Climate Chaos – Page 135

BP Executive pied as Europe’s largest BioFuels Event disrupted, Blockade of D1 Oils & demo outside exhibition

17th October, 2007

17th October, 2007
The exhibition, featuring over a hundred trade stands, ran alongside a conference which opened on Wednesday with a key note speech from BP Biofuels’ Europe & Africa Director Oliver Mace, but was quickly thrown into chaos when a number of people dressed in suits marched onto the stage to target BP’s ‘dangerous and dishonest’ greenwash and protest at the catastrophic effects of replacing climate-stabilising ecosystems with arable crops for biofuel feedstocks.

A stunned audience gasped as a cream-pie was launched at Mace, while activists swarmed the stage and handed out leaflets to attendees. One of the protesters D-locked himself to the podium, telling delegates “we need to reduce our consumption now – technological fixes are not the answer.” Panic alarms were then set off around the room and the conference was halted.

Later a press conference was held at which Eastside Climate Action gave a statement saying: “Biofuels are not part of the solution, they are part of the problem. We need lifestyle and economic change, a reduction in consumption and local production of all our own needs.”

BP, the main sponsor of the Biofuels conference, did not represent themselves at the press conference through fears that attention would be focussed on the protest. Oliver Mace was said to be ‘shaken’ by the morning’s events.

Richard Price, conference organiser and Biofuels Media director, said that one of the aims of the event was to have some debate which surrounds issues such as food versus fuel. He also offered a platform for those wanting to raise objections and concerns with the biofuels industry.

Price pointed to future biofuel technologies, known as second generation biofuels, which use plant matter such as Jatropha and algae, and do not normally enter the food chain. Price and others are claiming that these may offer advantages such as higher oil yields and the possibility of using otherwise unviable land.

Price admitted “we should be using less fuel, being more economical, as well as exploring biofuels. Next year we’ll see what the issues are, but clearly we need a much wider base.” Asked if the conference would accept sponsorship from BP in the future, Biofuels Media have so far declined to comment.

Later on there were further protests as campaigners gathered at the main gates to the Newark showground, where the conference was held. Activists from pressure group Biofuelwatch were in attendance to explain their concerns, and those attending the conference were engaged in discussions and handed leaflets explaining that deforestation -such as to make way for oil palms for fuel in Asia- is a major cause of climate change, accounting for up to 30 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Biofuelwatch campaigner Deepak Rughani referred to a recent study by scientist Paul Crutzen, which found that Biofuels produced from arable crops are directly responsible for greenhouse gas emissions of up to 70% more than the equivalent of fossil-fuel. Rughani added, “when you add in elements of deforestation or land-use change, you are looking at massive further emissions due to the release of carbon stored in trees, plants and within the soil.”

Biofuelwatch campaigns against the use of bio-energy from unsustainable sources, namely biofuels that are linked to accelerated climate change, deforestation, bio-diversity losses, water and soil degradation, and the displacement and impoverishment of local populations and loss of food sovereignty and security. Aside from technological solutions, Biofuelwatch and other environmental groups believe cuts in greenhouse gas emissions must be based on overall demand reduction. This means reducing energy use and transport as opposed to replacing one type of fuel with another.

Biofuels Conference – Audio clip (intro & pie) – mp3 1.7M

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Press release –

Date: 17th October, 2007
Embargo: Immediate Release
CONTACT: 07880 937 511
Newark Showground, Newark, Nottinghamshire

This morning a group of 15 climate change activists from protest group Food Not Fuel entered the BioFuel Expo & Conference taking place at the Newark Showground and took over the keynote speech. Oliver Mace, CEO of BP Fuels, the lead sponsors of the event received a cream pie in the face. Another campaigner was D-locked to the podium and various alarms were placed around the place. The hall was emptied and talks were cancelled. There were no arrests.

They were protesting against planned expansion of biofuels citing its contribution to deforestation and the fact that it will continue to contribute to climate change. The activists complained that biofuels on a large scale is greenwash and companies such as BP are ignoring its negative impacts on the environment.

Protester Michelle Lynch said, “What they are promoting is a replacement to fossil fuels, but the reality is that they are little better. Large scale plantations are not the solution; reducing our consumption is the only realistic way forward.”

Another protester, Thomas Bradshaw pointed out, “Biofuels will be taking food from the mouths of the hungary when there are already 800 million people suffering from malnutrition. These corporations are effectively encouraging the erosion of valuable arable farmland and rainforests vital for combating climate change.”

-end-

Notes for editors:

1. The protestors can be contacted at 07880 937 511. Their critique argues that radical social change is needed to deal with the impact of peak oil and climate change, and that seeking solutions such as carbon trading and biofuels are not the answer, as the real problem is unsustainable economic growth.

2. The BioFuels Expo & Conference (www.biodiesel-expo.co.uk) is the largest of its kind in Europe, and brings together big industry players such as BP Fuels, Deloitte & Touche and many chemical, agricultural and manufacturing companies.

3. A comprehensive critique of biofuels can be found at BioFuels Watch (www.biofuelwatch.org.uk) who are a distinct group from Food Not Fuels, but are hosting their own demonstration against the Conference.

4. Text of leaflet distribute to attendees.

Biofuels & Fossil Fuels: Biofuels that are not produced by recycling waste oil are the direct product of large scale monoculture. Currently the amount of fossil fuels required to produce biofuels is greater than the amount of fuel you get out: you have to make the fertilizer, run the agricultural machinery, transport the feedstocks and fuels, and refine the plant matter into fuel.

Biofuels & Food: The land that is used to farm biofuels has to come from somewhere. If it is agricultural land used for food then there will be less food. Maize, Mexico’s staple crop, have increased massively due to American demand for bioethanol. Adding to the number of people living below the poverty line.

Biofuels & Land use: If not agricultural land, then biofuels will be grown on virgin rainforest or wetland. 1/3 of all greenhouse gas emissions come from the destruction of living carbon sinks. The Amazon rainforest is the largest driver of the climate on the planet and expanding bioethanol plantations will push it to extinction. Wetlands, eg peat, contain more carbon that the whole atmosphere and cover just 1% of the worlds surface. The largest peat bogs in the world, in Indonesia, are currently being drained for palm oil plantations. If greenhouse gas emissions continue as they currently are we will go beyond the climate tipping point causing mass extinction of life on earth.

Biofuels & Local Control: The driving force beyond the expansion in biofuels are big corporations such as BP & Monsanto, and government – the very people who have got us into this mess. They are using biofuels as a way to continue their position of power into the post peak oil world. To stand a chance of survival the control of land must be by local people for local people.

The Solution: We will need to reduce our consumption to levels that we can meet ourselves. This WILL mean a reduction in luxuries, like the luxury to travel. Some biofuels will be used, but at a fraction of our current oil use. We need to end the search for technological solutions to economic problems. We need to localise our economy, produce our own food, make our own tools and use less.

We need an end to economic growth.

foodnotfuel1@yahoo.co.uk

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Blockade of D1 Oils – anti-agrofuel demo

Protestors from No Agrofuels UK blockaded DI oils refinery and offices this morning to raise awareness of the detrimental impact of agrofuels. The protest was timed to coincide with the national Biofuels Conference in Newark.

18 Protestors chained the 3 gates to the refinery shut and 2 protestors were D-locked to the main gates. No vehicles were able to enter or leave the site and all work appeared to have been stopped.

