mayo, but also a gesture of solidarity with those who have already suffered so much at the hands of Shell. Today marks the twelfth anniversary of the death of Ken Saro-Wiwa who was executed by the
Nigerian government for his attempts to protect the lands of his people, the Ogani community. In addition this time last year the Irish Garda police baton charged a peaceful blockade of the Shell refinery in Rossport, injuring unarmed members of the Rossport community who were peacefully trying to protect their homes from commercial exploitation. We stand in support of these brave people and aim to draw attention to the worldwide issue of Shell’s violation of both human rights and the health of our planet in
pursuit of profit’

Also attending the blockade was a gaggle of clowns from the Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army, who brought a sense of comic festivity to the otherwise somber anniversary.

Sergeant Toast explained: ‘We clowns represent the sane in an insane world, where the profit of multinational companies comes before the rights and lives of communities. Even the likes of Shell and their actions in the world cannot quell our sense of the joyousness and beauty of life and our determination to replace these commercial values
with out own-those of playfulness, freedom and love. Join the Clandestine Insurgent Rebel
Clown Army and help us protect our world and freedoms!’

The Rossport community of County Mayo, Ireland, have since 2000 waged an ongoing resistance to the attempts of Shell to turn their coast-land into the site of a toxic refinery with a high pressure gas pipeline which will cut through the community, in same cases running just 70metres from peoples homes. The ‘Rossport 5’-farmers who refused to
obey a compulsory purchase order to seize their land-were imprisoned in 2005, and their
efforts are supported by the whole community, worthy of nation wide and international
support for the struggle they are bravely maintaining. (www.struggle.ws/rsc, www.shelltosea.com)

Nigeria-On November 10th 1995 Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight Ogoni colleagues were executed by the Nigerian state for campaigning against the devastation of the Niger Delta by oil companies, especially Shell and Chevron. (www.remembersarowiwa.com)

In an unrelated incident the Shell petrol station at Comiston was targeted in a night time attack. Messages were spray painted, locks were glued and the petrol pump dials rendered unreadable. (see http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/edinburgh.cfm?id=1802622007)

Ogoni 9 Day – Rossport Endures to Prevail; Today Smelt Like Victory (photos)

November 9th 2007
Not in our name !

November 9th 2007
Not in our name !

Today, to commemorate Shell’s judicial murder of the Ogoni 9 and a look back in anger at the Garda baton-fest a year ago, some 400 activists journeyed from all reaches of Ireland to voice our outrage outside and inside Shell’s Bellanaboy site, I was with the section of protestors that first manned the front line at Bellanaboy bridge at 6AM at the request of S2S when it was rightly surmised that Shell and the Guards would attempt to steal a march by bringing the workers in early – for a while, before Garda weight of numbers prevailed, we were effective in blockading and preventing them from earning their 30 pieces of Mammon silver inside.

After being prevented from joining the main group by a two deep line of Guards, we successfully scaled the gates of the refinery to be greeted inside with wanton violence and rough handling by Shell’s thugs dressed in security uniforms.

What stimulated the title was an encounter with a German from Riegen and a couple from the UK Midlands who had spent the previous 48 hours travelling overland from mainland Europe and England just to attend today’s protest, what commitment?, even so, the people of Erris match it and, further afield, activists, who with a granite sense of conscience turn up again and again in Bellanaboy to bear witness against a rogue corporation and their shoe shine boys in government who pave and grease their way?

Updates received via Text Message from Protestors

6.47: Gate 2 blocked since 6am

7.10: Situation tense for a group from Cork hemmed in near Gate 2 (gate nearest the bridge). On the road but the guards have half of it.

7.35: The refinery site has been occupied. One group of 30 people have entered and are now occupying the site compound. Meanwhile on the road between the bridge and Gate 2, a group of 90 protesters prevented a truck from from entering the site for about 20 minutes. The truck drove over one person’s foot and an ambulance is on its way. One of the blockaders was arrested around the same time.

8:08: The same truck that drove over the protester’s foot is still being blockaded from entering the quarry (around 40 minutes at this stage).

8:35: There are currently two different groups on the building site and another two groups of blockaders at Gate 1 and Gate 2.

The protester whose foot was driven over has been taken to hospital. Guards were reported as being very rough while removing people from the road at Gate 2 – standing on people’s arms and chests and pulling them off the road by their necks. Local, John Monaghan had his camera pulled off him and thrown into the ditch by gardai.

