Climate Chaos – Page 141

Saving Iceland Blockades Rio Tinto-Alcan Smelter in Hafnarfjordur

Saving Iceland
Press Release (in Icelandic below)
July 24th, 2007

LANDSVIRKJUN INVOLVED IN COAL & NUCLEAR POWERED RIO TINTO-ALCAN SMELTER IN AFRICA

Saving Iceland
Press Release (in Icelandic below)
July 24th, 2007

LANDSVIRKJUN INVOLVED IN COAL & NUCLEAR POWERED RIO TINTO-ALCAN SMELTER IN AFRICA

HAFNARFJORDUR – Saving Iceland has closed access to RioTinto’s Straumsvik smelter in South-West Iceland. About 20 protestors have locked their arms in metal tubes and climbed onto cranes on the smelter site. Saving Iceland opposes plans for a new RioTinto-Alcan smelter in Keilisnes or Thorlakshöfn, expansion of the existing smelter, and a new coal and nuclear powered smelter in South Africa.

“Protests against Alcan have been successful. Of course the people of Hafnafjordur have stopped the expansion of Straumsvik and recently, in Kashipur, Northeast India, Alcan had to give up it’s participation in a bauxite mine because of protests against their human rights violations and environmental devestation. Alcan has been accused of cultural genocide in Kashipur, because mining and dams have already displaced 150.000 mainly tribal people there . Norsk Hydro left the project when police tortured and opened fire on protestors, and then Alcan moved in,” says Saving Iceland’s Snorri Páll Jónsson Úlfhildarson.

“This case and similar cases, and Alcan’s involvement in arms production, shows how ruthless they are. The takeover by RioTinto is rather unlikely to make Alcan into a responsible corporate citizen.”

“RioTinto-Alcan haven’t blown off their interest in a new smelter in Iceland. Hafnafjordur is still being named by Alcan despite the referendum , and a new smelter might be built in Thorlakshöfn or Keilisnes. Saving Iceland rejects this, and we express our solidarity with the people in South Africa opposing RioTinto-Alcan’s coal- and nuclear powered smelter plans there. Landsvirkjun has also gotten involved in this , so it is very important that people in Iceland reject these neo-colonial developments that destroy the environment and communities. ” says Úlfhildarson.

Documentation of Alcan’s links to the arms industry, the South-African deal with Landsvirkjun, and some of the history of Rio Tinto is attached to this press release.

More information:
http://www.savingiceland.org
Snorri Páll Jónsson Úlfhildarson

ALCAN’S LINKS TO THE ARMS INDUSTRY
RioTinto-Alcan’s aluminium alloys are sold for a whole range of military purposes. Alcan is the main supplier for European Aerospace and Defense and Space, producer of military helicopters, military satellites, the Eurofighter Tycoon, Mirage F1, EF18 Hornet and other jets . EADS is the world’s leading producer of missiles . Deals made between the EADS and Alcan are presented as between Airbus and Alcan, to cloud the military involvement ; it is common for all aluminium companies to hide their ‘defense’ products under the title ‘aerospace’. But at the same time, military products need to be marketed, so images of fighter jets are displayed on Alcan Aerospace’s website .

EADS claims to sell to countries that “guarantee a responsible approach to high-tech military air systems. It draws on decades of expertise in military aviation.” But can you trust a company that is sick enough to add video fragments from Nazi Germany, glorifying first world war and Nazi airplanes , on the same webpage as this quote?

RIO TINTO-ALCAN: ALUMINIUM TO IRAQ
Alcan further supplies Boeing a “variety of high performance aluminum-products” . Boeing produces the Apache and Chinook military helicopters used in Iraq and less known products that brighten your day, such as the the ‘Small Diameter Bomb’ and the ‘Joint Direct Attack Munition.’ Then there are Alcan’s associations with Dassault ., a French arms manufacturer, which produces a range of aluminium fighter-jets . Alcan has also been promoting itself to Naval services .