Several banners were tied over the gates including “No Agrofuels, Land 4 People, Food, Biodiversity” and “Climate Change Profiteers”

Agrofuels (fuels produced from purposely and intensively grown crops) are not the green solution. They result in deforestation of tropical rainforests and burning of peatlands which increase carbon in the atmosphere. Studies have shown that when you include energy used to grow and produce the fuels including chemical production and transportation they use more energy then oil based fuels.

Agrofuels also cause food insecurity by reducing land availbale to grow food and increasing food prices. They result in land dispossession as people in Africa, Asia and South America are forced off their land to enable crops to be grown for the fuel of Europe and the USA. In Colombia there have been human rights abuses to gain control of the land.

D1 is one of the biggest traders worldwide of palm oil and oil seed rape. They have interests in India, Indonesia, China, South Africa, Zambia, Swaziland, El Salvador and are soon planning to get into Brazil and several otehr African countries. They are directly responsible for land dispossession, food insecurity and increasing poverty, they are not the providing the solution to our climate crisis, the only solution to climate change is a reduction in energy rather then exploiting the biodiversity, people and land of the Global South.

For more info see: www.biofuelwatch.org.uk

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Banner Protest outside Biodiesel Expo in Newark

About 40 protesters held a banner protest outside the Biodiesel Expo in Newark, Europe’s largest biofuel conference this year. Participants of the conference include BP, Virgin and D1 Oils, a biofuel company headed by former Shell CEO Lord Oxburgh which is acquiring rights over large areas of land in India and southern Africa. Protesters highlighted the devastating impact which the industry is having on global warming, rainforests, local communities in the global South and food security.

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PRESS RELEASE

Newark : 40 Protestors call for food for people, not cars

Over 40 environmentalists protested outside the ‘Biodiesel Expo’ today, Wednesday 17th October, at Newark Showground. The protest was to raise awareness of the damage that massive and rapid biofuels development is having on the climate, people, food security and forests.

The protest comes just the day after World Food Day October 16th when the UN Food and Agroculture organization (FAO) highlighted the impacts of biofuels of food security around the world.

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Jean Ziegler, is so concerned that he has warned that rapid biofuel development is a total disaster for those who are starving. He will call for an international five-year ban on producing biofuels to combat soaring food prices in the UN General Assembly on October 25th. (see below).

Deepak Rughani from biofuelwatch says “The UN FAO is very concerned about biofuels. They have said that they ‘are gravely concerned that biofuels will bring hunger in their wake’. A battle is being created between food and fuel that will leave the poor and hungry in developing countries at the mercy of rapidly rising prices for food, land and water. The EU and the UK urgently need a moratorium of biofuels to make sure that we don’t push millions into starvation. We have protested today to support the call in the UN and demand the UK government stops the mad rush to biofuels”.

biofuelwatch, who are campaigning for EU moratorium on large-scale biofuel production and imports into the EU, say that from April 2008 UK consumers will have no choice about having to buy biofuels at the pump. The biofuels available will be blended from many difference sources across the globe depending on commodity market prices.

From April, consumers will not be able to avoid buying biofuel that may be accelerating destruction of tropical forests, increasing their carbon emissions, causing human rights abuses, and taking land from vital food production.

Information:

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food is to demand an international five-year ban on producing biofuels to combat soaring food prices at the United Nations General Assembly on 25th October. http://tinyurl.com/2ltgwd
The entire text of a report to the UN General Assembly from United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Jean Zeigler, highlighting the risks to millions from biofuels is attached to this Press release.

Links to World Food Day press from around the world
Jamaica – Food prices set to rise – Tufton:

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20071016/business/business1.html

Biofuels highlighted in Colombia :

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuelwatch/message/1157

New Zealand: Food Prices Driven by Biofuels

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuelwatch/message/1149

Worldwide Women’s Energy issue :: Feed People, Not Cars

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuelwatch/message/1146

Biofuels and world hunger

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuelwatch/message/1145

Contacts:

Andrew Boswell, Biofuelwatch , UK : T: +44-1603-613798 M: +44-7787127881 (at the protest)

E: andrew.boswell[at]yahoo.co.uk

Deepak Rughani, Biofuelwatch , UK : +44–7931-636337 (at the protest)

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

Burma activists ‘lock on’ to Total

16.10.2007
Three direct activists have today shut down a busy Total filling station in solidarity with the people of Burma’s nonviolent struggle for democracy.

Under a banner saying “May all beings be happy – Free Burma ” the activists have locked themselves together and begun to meditate, locking together the hoses, turning off the power and blocking the entrance to the premises in London’s Marylebone Road.

The group have targeted Total to highlight the company’s role in propping up one of the world’s most brutal dictatorships. The Burmese military rulers routinely torture prisoners, use rape as a weapon of war, and have forcibly displaced almost one million people from their land – including to make way for a 63 kilometre gas pipeline built by Total.

Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma’s pro-democracy leader, has said that “Total has become the main supporter of the Burmese military regime.” She told the French weekly Le Nouvel Observateur that “Total knew what it was doing when it invested massively in Burma while others withdrew from the market for ethical reasons”. She added, “the company must accept the consequences. The country will not always be governed by dictators.”

Matthew Herbert, one of the activists, said: “All the peoples of Burma will be free. There is no force as powerful as the nonviolent resistance of a united people, especially when the cause is as just and urgent as this. As Aung San Suu Kyi says, Total will be held accountable. Today’s action plays just one small part in that reckoning.”

A fellow activist, added: “The authority to rule comes from the people themselves, the people of Burma have had enough, they are withdrawing their consent to be controlled. This action is in solidarity with the people of Burma struggle for freedom and a message to Total to withdraw from Burma now.”

For more information contact 07796 430141

Activist Film Festival is seeking submissions

Undercurrents is calling for submissions of short videos and animations on the theme of the festival: social justice and environmental action.

Subject: Political Activist videos wanted
From: undercurrents

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS OF FILMS

FOR BEYONDTV FESTIVAL NOVEMBER 2007

What is BEYONDTV?
From November 28 to December 2, 2007, Radical media charity, Undercurrents will host the 8th annual BEYONDTV festival of political documentaries, animations and music videos from inspiring media directors.

Undercurrents is calling for submissions of short videos and animations on the theme of the festival: social justice and environmental action.

Important Note: We do not screen dramas using actors

BEYONDTV will be hosted at the Dylan Thomas Centre and Taliesin Cinema Swansea from November 28 – December 2, 2007

More details at http://www.beyondtvfestival.info
beyondtv@undercurrents.org

Undercurrents
Old Exchange
Pier st
Swansea
SA1 1RY
UK

Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) Day of Action – protests throughout England, Scotland & Wales – from cake to locked-on polar bears

Protests in Bristol, London, Manc, Norwich, Cambridge, Sheffield, Oxford, Edinburgh, Truro, Birmingham, Glasgow, Aberystwyth, Cardiff, Bath, Bradford, St Andrews, Plymouth, Reading, Leamington Spa, Leicester & Altrincham (‘read more’ for details, photos, audio & video clips)

A group of ‘climate refugees’ blocked the vehicle entrance to the Royal Bank of Scotland’s Corporate Offices at Temple Quay to shine the spotlight on climate criminals RBS, the self-proclaimed ‘Oil and Gas’ Bank. Four people from Bristol Rising Tide for Climate Action dressed as homeless polar bears have locked themselves together and prevented all vehicles entering the RBS branch for six and a half hours.