8:57: The truck has since got past the blockade of Gate 2 (leaving it blocked for just over an hour). 30/40 local people were actively involved in the blockade. Guards reported as violently dragging people away – punching people in back and stomach. Many guards reported as not wearing their identification numbers.

The blockaders have now joined the group at the main gate to the site and there is a line of gardai (now including the public order unit) between them and the compound gate. Two other arrests have been confirmed aside from the protester blockading Gate 2. Further details on these two arrests to be confirmed.

9:05: One group of about 20 protesters on the site attempted to get past the inner gate (with spikes on top) to the site but suffered minor injuries (cut hands) as well as ripped and torn clothing as the site security prevented them from getting across by pushing them back against the spikes at the top of the gate. Two of the people who succeeded in getting to the inner site were ejected from the site by site security needed first aid but are now on their way up to join the group on the road by the main gate.

10:26: Six people have been escorted out of the compound after breaching it via a back entrance. The group managed to breach the inner perimeter and stop work temporarily. There were minor scuffles but security were ‘generally nice’.

14:56: 16 people are currently on site. There are security present but no gardai as of yet. The group is a mix of locals and supporters.

15:01: “Security guards assaulting protesters, grabbing cameras, work continuing”

Shell Gas Offices plagued in Derbyshire

9.11.2007
Supporters of the International struggle against shell have demonstrated outside the Shell Gas offices in Duckmanton, Nr Chesterfield this morning with banners, noise and images of the community struggle in Ireland. They leafleted the workers at the offices and demanded an end to the ongoing violence, intimidation and bribery that the Shell project has begun on the local people of Mayo, NW Ireland.

Today’s demonstration was in solidarity of an international day of action all over the world with the Irish and Ogoni communities November the 10th is the first anniversary of the gardai (police) baton charge against the people in Erris. It is also the 12th anniversary of the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and 8 other Ogoni people who were leaders in the movement against Shell in Nigeria. As in Nigeria in the early nineties, state violence is being used on the local people of Mayo to protect corporate profits.

Workers at the Duckmanton office seemed somewhat surprised this morning with the demonstration and they didn’t get much support from their neighbours either who also stated “they hate them”

The refinery is to be built in a Special Area of conservation under EU regulations. Shell’s own study found that the bay is a breeding and rearing area for whales and dolphins recording over 220 sightings of seven whale and dolphin species, two seal species, basking sharks and sea turtle. Toxic waste is to be pumped into Broadhaven Bay from the refinery, including lead, nickel, magnesium, phosphorous, chromium, arsenic, mercury and radioactive gas radon.

Shell are responsible for the site related health problems, spills, toxic releases and murder of local peoples around their plants in Nigeria, South Africa, Texas, Louisiana, The Philippines, Curacao, Brazil

Act Now! Help local people stop Shell’s Hell

More information
http://www.indymedia.ie http://www.corribsos.com
http://www.corporatewatch.org http:// www.shellfacts.com
images www.radical-images.co.uk

City Indians spread to Copenhagen: 4×4 drivers be warned

7th November 2007

For several months “City Indians” have been actively resisting the spread of gas gussling jeeps in Swedish cities. Now they have moved to Copenhagen.

Several groups of militant environmental activists known as “City Indians” have been actively resisting the wide spread use of so-called “city jeeps” in Swedish cities.

7th November 2007

For several months “City Indians” have been actively resisting the spread of gas gussling jeeps in Swedish cities. Now they have moved to Copenhagen.

Several groups of militant environmental activists known as “City Indians” have been actively resisting the wide spread use of so-called “city jeeps” in Swedish cities.

Their tactics are simply to have groups of activists roaming the streets, letting the air out of the tires on the big, gas-gussling jeeps. Wherever they go they leave a note for the car owners, explaining the impact the cars and their exhausts are having on the environment and encouraging them to use public transportation in stead.

The actions have resulted in car owners organising in vigilante groups threatening to kill the activists caught.

Now this phenomena has crossed to Denmark, where a new group of Indians have been on the prowl. The notes left behind are worded exactly like those in Sweden and so far the tactics have been very similar.

25,000 blockade world’s longest dam in India

Solidarity would be hugely appreciated as India’s Supreme Court looks like it is going to rule in favour of mining corporation Vedanta to be able to mine the Niyamigiri Hills in Orissa, which will mean the death of thousands of people and will set a precedent for the mining of all of India’s forests.