RIO TINTO-ALCAN: PLANS FOR AFRICA
RioTinto-Alcan has signed a letter of intent with the Govt. of Cameroon to expand the existing Alucam smelter with 150.000 Mtpy, and build a new 150.000 Mtpy smelter. The Lom Pangar Dam, to be constructed by the government, would power this . Alcan have a large number of projects planned Africa – their “greenfield project pipeline” includes Cameroon, Ghana, Guinea, Madagascar and South Africa. ‘Greenfield’ means that untouched nature will be destroyed for the mines, infrastructure, smelters, and dams that would power them.

APARTHEID SOUTH AFRICA, ESKOM AND LANDSVIRKJUN
Alcan was active in apartheid South Africa between 1949-1986 . Now they want to come back and develop a new smelter in the near zero-tax ‘Coega Development Zone’ near Port Elizabeth, powered by coal and nuclear delivered by Eskom, one of the worlds largest electricity companies. “Thirty percent of the poor communities of South Africa don’t have electricity, and now that will be going straight to Alcan,” says Lerato Maregele, a S-African activist visiting Iceland .
Elkom is a ‘sister-company’ of Iceland’s Landsvirkjun . Landsvirkun want to be part of this deal and more generally branch out to Africa.
Landsvirkjun can be expected to try and sell their expertise to Eskom’s various hydroprojects in Mozambiqu, Uganda and Congo. They will try to be part of damming the Congo river, a project twice the size of China’s Three Gorges, that will have a devastating effect on the central African rainforest.

RIO TINTO’S ABYSMAL RECORD
While we can conclude that Alcan itself heavily supplies the arms industry and is invading Africa as it invades Iceland, it is now part of Rio Tinto, the world’s largest private mining company, “long criticized for gross human rights violations dating back to its support of apartheid in Southern Africa.”
We will name some of the many cases. Rio Tinto has been know to subject it’s own workers to poisoning in mines, having security guards shooting locals on the spot looking for small amounts of gold in one of it’s mines and having union-members spied upon or fired in its Brazilian gold mines.

Rio Tinto has been involved with mercenary scandals. The Papua New Guinean (PNG) Government, in joint venture with Rio Tinto, hired private mercenary companies Sandline International, a London-based private military company, composed primarily of former British and South African special forces soldiers, which had been involved in the civil wars in Angola and Sierra Leone and were now payed to fight the population of Bougainville, an island near PNG. The mine had been closed by the people of the island because of the disastrous ecological effects .
Citizens of Bougainville have filed a class action lawsuit in the United States against Rio Tinto arising from the environmental damage caused by the mine and war crimes occurring during the civil war years. In August 2006, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit rejected Rio Tinto’s effort to dismiss the claim.