Today’s blockade lasted six and a half hours with the last ‘climate refugee’ being finally chiseled out at 2.30pm. Four people are currently being held at Trinity police station.
The police used a dubious method of dealing with it – they lifted people and suitcases on to trolleys and then wheeled them away. This caused severe discomfort and panic for the people on the ground and at least one of them has bruising as a result.
RBS lost many hours today due to rocking up late cos of parking issues and the many employees that spent the day staring out of the windows watching the drama unfolding and taking photos on their phones (check out you tube for clips!).

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PRESS RELEASE: ‘Climate refugees’ locked up at the Oil Bank of Scotland, Bristol

A group of ‘climate refugees’ are blocking the vehicle entrance to the Royal Bank of Scotland’s Corporate Offices at Temple Quay to shine the spotlight on climate criminals RBS, the self-proclaimed ‘Oil and Gas’ Bank.

Six people from Bristol Rising Tide for Climate Action dressed as homeless polar bears have locked themselves together and are currently preventing all vehicles entering the RBS branch. This is part of a National Day of Local Action against the Royal Bank of Scotland called by those hugely concerned with the devastation to the climate, planet and people.[1]

RBS-NatWest publicly promotes itself as “The Oil & Gas Bank”. They provide the financial fuel that is accelerating climate change. Without these loans to oil and gas corporations the projects would not happen. [2]It is estimate that *in 2006, the bank provided over $10 billion to fossil fuels – more than five times that provided to renewable energy.[3]*

RBS provide oil corporations with loans to build new massively ecologically detrimental drilling rigs, pipelines and oil tankers. [4] And as RBS’s profits rise so does the carbon in the atmosphere.

Global climate change already forces more people from their homes each year than war. And as the effects worsen, one in seven people on Earth today could be forced to leave their homes over the next 50 years. [5]

A polar bear said, “I am here to let RBS know that their funnelling of cash into fossil fuel projects is making myself and millions of other animals, including humans homeless.”

Another polar bear said “If carbon dioxide molecules had corporate tags of responsibility, the atmosphere would be full of RBS logos mingling with those of BP, Exxon and Shell!”

Contact:

Bristol Rising Tide 07951789187
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Notes for Editors

[1] The day of action was called by the UK Rising Tide Network at this years Camp for Climate Action which took place next to Heathrow Airport. www.risingtide.org.uk

[2] In 2005 emissions from RBS financed oil and gas projects was about a quarter of the amount produced by all UK homes.

[3] taken from: *The Oil and Gas Bank; RBS and the financing of climate change * http://peopleandplanet.org/dl/ddd/rbs_report.pdf

[4] RBS is helping force open the carbon frontier, financing controversial projects in Nigeria, the Caucasus and Wales. Its involvement in Angolan and Nigerian oil fields encourages corruption and conflict, while gas projects from the Arabian Gulf to the Gulf of Mexico threaten environmental destruction.

[5] Figures from “Human Tide: The Real Migration Crisis,” by Christian Aid. The report calls for “urgent action by the world community” if the worst effects of this crisis are to be averted.

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one arrest at Royal Bank of Scotland banner drop this morning in London

around a dozen activists from ‘rising tide’ highlighted royal bank of scotland’s shoddy record of investment in climate change. one clambered on the glass canopy of their city hq to unfurl a banner while others handed out more than 900 leaflets

shortly before 9am this morning police sealed off the pavement under the glass canopy in front of 280 bishopsgate, the london hq of the royal bank of scotland. an activist had clambered up with a banner proclaiming ‘the oil bank of scotland’, while a dozen others leafletted passers-by and bank workers outside the front doors.

the activists also had various banners, and one was fetchingly dressed as a polar bear.

the action lasted about an hour and a half, while police photographer steve discombe used up the battery of his long lens camera taking shots of everyone involved. luckily, police back-up arrived with another battery just as the banner man came down.

police tried to seize the banner from activists “as evidence” and after a short but comic game of ‘piggy in the middle’, they succeeded. in past cases around parliament square, it has been shown in court that if police have clear photos of the banner, under PACE they have no further right to seize the actual banner, so in effect they stole it this morning (as they often do!).

the banner man was arrested for ‘causing a public nuisance’ and it is believed he was taken to bethnal green police station.

activists were highlighting the fact that RBS-NatWest have in the last five years funded 655 million tonnes of emissions) which is more than the UK’s entire annual emissions. the bank has launched ‘aviation capital’ to help put more planes in the sky, and it has pumped over $10billion into the oil and gas industry, funding rigs, tankers and pipelines.

there is a further protest planned outside the bank at 5pm today

20071015_RBS_WMV – video/x-ms-wmv 15M

20071015_RBS_QT – video/quicktime 13M
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London pranks: ‘This Company is Out of Order’ signs left on 15 RBS and Natwest cash machines in central London. Pranksters do invisible theatre in branches, trying to open accounts, having arguments about RBS’ unethical policies in the queues, and leaving piles of anti-RBS leaflets amongst their corporate propaganda. They then go underground for some ‘Tube Education’, leafleting and talking to Tube passengers.

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National climate protests against Royal Bank of Scotland, ‘The Oil and Gas Bank’

15 October 2007
For immediate release, for photographs contact Mike J Wells 07799152888

POLAR BEAR PINS BLAME ON RBS DOOR

Climate Change direct action group London Rising Tide and friends, this morning occupied the headquarters of the Royal Bank of Scotland to expose their role in Climate Chaos. This was one of many actions happening across the UK today as part of a UK Rising Tide call out for a National day of action against RBS.

Activists dropped a banner reading “RBS profits, climate cops it” from the balcony, while others held placards on the street in front of the building on Bishopsgate.

A polar bear, currently sleeping rough since the artic ice became history, also attended to ask “why are RBS still investing in fossil fuel projects like ‘gas pipelines’ in Wales and ‘Tar sands strip mining’ in what was Canadian Arboreal Forest?”

The Bear said “Banks like RBS are the hidden drivers of climate change by offering loans to fossil fuel projects that otherwise the World Bank would not support”.

RBS calls itself the ‘Oil and Gas Bank’, and is the primary UK funder of fossil fuel extraction. RBS provides oil companies with the capital to build and operate drilling rigs, pipelines and oil tankers in some of the most sensitive and unstable places in the world. Through Aviation Capital, RBS financing allows airlines to expand their fleets and put more planes into the skies.

The thirty oil and gas finance deals RBS signed between 2001 and 2006 will create 655 million tonnes of carbon emissions over the next 15 years, which is more than the UK’s entire annual emissions. (2)

‘Banks like RBS who profit handsomely from climate-destroying projects have stood in the shadows for too long, but they are as guilty as the oil companies. If carbon dioxide molecules had corporate tags of responsibility, the atmosphere would be full of RBS logos mingling with those of BP, Exxon and Shell’, said Martin Redfern, from London.

For interviews from the protest call 075 1311 9047

For more details visit
. www.risingtide.org.uk
. http://www.carbonweb.org/showitem.asp?article=268&parent=267
(www.platform.org.uk)
. www.londonrisingtide.org.uk
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ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND….THE ‘OIL AND GAS BANK’

Manchester Climate Action targeted the RBS headquarters on Deansgate, Manchester, as part of a national day of action called by the Rising Tide network.