25,000 farmers are to form a human chain around one of the worlds largest dams in protest against development by British mining corporation Vedanta Resources PLC. Central to the conflict are issues over water allocation to the aluminium industry and a bauxite mining project whose effects India’s Supreme Court have been warned by its own investigatory committee would lead to “cultural genocide.” [1]

Farmers in India’s poorest state, Orissa, have gradually been losing the right to water from the Hirakud dam since it began to irrigate and produce energy for the region in 1947. Whilst they claim that today only 25% of their fields receive any irrigation, allocation of water to heavy industry has increased by over 27 times within the past ten years. [2] The major benefactor of this is the aluminium industry, Hindalco and Vedanta, present in Orissa due to its rich bauxite deposits [aluminium ore] and the huge amount of water available from the Hirakud dam. [3]

Vedanta is currently on the crux of winning a legal battle granting it the right to mine three million tonnes of bauxite from the most biodiverse forest region in Orissa, the Niyamgiri hills. The mining threatens many rare species of animals and plants which inhabit the region, as well as the existence of an entire tribal population, the Dongaria Kondhs.

Today is the latest confrontation between different interest groups in a ‘water war’ which reflects growing global conflicts over water shortages in a drying planet. Police have fired on and killed demonstrators in previous mass protests in Orissa and it is likely that following the recent contentious pro-Vedanta decisions of India’s Supreme Court, conflicts may well become more heated.

Feel like ringing up Vedanta to tell them to screw themselves? Good!

investorrelations@vedantaresources.com

Sumanth Cidambi
Associate Director Investor Relations
Telephone: +91 22 6646 1444

Vedanta Resources plc
16 Berkeley Street
London W1J 8DZ

Robin Walker & Faeth Birch

Finsbury Communications
52-58 Tabernacle Street
London
EC2A 4NJ

Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7251 3801

taken from http://www.vedantaresources.com/contactus.htm

Tara – Transport minister has transport problems

November 2nd 2007

Diggers dived and Dempsey done

“transport problems for dept of transports noel dempsey”

Conservationists angry at what they call,’The desecration of Ireland’s cultural heritage’ laid siege to a Trim hotel (Friday 2nd nov) where transport minister Noel Dempsey celebrated another government decentralisation project.

November 2nd 2007

Diggers dived and Dempsey done

“transport problems for dept of transports noel dempsey”

Following a morning of succesful digger diving by 2 crews at Collierstown and soldiers hill,where 1 activist was arrested for not giving his name,then released an hour later.

Some of the 40 Tara M3 protestors dodged security to enter the rear of the Knightsbrook Hotel and golf resort where the reception was taking place,

At one point catering staff – some Polish – were sent to confront them.

Earlier, 10 conservationists harangued the veteran politician as he left the construction site for the new Office of Public Works, where he had turned the first sod.

His day was further spoiled when it was discovered that two tyres of his ministerial Merecedes had been let down.

A spokesman for Tara Solidarity Vigil said: “The graves of the ancient Fianna have been bulldozed, the bones dug up and the remains are still awaiting re-interment to their original resting place.

“It is blatant grave robbery and Irish people should be disgusted,

“Imagine if Glasnevin (Dublin) had a proposed motorway going right through it in 2000 years time.

“The aim was not to scare Mr Dempsey but to have a chance to communicate our concern at his lack of interest in an alternative, cheaper M3 route avoiding the Tara Skyrne Valley where there is potential for a rail line and for valuable tourism for generations to come.

“This proposed UNESCO World Heritage Park will thus be an asset to the people of Ireland.”

Resistance is growing from Rossport to Tara, and our actions are increasing in their effectiveness,as is evident from the government censoring www.tarapixie.net on public access internet terminals. This means we are winning somewhere and have raised major concerns within the halls of power. As song,poetry and music were once again heard in the halls of Tara over Samhain. We hope all Irish and international networks will rally to the support of the Tara Valley.Activists urgently needed now numbers are low after the Samhain celebration.As activists dig in for the winter support,food,warm gear and people needed.Hear the call.

http://www.tarapixie.net

Autumn EF! Action Update out – and advance notice of the Winter Moot, 22-24 February (gathering of eco-activists), Nottingham

The latest issue of the quarterly EF!AU was dished up at the Anarchist Bookfair – bursting at the seams, it had to be turned into a bumper issue, with a round-up of the actions around the time of the Camp for Climate Action, plus loads of action reports from around the world since then – from pieing oil executives, blockading garages & airports, polar bears locking-on, sabotage, prisoners, occupied spaces, digger-diving, GM crop-trashing, to cake and the cunning use of mung beans (oh, and of course, much much more).