S. Das & F. Padel, “Double Death – Aluminium’s Links with Genocide”, Economic and Political Weekly, Dec. 2005, also available at http://www.savingiceland.org/doubledeath
Chandra Siddan, “Blood and Bauxite”, Montreal Mirror, Nov 20-26, 2003, Vol. 19 No. 23.
“Smelter Expansion on Landfill?”, Iceland Review, June 20th 2007.
RUV News, 26-02-2007, http://ruv.is/heim/frettir/frett/store64/item145391/. Note that RUV has Alcoa and Alcan confused.
EADS website, http://www.eads.com/1024/en/businet/defence/mas/combat_aircraft/combat_aircraft.html
EADS promotion film, “A Brief Glance at EADS”, http://www.eads.com/xml/content/OF00000000400004/1/10/41434101.mov
AFX News, June 13, 2007, http://www.abcmoney.co.uk/news/13200786914.htm
Alcan Press Release, “Company To Provide Critical Aluminum Materials For Full Range Of Aircraft Including A380”, June 13, 2007, http://www.decisionplus.com/fr/fintools/stock_news.asp?Market=TSE&Symbol=AL&NewsID=20070613/021501
http://www.alcanaerospace.com/Aerospace/aerospace.nsf/html/FWFGHOME?Open&LG=1, dd. 22-7-2007.
EADS promotion film, “90 years of aircraft history in Augsburg”, http://www.eads.com/1024/en/businet/defence/mas/mas.html and http://www.eads.com/xml/content/OF00000000400004/0/64/41488640.asx
US Geological Survey, “Minerals Yearbook 2005,” September 2006, p. 5.2.
Boeing Website Image Gallery of Small Diameter Bomb: http://www.boeing.com/companyoffices/gallery/images/missiles/sdb/sdb.html
Boeing Image Gallery: http://www.boeing.com/companyoffices/gallery/images/missiles/sdb/sdb.html
Alcan Press Release, “Alcan Contributes to Success of Eighth Ariane 5 ECA Launch,” Dec 13th, 2006.
http://www.dassault-aviation.com/
“Pacific 2004, International Naval and Maritime Exposition for the Southern Pacific,” Aerospace Maritime and Defence Conference, http://www.ideea.com/pacific2004/embassy/smithbriefing.pdf
US Geological Survey, “Minerals Yearbook 2005,” September 2006, p. 5.5.
Alcan Press Release, “Alcan to Explore Development of Bauxite Mine and Alumina Refinery in Madagascar,” September 11th 2006.
Alcan’t website, http://www.alcant.co.za/history.html
Grapevine, Issue 10, July 13, 2007. Interview also available at http://www.savingiceland.org/node/870
RUV News, 26-02-2007, http://ruv.is/heim/frettir/frett/store64/item145391/. Note that RUV has Alcoa and Alcan confused.
International Rivers Network & EarthLife Africa, “Eskom’s Expanding Empire
The Social and Ecological Footprint of Africa’s Largest Power Utility,” June 2003, http://www.irn.org/programs/safrica/index.php?id=030601eskomfactsheet.html
Asia-Pacific Human Rights Network, “Rio Tinto’s Record and the Global Compact,” July 13th 2001, http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=623.
SBS Australia’s television program Dateline in a report on Rio Tinto, August 2000.
Wikipedia Germany (22-7-2007), http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandline-Affäre
Contract between PNG Government and Sandline: http://coombs.anu.edu.au/SpecialProj/PNG/htmls/Sandline.html.
Sarei v Rio Tinto, 456 F.3d 1069 (9th Cir. 2006), USA.

S.I. Activist Imprisoned by the Icelandic State

Saving Iceland
24 July 2007

The Icelandic government and ALCOA have gained their first political prisoner with their repression of protest against the heavy industry policy.

Saving Iceland
24 July 2007

The Icelandic government and ALCOA have gained their first political prisoner with their repression of protest against the heavy industry policy.

A twenty three year old British Saving Iceland activist who was arrested today on the action against Rio Tinto-Alcan, has been imprisoned for eight days.

Apparently the activist was told by the Icelandic police that she was to pay a 100.000 kronur (£840) fine for her involvement in protests against ALCOA in the east of Iceland in the summer of 2006, or face prison. She chose the latter.

At this time we do not know where she will be held.

Other foreign protesters have their passports held at ransom by the police for fines based on accusations for obstructing the police, but no actual charges.

Here at Saving Iceland we seem to remember that passports are the property of the States that they are issued in.

Thus, not for the first time, the Icelandic police may actually be breaching international law by blackmailing foreign citizens who are exercising their democratic right to protest against the corrupt heavy industry policy that the Icelandic government continues to maintain.

In March this year the Left-Green party in Iceland called in parliament for an independent investigation into the conduct of the Icelandic police against Saving Iceland protesters in the the years of 2005 and 2006.