Local groups which formed to mobilise for this year’s Camp for Climate Action, have this morning taken action against RBS, a major backer of the aviation industry and the world’s self-described ‘Oil and Gas Bank’.

Banners were displayed reading: ‘Climate Change: RBS Makes It Happen’ and ‘No Pipeline! Green Energy Not Gas’. Protesters were greeted by 3 Tactical Aid Unit Vans and security guards, but despite police attempts to stop noise under the public order act, the samba band played and flyers were given out to workers, customers and passers by.

RBS employs some 5,000 staff in the Greater Manchester area and is the 2nd largest private employer in the area.

RBS provides oil companies with the cash to build and operate drilling rigs, pipelines and oil tankers. RBS also profits through the aviation industry. From the Niger Delta to the Arctic, RBS loans play a key role in
forcing open the new carbon frontier, which contributes to environmental destruction,disruption of indigenous peoples and increased conflict across the planet.

RBS is the second-largest bank in Europe and has global assets of over $1120 billion, including UK brands NatWest, Direct Line and Churchill Insurance. Despite creating a heavily green washed public image through
sponsorship of sports and the arts, RBS activities have major destructive impacts on the environment and society. The thirty oil and gas finance deals RBS signed between 2001 and 2006 locked us all into 655 million
tonnes of emissions over the next 15 years, more than the UK’s entire annual emissions.

Manchester Climate Action meet regularly, for more information email:
manchester@climatecamp.org.uk. Next meeting is Tuesday 16th, 6pm, Eighth Day café, Oxford Rd (near Manchester Metropolitan University, opposite All Saints Park.)

radio report of rbs protest – mp3 2.2M
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Triple whammy for RBS in Norwich

Last night, the doors of the RBS-Natwest Group Technology office on Exchange Street and the main RBS branch on Queen Street were locked shut. When staff showed up for work this morning at the Queen Street branch they found themselves locked out, and gathered opposite the branch to see what would happen. Soon after, 6 activists from Norwich Rising Tide turned up with leaflets and banners reading ‘RBS: Financing Climate Change’ and ‘Closed for a Total Re-think’. The d-lock proved to be a good one, and the bank was delayed from opening for business for over an hour. Rising Tiders handed out leaflets and chatted to the waiting staff and customers, with the usual mixed response. Passers-by were generally supportive, and the police showed up only at the very end, once the bank had re-opened and we were running low on leaflets. After our 500-strong leaflet stash had been exhausted, we decided to call it a morning.

norwich@risingtide.org.uk
http://www.risingtide.org.uk

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Cambridge RBS action

At lunchtime on Monday 15 October, around ten activists assembled outside the Royal Bank of Scotland branch on Trinity Street, Cambridge, as part of the national day of action against the UK’s main bankroller of carbon emitters. The protesters put up placards next to the ATM, handed out leaflets, and engaged passers-by and customers in discussion.

Four police officers were also in attendance, one taking pictures of all the leafletters. A number of people who happened to be passing by wanted to know the reason for this. Among these were an American woman who got quite stroppy with the officers, and a young guy who wanted to have picture taken with one of the protesters (the police dutifully obliged). Although the police came across all friendly, they did play their usual intimidation tactics of dropping details of protesters into the conversation that they could only have lifted from FIT files. On the flipside, they asked for the placards to be moved away from the ATM, as “customers might feel intimidated.”

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Royal Bank of Scotland Targeted for Investing in Climate Change

A group of activists leafletted the Royal Bank of Scotland in Broomhill, Sheffield as part of a National Day of Action. Over 20 actions have taken place all around the country including banks being locked up in Norwich and polar bears blockading in Bristol. This is all part of a campaign against the Royal Bank of Scotland which invests heavily in oil and gas, which is accelerating climate change.

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Quick Update on Today’s Oxford RBS Actions

Oxford climate activists targeted a branches of both the Royal Bank of Scotland and NatWest as part of the today’s National Day of Action. With banners and oil-spattered T-Shirts declaring “RBS Group – Funding Climate Change”, “Dirty Bankers – Shafting The Planet”, and “The Oil Bank Of Scotland”, they caused a stir in Oxford’s busiest shopping precinct and distributed hundreds of leaflets to interested customers and passers-by.

Activists also entered both branches with a large oil pipeline, explaining to customers and staff that they were delivering it to the branch, but couldn’t leave until they’d spoken to Head Office to confirm that it had arrived safely. They stayed in each branch cheerfully (and loudly) reminiscing with staff and customers about all the other pipelines and fossil fuel projects the bank was funding, and how much climate change they were causing, until removed by the police. In the NatWest branch, they also managed to get a call put through to Head Office and asked them why RBS were funding so many climate-trashing projects (they didn’t get any decent answers though).

No-one was arrested, although one protester had to give their name and address under Section 50 of the Police Reform Act for “anti-social behaviour” (they were apparently causing “alarm and distress” by standing in a bank, talking about climate change and holding a cardboard oil pipe).

Oxford Climate Action meet on Mondays at the Oxford Action Resource Centre (OARC – www.theoarc.org.uk). To get involved, contact oxford@climatecamp.org.uk – new members always welcome!

Link to video of Action

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Students from Edinburgh University protested outside RBS’s Central Branch in Edinburgh as part of Rising Tide’s national day of action against RBS’s funding of oil and gas extraction.

Students from Edinburgh University People & Planet group stepped up their campaign against the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) this morning. Alongside other People & Planet groups in Scotland, and campaigners from Rising Tide, they took part in a national ‘day of action’ targeting the Edinburgh-based bank.

The protests aim to highlight RBS’s role as one of the world’s largest funders of climate-wrecking oil and gas extraction. Emissions resulting from RBS-supported projects around the globe are greater than those of the whole of Scotland.

Campaigners gave out information to customers, held banners, and waved oil covered hands outside RBS’s central branch in St. Andrew’s Square.

People & Planet recently worked with climate change experts PLATFORM to write a report into RBS (2). The report draws attention to the bank’s crucial role in supporting the global oil and gas extraction industry, where it publicly markets itself as ‘the oil and gas bank’.

Sarah Holliday, a member of Edinburgh People & Planet said:

“RBS call themselves ‘the oil and gas bank’. They provide huge amounts of advice and funding for new oil extraction. Their fossil fuels projects worldwide will lock us in to emissions for decades to come – making a low carbon economy impossible. They are the UK’s main financial drivers of climate change.”

The campaign is a part of the People & Planet national campaign, “Ditch Dirty Development”, which is also calling on the Department for International Development to stop using aid money to fund fossil fuel projects (3).

More photos can be found here.

1) People & Planet is the UK’s largest student campaigning network. It campaigns on world poverty, human rights and the environment: www.peopleandplanet.org http://pandp.eusa.ed.ac.uk

2) The report, entitled ‘The Oil and Gas Bank’, can be found here

3)“Ditch Dirty Development” campaign website
“Oil Bank of Scotland” campaign website

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Also in Edinburgh: The locks of the main entrances to at least six Edinburgh RBS branches were glued shut last night, and all of them had to have the locks replaced today.