Download it to print out and share here. Do get in touch with the editorial collective to let them know if you’re dishing it up round your way, or need paper copies, or want to give them one of the rarer ingredients, dosh (to send it to prisoners, protest camps and far beyond) – their contact details and more are here

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The EF! Winter Moot will happen from 22nd – 24th February 2008, in Nottingham – more details nearer the time, as this is just advance notice.

It’s a gathering for environmental activists – in the past, it’s been a chance for people involved in all kinds of ecological direct action to get together for a weekend indoors to chat about where things are at in the UK, and so improve all aspects of how we work together, in order to take direct action in defence of the earth.

Contact 0845-0223 5254 for more info

Protest shackles Total Oil petrol station (& 7th November action call-out)

On 1st November protestors gathered at the 24-hour Total petrol station on Marylebone Road in central London. They were calling for Total Oil to pull out of Burma due to their funding of the Burmese military regime. The protest began at 5pm to coincide with rush hour.

The protest consisted of banners, placards, leaflets and a petition. One protestor wore shackles to signify the oppression of the Burmese people.

Within 10 minutes of the protest beginning staff closed the station, blocking off the forecourt and switching off the lights. Even the accompanying shop was shut. When it became apparent that the protest was continuing the police were contacted. One officer arrived and after consulting the staff told the demonstrators that there were not allowed onto the forecourt and risked arrest if they “interfered” with the business’s trade by blocking the entrance or locking onto any of the pumps. (It should be noted that none of the protestors had entered the forecourt or caused any “interference”.)

After an hour the station re-opened. The protest continued until 7.00pm.

http://www.totaloutofburma.blogspot.com

A worldwide day of action against French oil giant Total’s investment in Burma has been called for Wednesday 7th November, the day the company’s quarterly results are published. Total’s continued involvement in the operation of the Yadana gas pipeline in the south of the country, in partnership with Chevron-Texaco, is opposed by the country’s democratically-elected leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest or detention for 12 years. The pipeline earns the regime hundreds of millions of pounds in revenue every year, with only a tiny fraction reaching the Burmese people. The main customer for the pipeline is Thailand.

Critical Mass reports (October) – Sheffield, London

A pleasant ride across Sheffield with a number of cycling enthusiasts on Friday 26 October. Also accompanied by 2 police bike officers and a patrol car.

Come along on the next one.. last Friday of the month, 5:30pm at the University Concourse

A pleasant ride across Sheffield with a number of cycling enthusiasts on Friday 26 October. Also accompanied by 2 police bike officers and a patrol car.

Come along on the next one.. last Friday of the month, 5:30pm at the University Concourse

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FIT on bikes at London Critical Mass

At least one officer from the FIT (Forwards Intelligence Team) were spotted on the critical mass without their usual blue-shoulder uniforms on and on bikes!

Sergeant CW 36 seen here at Climate Camp was seen on a bike with the regular bike cops on the Critical Mass. Have they decided to give up their climate killing cars and use peddle power to continue their agenda of intimidation? Have recent FITwatch actions made them think twice about being so open? Is this just one cop deciding to be a bike cop for a change?

Either way people should be aware that just because they can’t see FIT it doesn’t mean that the cops they see about them aren’t also gathering intelligence.

—–

A fairly smooth Halloween style ride with few if any police hassles.

There were a good numbers compared to the previous month. Several sound systems. No blocking junctions this time. Some London landmarks are highlighted in the video.

Video: http://www.archive.org/details/cm26-10-07

http://criticalmasslondon.org.uk

Activists set up “Camp Hope” at Gloucester Airport

Activists have set up Camp Hope at Gloucester Airport in a protest over proposed expansion and increased aviation at Staverton in Gloucester

Peaceful protest against the airport’s impacts on noise, the environment, and the area’s image

The airport claims “only a small minority are opposed to the development,” Come and show them that you are not part of a small minority by making your voice heard.

This campaign is about more than an airport. It is about our resolve to adapt to climate change.

You can come and camp for the weekend, or just come for the Saturday or Sunday.

For more information email CampForTheFuture@btinternet.com

Take Action at Camp Hope 20th/21st October. A Climate Camp @ Staverton Airport, Gloucestershire.

Camp Hope 20th/21st October, Staverton Airport, Gloucestershire Airport

At a location close to the airport, see

http://www.myspace.com/campofhope

http://CampForHopeAtStaverton.blogspot.com/

More images can be found at http://www.radical-images.co.uk
and on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/radical_images/sets/72157602561523510/