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2 branches in edinburgh were given ‘pollution awards’ – along with various other posters about RBS policy. unfortunatly the police drove by while one branch was just being finished off, and took the still wet posters off. 🙁 – next time…

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Truro demo at RBS branch: Twelve activists from across Cornwall gathered at the RBS branch in Truro for a two-hour demo with a friendly atmosphere and good response from passers-by. They handed out leaflets and slices of cake from a clock-shaped ‘11th hour’ cake, and made new connections that built the foundations of a climate action group for Cornwall.

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Birmingham Uni flood campus NatWest: Over thirty students from Birmingham People and Planet descended upon the Natwest branch on campus. Some were dressed in boiler suits and carried oil pipelines. Others, dressed as bankers and impersonating members of the RBS Oil and Gas Team gave a highly sarcastic presentation extolling the virtues of RBS’ oil and gas investments. Oil pipes and boiler suits. Dressed as bankers. Went in and gave mock presentation, impersonated oil and gas team. Extolled virtues of RBS. 20 minutes. Did presentation again a few more times on campus. 30 people. Couldn’t all fit in. Birmingham People and Planet.

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Glasgow Treacle Tart Cabaret: After a half hour discussion with the central Glasgow RBS branch manager in which they expressed their anger about RBS’ investment in oil and gas, two intrepid activists left the branch, only to make a quick costume change and return as the hosts of the Treacle Tart Cabaret. They sang, danced, waved banners and placards, got up on the cashiers’ desks and strutted their stuff, and even performed an Oil Rap. At this point the bank decided to lock its doors, locking the Tarts in and customers out, and effectively shutting the bank down for an hour. Inside the atmosphere was positive, with the locked-in staff and customers getting into the swing of things. One of the Tarts capped off the performance by cutting up her RBS debit card as a magic trick.

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Around a dozen climate change refugees queued outside Nat West Bank in Aberystwyth today, Monday 15th October, to beg a ‘bank official’ for a home loan because climate change was destroying their current home. The refugees ranged from an Aussie through a Greenlander to an Artic Cod. As the refugees were interviewed, volunteers handed out fliers on Royal Bank of Scotland , Nat West and their investment in projects linked to climate change. Meanwhile, RBS and Nat West ATMs all mysteriously displayed signs reading ‘OUT OF ORDER’ in large letters. On close inspection with a magnifying glass, the very small print read ‘RBS and Nat West investment policy’. The possible effects of climate change on a number of countries were mapped on the pavement with chalk – disturbing before and after snapshots. As the refugees were all turned down for home loans, they carried a protest banner into the bank. Unfortunately, being weakened by loosing their homes, the refugees dropped the banner and, being weighted down with helium balloons, it drifted up and displayed itself from the ceiling for a good half an hour before staff managed to get it down.

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The main cardiff branch RBS on st Mary’s Street was closed 3 hours after 20 activists entered the building causing distruption. Hundreds of leaflets were handed out and banners displayed outside. The process was repeated at Natwest afterwards.

Lots of Police were in attendance including intelligence gatherers. Photos to follow.

cardiffanarchists@riseup.net
http://southwalesanarchists.org

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Don’t Bank On Oil In Bath

As part of today’s national day of action against the Royal Bank of Scotland, 7 activists from Bath Activist Network picketed the RBS branch on Quiet Street in Bath, for two hours over lunch time. Banner on display, customers and passers-by were leafleted with mock-up imitation RBS literature and invitations to ‘Open an oil rig today!’, informing the public about the Terms and Consequences of banking with RBS, their dodgy investment record in fossil fuel extraction and aviation industries, and the 160,000 estimated global deaths a year due to the effects of climate change. Whilst staff and police complained about the seemingly out-of-order ATM outside their door, we listened to stories of customers’ poor treatment by their bank, and also helped at least the one student find more ethical options for his new account. Also bemusing were the members of public who mistook the business-suited activists for bank employees, and chatted about the service.

bathactivistnet@yahoo.co.uk
http://myspace.com/bathactivistnetwork

To read PLATFORM’s report on Royal bank of Scotland, go here: http://peopleandplanet.org/dl/ddd/rbs_report.pdf
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Bradford students leaflet campus Natwest

Students from the university of Bradford People & Planet group leafleted at the Natwest branch on campus. That’s all the details I know, hopefully more details to follow.

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St Andrews Uni P&P also did some protest performance art – ‘attempting’ to open accounts in the town, etc.

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Plymouth – after a procession along North Hill Street, a group of people held a four-hour demo at the RBS branch near Drake Circus, complete with music and drumming. A good response from passers-by, with lots of customers asking directly for leaflets.

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Reading Rising Tide held a demo at the Reading RBS branch.

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A group of 5 held a demo in Leamington.

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Cash-points were stickered with anti-RBS stickers in Leicester.

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Leaflets were stuck on lamp-posts in Altrincham.

Worldwide Day of Action Against McDonalds 16th October

14th October 2007 early demo report: nearly 30 people took part in the London leg of the worldwide anti-McDonald’s day. It started at noon at the Leicester Square McDonald’s. There was a Ronald McDonald attacking a person dressed as a cow. The cow went down well with the kids and even some adults! Lots of leaflets were handed out and the public seemed to be receptive on the whole. Also, the police were noticeable by their absence. The demo moved onto the Shaftesbury Avenue McDonald’s and finished at about 3.30.

—

Adopt-YOUR-Store – leaflets from Veggies or Do It Yourself. Details here

Eric McDavid US Green Scare prisoner – found guilty & update

It has been two weeks since the jury found Eric guilty, and we are still trying to regroup and get ready for the next round. While this is going to be a long process – one which will require your help and support in a variety of ways – there is one thing that simply cannot be put off.

The jail is still denying Eric vegan food. After enduring a two-week hunger strike in March 2006, Eric was finally given vegan meals on April 24, 2006. This lasted for 15 full months. Then, without any warning or reasonable explanation, the jail cut off Eric’s vegan meals one week before his trial began. Since that time, he has been surviving off the few options he can purchase from commissary (peanut butter, beans, chips…) and the little food he can pull off of the meal trays they bring him (usually bread and fruit – sometimes oatmeal in the morning). Clearly, this is not enough to constitute a healthy, balanced diet. It is the jail’s responsibility to provide Eric with the food he needs to remain healthy and strong. This is obviously something they are completely able to do, as they did so for 15 months with no problems.

Eric has been contemplating what courses of action are open to him in this matter, but unfortunately, his options have become even more limited. The suit that Eric filed against the jail to secure vegan meals was dismissed by the judge, greatly diminishing any hope he had for redress in the courts. A hunger strike could be extremely risky due to the bout of pericarditis for which he was taken to the hospital in April. It is unclear whether his heart could handle the strain a hunger strike would put on his body – he could quickly end up back in the hospital, potentially with a VERY serious heart condition.

Because Eric’s options are so limited, in the jail and in the courts, he needs support from the outside more than ever. This seems to be the only hope for change. In the meantime, Eric continues to lose weight, and his health will soon begin deteriorating. Please call the jail immediately and request that Eric be given vegan meals…again. When you call, be prepared to sit through a lot of ringing and possibly transfers. The person who made the decision to cut off Eric’s food before trial is Lt. Ilg, and the person who oversees him is Scott Jones. Feel free to request to speak to either of these people when calling the jail.

It’s always helpful to have Eric’s x-reference number handy when calling the jail, in case the person you are speaking with asks for it. Eric’s x-ref is: x-2972521. You can call the jail at :

916-874-6752
916-874-6905

Below are some things you might suggest while talking to the jail:

1)The jail fed Eric vegan food for 15 months with no problems. There is no reason they cannot continue to do so.

2)The jail is responsible for providing Eric with a healthy diet. Eric has made it clear that he will not eat food that is not vegan. As such, they will be responsible for any health problems that Eric suffers due to his lack of nutrition.

3)The jail cannot claim they are unable to provide Eric with vegan food due to associated costs. This is simply false. The jail is paid thousands of dollars by the feds to house federal inmates (such as Eric). They are profiting from Eric’s incarceration (and let’s face it, vegan food is simply cheaper to begin with…)

In an affidavit filed with the court in March 2006, Eric wrote, “…my vegan beliefs and morality are animated by the way of living which shows a respect for all life, recognizing the rights of living creatures; extending to them the compassion and kindness exemplified toward people. It is a truly ethical relationship between humans and other living creatures. My vegan lifestyle is based upon my own health and my own ethical and moral underpinnings which I have arrived at conscientiously and I am firmly convinced it is the right and appropriate way to live. It is healthier for me and the planet I live on. It is as sincerely held to me as others hold their own religious beliefs.” Throughout his time in the Sacramento County Main Jail, Eric has maintained his integrity and resolve to live his life in the most ethical and compassionate way possible. Let’s do our part to support him and ensure that he does not suffer for doing so. Please call the jail and request that Eric be given vegan meals immediately. And then call again, and again, and again – until this simple demand is met.

Lastly, thanks to an outpouring of support, Eric is currently very well off on books. At this point, he’s asking that people please hold off on sending any additional books until he’s able to get through the ones he currently has. We will post an update as soon as he’s able to receive more. As far as financial contributions, the best way to contribute to Eric is to donate to his legal defense; we are preparing to file an appeal and need to raise funds as quickly as possible. We are currently able to cover Eric’s commissary needs. Thank you again for keeping Eric in your thoughts and doing so much to help him through this very difficult time.

Letter from Eric 10/5/07
Dear friends,

Below is a letter from Eric. We want to keep this short, and leave you with his words, but just a quick note: last night Mark filed a 28-page motion for a new trial/to acquit based on the errors made throughout the trial. Most of these have been discussed in previous alerts and court reports, with the exception of one. When the court issued it’s answers on Thursday morning to the questions the jury asked Wednesday afternoon, the judge told the jury not to write down the answers, as the jury would be issued a type-written response upon their return to the jury room. The answer given to the first question in court (whether or not Anna was a government agent in August 2004) was an unequivocal “yes.” However, the answer given to the jury upon their return to the deliberation room was a type-written “No.” This clearly could have had alarming impacts on the verdict they decided upon in Eric’s case. . .

A letter from Eric…

i’ve been told that my conduct has been seen by some as inspirational, i’m grateful to be able to provide a source of strength to those in my family who find themselves in a time of need – more so as being a part of their process of growth and self creation… but my behavior is, in a sense, selfishly borne – my intent originates from a perspective which encompasses my family and their future generations… though, the term “family” i don’t utilize in a conventional or everyday sense – the bubble has expanded beyond the customary… it holds within it the micro and macro, all those with whom i have shared that muted and unblinking stare of understanding – be it on the streets, at a skillshare or class, concert, speech or march, rally, home-demo or a really free market – at a convergence centre, library, campsite, critical mass, on an on-ramp, alongside of a highway, at a rest stop, from a train, in a forest, a city park or square, or at a stream, river, lake, hot-spring or beach… this bubble also includes each and every one of those individual places – unique unto themselves in appearance, locality, time and energy/personality ~ as well as the non-humyn inhabitants therein, who aid in the continual self-creations of those environments… keeping that selfishness close to my Heart and mind is something i aim for – knowing that all my life i have been conditioned by our society to the contrary… during my ten days of “disciplinary isolation” last fall an idea made itself known to me ~ it was to create with that which is provided, not necessarily to its particular purpose, but to my own… this includes the pain which resides within my Heart due to the separation between us… i’ve come to see energy as the most malleable aspect of this reality, and the emotions that surge through our bodies can be utilized for any number of means and ends… painless stagnant can fester into hate and reaction – but utilized with a conscious and open intent it could nurture the catalysts required to move through our thresholds… hate is the death of joy and reaction is nothing more than unconscious reflex brought about by a certain stimulus (perceived or not) which induces predictable responses – in most cases, conceding to the terms and definitions of the initiator, allowing the stimulus to have affect, signifies it’s success… conscious creations with the cycles of growth and health do not fit into the matrix of cause and effect – their qualities and forms flow through the rigid structures that seek to encapsulate, reform, define… … i object to being pigeonholed (physically and figuratively) by cleaving to some marshal or warrioresque mantra that many have chosen when confronted with similar circumstances – what they chose is for their own personal path, what they’ve perceived as necessary for their survival… from where i stand, it feels that if i followed that train of thought i would be adhering to a path too well-worn ~ and don’t get me wrong, i honor and respect those that have come before me who continue to adhere to the wisdom in their hearts, but those known trails can also be used by others that have scouted them for weaknesses ~ if experience has taught me anything, it’s been to stick to the deer trails or create my own… another of my recent lessons has been to recognize the beneficent qualities of shape-shifting, as defined by terry tempest williams = “this has nothing to do with inconsistency. it has to do with seizing the moment, perceiving what is necessary in that moment … knowing what each occasion demands, and standing our ground in the places we live…” … but this is neither the time nor the place to fully delve into such things, for this letter has another intent… … … throughout this experience i have been in awe of the loving support given by family, known and unknown from around the country and the world, who have nourished me during this part of my journey ~ i’ve received such an inundating amount of mail that i haven’t been able to respond to it all ~ there is no concept that can adequately express my thanx and appreciation to you all… … to all of those unknown and unnamed beautiful individuals who have aided me on this case, i am impatiently waiting to thank you properly with a huge hug… … christine, i haven’t forgotten about the vegan dinner i promised… … to my counsel mark, who’s expertise in his field is unquestionable – his abilities, passion, and determination provide a wellspring of strength, especially knowing that he continues to fight for me – as he said on the 27th “it’s only the openings of the third quarter” ~ the notion of gratitude doesn’t begin to encompass the feeling in my heart, my friend, much love… … to jed, my investigator/case manager/Elder, your energies vested into this case have been the bedrock of grounded exploration, balancing the sometimes frenzied and boisterous antics that accompany markus’ high energy nature, thank you my friend… … i’d also like to thank bob, my first investigator, for his time, company and aid working on the hours upon hours of transcripts with me over that first summer (which my partner and sister painstakingly gleaned from the shockingly abhorrent quality of fbi recordings)… … the actions and aid of sac prisoner support have and continue to transcend any and all of my ideas concerning prisoner support groups and have been monumental in this experience on every conceivable front – too much love… … the Love, Support, and Understanding of my Parents and Sisters goes beyond scope, simile, and metaphor – i Love you all … … and i Feel and Know in my Heart, Body, and Soul that my survival has been impacted to an inexpressible degree by the Love and Support of my Partner ~ and the intertwining of Our Paths has brought a Depth and Quality of Life i had never before imagined to exist – my Thanx transcend language and my Love, only a Beginning… … …

my Thanx and Love 2 U All

This is far from Over

find your joy

More info at http://www.supporteric.org/
More info on the Green Scare at http://greenscare.org/

15th October – National Day of Local Action against Royal Bank of Scotland Update

It’s only a week away! There are plans afoot all over the country, and there’s still time for you to organise something in your local area. A few things that might help:

*There are leaflets available to hand out on the day if you don’t fancy making your own. (Front – click here. Back – click here. And if you want editable versions email us and we’ll email them to you).

*Stickers are also available for whatever silly, serious or subversive purpose you can think of! Email us with a postal address to get a stash sent to you (these aren’t linked to the day of action so they’ll be useful into the future)
*There will be a national press release about the day of action, so if you’re planning something public and want to let the national press know about it, please send us the details. We’ll also do a press release on the day, so email us or better yet phone 07961 917535 to be included in the national action round-up (and put it on Indymedia and here too of course!)

Original call out here

Greenpeace protesters raid coal power plant

Greenpeace campaigners have staged a dawn protest at a power plant which could be the site of Britain’s first new coal-fired station for 20 years.

More than 50 activists said they wanted Prime Minister Gordon Brown to reject the proposal for the Kingsnorth site, on the Hoo Peninsula, in Kent.

They also aim to take the plant off the National Grid.

E.ON UK said protesters had been at the gates with some inside the facility, but insisted it was still operational.

Kent Police said it sent negotiators to the scene after being called at about 0600 BST on Monday.

Reduced emissions

A statement said: “It is thought that 23 Greenpeace protesters are currently on power station property and several of them have chained themselves to generators.

“Police have closed surrounding roads and have already moved on 30 people from the outskirts of the site.”

E.ON UK announced in October 2006 that it planned to build two new coal units at Kingsnorth, saying they would be cleaner and more efficient than the current ones with “state-of-the-art technology” reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

There is a team who are scaling the 250m-high (820ft) smoke stack
Protester Joss Garman

Greenpeace said more than 13,000 objections had been sent to Medway Council, but “in the next couple of weeks the decision will go to Gordon Brown”.

The climate campaigners said their message to the prime minister was: “Don’t bottle it on climate change.”

They scaled fences at the site just after 0500 BST on Monday.

One protester, 22-year-old Joss Garman from north London, said he and others had climbed up coal conveyors, pressed the emergency stop buttons and chained themselves to the belts.

Mr Garman described the action as a form of “peaceful civil disobedience” which could last for days rather than hours.

“There is another team who are scaling the 250m-high (820ft) smoke stack, and they’ve got enough supplies to last for a few days,” he said.

A view inside the Kingsnorth power station
About 23 protesters got inside the facility on Monday morning

Mr Garman claimed the new coal units planned for Kingsnorth would do little to reduce carbon emissions.

“This power station [currently] wastes over two-thirds of the energy that it produces… although it will be slightly more efficient, this new plant will still lose over half the energy it will create.”

He added that protesters hoped to have taken the power station off the National Grid later on Monday, but claimed there would be no blackouts as a result.

E.ON UK spokesman Jonathan Smith said: “They’re in a number of places inside the power station, but they aren’t actually causing it to stop running just yet.

“These people are not qualified to be in our power station… we’re working very closely with the police to try to ensure a safe and swift end to this protest.”

Mr Smith also said the proposals were for a “cleaner coal development”.

“The new units will be carbon capture-ready, which means they would have the pipework on them to actually capture the carbon dioxide and to store it underground once that technology is proven.”

The company estimates the two new units will reduce carbon emissions by about two million tonnes a year.

CLIMATE CHANGE ACTIVISTS BLOCKADE DOMESTIC FLIGHTS IN MANCHESTER AIRPORT PROTEST

8.10.2007
Activists from Manchester Climate Action and Manchester Plane Stupid have blockaded the security check-in of terminal 3 of Manchester Airport. Passengers are being denied access to the departure lounge by seven activists locked together using arm-tube devices. Two banners have been unfurled reading, “Manchester City Council…supporting climate chaos” and “Domestic flights cost the Earth”. Other protesters are leafleting passengers with information about aviation and climate change as well as handing out train timetables for route destinations.

Aviation is the fastest growing source of green house gases and according to the government is responsible for 13% of the UK’s global warming contribution [1]. The overwhelming majority of flights from terminal 3 are to domestic UK destinations such as London Heathrow. These are the most unnecessary flights. The group are calling for an end to all domestic and short-haul flights and for international aviation to be included in the Climate Change Bill.

The protesters are also highlighting the contradiction between Manchester City Council’s ‘Green City’ initiative and their 55% ownership of Manchester airport . The airport intends to expand its annual passenger numbers from 22 million in 2005, to 39 million by 2015, to 50 million by 2030. [2]

Green Party Councillor Vanessa Hall, who is taking part in the blockade said, “Manchester Council say we need the income from the airport to fight poverty. The Airport costs the people of Manchester in tax breaks and subsidies – this money should be invested directly into green industries directly creating jobs and relieving poverty. Climate Change will have a massive impact on our economy, health and
well-being. It is environmental and economic lunacy to consider any expansion of aviation. We can’t be a Green City with an expanding Airport. I am blockading domestic flights to highlight the true cost of flying and to call the council to account for their hypocrisy.”

The action today was inspired by the Camp for Climate Action which saw around 2000 protesters gather next to Heathrow airport in London this summer.

Robbie Gillett, also present at the protest said, “It is no longer socially acceptable to fly from Manchester to London given what we know about climate change. It’s absurd when there are train alternatives readily available. The money earmarked for the expansion of British airports needs to be redirected towards improving our rail infrastructure. We’re the last generation who can stop climate change and time is running out.”

ends

Notes to Editors
[ 1 ]. Source : www.aef.org.uk/campaigns/detail.php?art_id=579
[ 2 ] Source: ‘Manchester Airport Draft Master Plan to 2030’. page 39

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A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said: “Just after 7.30am police were called to Terminal Three at Manchester Airport following reports of a protest.

“Officers arrived at the entrance to the departures lounge, where up to 12 protesters were preventing passengers from getting through.

“Police are currently working with airport staff to arrange alternative ways for passengers to get into the departure lounge, and continue to monitor the situation.”

A spokesman for the airport said the protesters had not passed through security checks.

“At the moment, passengers cannot get through to security, but we do have alternative ways of getting passengers through,” he said.

——–

Video showing the beginning of the blockade of Manchester Airport Terminal 3’s domestic security checking zone. Passengers are being denied access to the departure lounge by seven activists locked together using arm-tube devices.

Video (mpg1) of Manchester airport blockade – video/mpeg 18M

or streamed video

or small mp4

ESCALATING DEFLATION CAMPAIGN AGAINST 4x4s IN SWEDEN

– One thousand 4x4s disarmed by The Indians of the Concrete Jungle

In recent months, a climate action group calling itself The Indians of the Concrete Jungle has struck against SUVs across Sweden. Tyres on one thousand cars have been deflated. The campaign is spreading like wildfire, prompting national debate and furious aggression among SUV-owners.

– One thousand 4x4s disarmed by The Indians of the Concrete Jungle

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19th October 2007
It has happened again. Once more, we have drawn the attention of Malmö to what’s happening to our climate. Bus, bicycle and train are always better then driving SUVs. That’s why we deflated 32 fuel-guzzling SUVs on the night of October 18. As during earlier actions, SUVs were targeted in (the affluent areas of) Västra Hamnen and Västra Innerstan. The letter below was left on the widescreen on all the cars, to explain why they were deflated.
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26th October
In the worst wildfires in the history of California, even the stars of Hollywood have been threatened by the burning flames of global warming. The level of causality between global warming and fires in California may not be 100 percent, but surely large enough to make it ironic that the upper class of Östermalm in Stockholm forces the upper class of Hollywood to evacuate their homes. Therefore, yesterday’s deflation of 50 SUVs on Östermalm is dedicated to the hundreds of thousands who had to fled the fire – including the stars of Hollywood.
—-
The Indians of the Concrete Jungle have received a message from a new tribe in Umeå, Sweden’s fifth or sixth biggest city, and now the eleventh to be endowed with direct action against the insane climate destruction of SUVs. The message reads:

On the night of Friday, October 19, tyres were deflated on some 90 SUVs in Umeå.

Keep well!
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In the night between October 6 and 7, the Indians of the Concrete Jungle of Falun deflated 45 suv:s in the neighbourhoods of Villastaden, Lustig Knopp, Britsarvet, Bojsenburg, Östanfors, Gamla Herrgården, Stennäset, Elsborg and Centrum. The night ended with a complete disarmament of one of the infamous Hummer-vehicles. We took a picture of it with a sign reading: “Have you got a Hummer, stupid?” (a rhyme in Swedish). Of couse, we took down the sign afterwards, since it might be interpreted as humiliating.

Peace!

The tribe of Falun

(Falun is Sweden’s 26th biggest town, with some 40 000 residents.)
—-
Many more reports in Swedish at http://asfaltsdjungelnsindianer.wordpress.com
=================
(This is a message from The Indians of the Concrete Jungle to the world.)

Everyone knows it: action on climate change is a matter of utter urgency. Nonetheless, carbon emissions continue to accelerate, powered by the uncontrollable machines of the world economy. One eminent sign of this rush to disaster is the trend of SUVs, clogging the streets in our Western cities, emitting up to three times more carbon than cars of average size on the market. SUVs have become a symbol of the irrational destruction of the most basic conditions of life. Attached to no human need whatsoever – only to the conspicuous consumption of an affluent class, feeling the ”need” to flaunt monster vehicles – they constitute perhaps the most insane source of unnecessary carbon emissions. Everyone should know it: if we can’t deal with SUVs swiftly, we can’t deal with any other emissions either. And nothing less than our survival is at stake.

Armed with this analysis, and with mung beans or grains of gravel, a group called The Indians of the Concrete Jungle has struck against hundreds of SUV:s in Sweden in recent months. The first action occured in the poshest part of innercity Stockholm in June. Tyres on 60 SUV:s in Östermalm were
deflated. A weblog was posted on the internet, and since then, the campaign for disarmament of SUV:s in Sweden has spread like wildfire. To this date, approximately 1000 SUVs have been temporarily disarmed in at least nine Swedish cities, including the three largest (Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö) as well as several smaller cities; new tribes are popping up by the week. The Indians of the Concrete Jungle have appeared in virtually every major media outlet in the country – from a prime time debate on national television, to a very sympathetic report in the company of Indians in action published in the biggest morning newspaper, to an op-ed piece in the biggest evening paper and countless news reports in
local media. Thus, in a matter of months, the issue of unnecessary carbon emissions in general and SUV:s in particular have risen to the top of the agenda in Sweden – something that never happened before – and ownership of the vehicle has become all the less convenient.

Sweden is unique in Europe in its addiction to SUVs. Carbon emissions from new cars on Swedish roads are some 20 percent above the European average; no males in the EU emit as much by driving cars as Swedish males do. This is largely due to the success of Volvo’s SUV model XC90, as well as other cars from the consistently climate destructive company. The Indians of the Concrete Jungle have decided to change this situation.

The action performed by the Indians is simple. The cap of the tyre’s valve is unscrewed, a bean or a grain of gravel is inserted, and the valve is screwed back on the tyre. The little thing will push down the peg in the middle of the valve, making sure the air is gently released. The whole manoeuvre takes about 10 seconds, after which follows the long sound of the air petering out. A letter to the owner is left on the widescreen, wherein the action is explained (see translation attached below). Instructions and the letter are available on the weblog, for all like-minded activists to use and spread lavishly. The Indians refrain from targeting SUVs used by handicapped drivers, health care institutions and
company workers.

Though the response has, in general, been positive among the public, considerable fury and aggression have arisen among SUV-owners. A counterforce calling itself ”The Cowboys of the Concrete Jungle” has
appeared, threatening to deflate the lungs of the Indians, presumably with knifes. On various internet communities run by motorists and soldiers, plans are made to guard SUVs and beat or even kill Indians; public supporters of the cause have been subject to threats of attacks on their homes. Undaunted, the Indians of the Concrete Jungle have continued and escalated the campaign, and so far, no one has been hurt. Only one Indian has been nabbed by Swedish police, though it has not even decided what kind of criminal offence deflating tyres actually constitutes – if indeed it is a crime at all.

The conflict surrounding the actions is considered a success in itself. There are real, social contradictions in the field of climate change between those who emit carbon relentlessly and those who suffer the heaviest losses, and bringing these to light is crucial for any progress. Not everyone will fight climate change. Not everyone will give up their lethal privileges voluntarily.

The Indians of the Concrete Jungle are determined to continue their campaign of disarmament. If it is done repeatedly and on a massive scale, deflating tyres will develop from a slight annoyance in the eyes of the owners into a real obstacle for driving SUV:s. Imagine waking up to a car without air in the tyres every morning, or even once a week! The campaign is poised to spread further in Sweden, and now the Indians are looking forward to tribes taking up the cause in other countries as well. In the pursuit of spreading the word, all declarations of recent actions will hereafter be posted in English as well as Swedish.

The weblog is: http://asfaltsdjungelnsindianer.wordpress.com/

The Indians are happy to answer any questions. Just write to this email adress.

Letter to SUV owners:

Your SUV kills!

We have deflated one or several tyres of your SUV. Don’t take it personal. It’s your car we don’t like. You are certainly aware of the large amount of fuel it consumes, so we don’t have to enlighten you about that. But either you are ignorant of, or you don’t care about the fact that all the gas you consume by driving around in your SUV in the streets of the city has devastating consequences for others. Scientists are entirely sure that we are very close to pushing climate change across a threshold, into a
phase where it will be totally out of control.

When the glaciers melt, people’s source of water disappear. When the deserts spread, agricultural fields become uncultivable. When the sea level rises, homes are inundated. Result: billions of refugees, countless deaths. It’s already estimated that 160 000 humans die every year due to the effects of climate change, according to the WHO. As an affluent Swede you will survive longer then most. Those most vulnerable, and already worst afflicted by the global warming caused by Northern affluence, are the people of poor countries. In the end, however, climate chaos will affect us all, poor people as well as rich.

This does not have to happen if we impose a radical cut on carbon emissions. Now. Not tomorrow. That’s why we have disarmed your SUV by deflating the tyres. Since you live in a city with a functioning and accessible public transportation system you will have no problem getting where you want without your SUV.

/ The Indians of the Concrete Jungle