It is high time that the autocratic and frequently violent methods of the Icelandic police against peaceful protesters come under serious scrutiny.

http://www.savingiceland.org/node/887

Saving Iceland Blockades Rio Tinto-Alcan Smelter in Hafnarfjordur, Iceland

Incriminating photo evidence of ALCAN involvement in the arms industry

‘A Brief Look at EADS’ – ALCANs major military partner the way they want to be seen – Video

EADS proudly display their contributions to Adolf Hitler’s airforce and just about every war in the 20th Century – Video

Saving Iceland
Press Release (in Icelandic below)
July 24th, 2007

LANDSVIRKJUN INVOLVED IN COAL & NUCLEAR POWERED RIO TINTO-ALCAN SMELTER IN AFRICA

HAFNARFJORDUR – Saving Iceland has closed access to RioTinto’s Straumsvik smelter in South-West Iceland. About 20 protestors have locked their arms in metal tubes and climbed onto cranes on the smelter site. Saving Iceland opposes plans for a new RioTinto-Alcan smelter in Keilisnes or Thorlakshöfn, expansion of the existing smelter, and a new coal and nuclear powered smelter in South Africa.

Incriminating photo evidence of ALCAN involvement in the arms industry

‘A Brief Look at EADS’ – ALCANs major military partner the way they want to be seen – Video

EADS proudly display their contributions to Adolf Hitler’s airforce and just about every war in the 20th Century – Video

Saving Iceland
Press Release (in Icelandic below)
July 24th, 2007

LANDSVIRKJUN INVOLVED IN COAL & NUCLEAR POWERED RIO TINTO-ALCAN SMELTER IN AFRICA

Documentation of Alcan’s links to the arms industry, the South-African deal with Landsvirkjun, and some of the history of Rio Tinto is attached to this press release.

More information:
http://www.savingiceland.org
Snorri Páll Jónsson Úlfhildarson

ALCAN’S LINKS TO THE ARMS INDUSTRY
RioTinto-Alcan’s aluminium alloys are sold for a whole range of military purposes. Alcan is the main supplier for European Aerospace and Defense and Space, producer of military helicopters, military satellites, the Eurofighter Tycoon, Mirage F1, EF18 Hornet and other jets . EADS is the world’s leading producer of missiles . Deals made between the EADS and Alcan are presented as between Airbus and Alcan, to cloud the military involvement ; it is common for all aluminium companies to hide their ‘defense’ products under the title ‘aerospace’. But at the same time, military products need to be marketed, so images of fighter jets are displayed on Alcan Aerospace’s website .

RIO TINTO-ALCAN: ALUMINIUM TO IRAQ
Alcan further supplies Boeing a “variety of high performance aluminum-products” . Boeing produces the Apache and Chinook military helicopters used in Iraq and less known products that brighten your day, such as the the ‘Small Diameter Bomb’ and the ‘Joint Direct Attack Munition.’ Then there are Alcan’s associations with Dassault ., a French arms manufacturer, which produces a range of aluminium fighter-jets . Alcan has also been promoting itself to Naval services .

RIO TINTO-ALCAN: PLANS FOR AFRICA
RioTinto-Alcan has signed a letter of intent with the Govt. of Cameroon to expand the existing Alucam smelter with 150.000 Mtpy, and build a new 150.000 Mtpy smelter. The Lom Pangar Dam, to be constructed by the government, would power this . Alcan have a large number of projects planned Africa – their “greenfield project pipeline” includes Cameroon, Ghana, Guinea, Madagascar and South Africa. ‘Greenfield’ means that untouched nature will be destroyed for the mines, infrastructure, smelters, and dams that would power them.

APARTHEID SOUTH AFRICA, ESKOM AND LANDSVIRKJUN
Alcan was active in apartheid South Africa between 1949-1986 . Now they want to come back and develop a new smelter in the near zero-tax ‘Coega Development Zone’ near Port Elizabeth, powered by coal and nuclear delivered by Eskom, one of the worlds largest electricity companies. “Thirty percent of the poor communities of South Africa don’t have electricity, and now that will be going straight to Alcan,” says Lerato Maregele, a S-African activist visiting Iceland .
Elkom is a ‘sister-company’ of Iceland’s Landsvirkjun . Landsvirkun want to be part of this deal and more generally branch out to Africa.
Landsvirkjun can be expected to try and sell their expertise to Eskom’s various hydroprojects in Mozambiqu, Uganda and Congo. They will try to be part of damming the Congo river, a project twice the size of China’s Three Gorges, that will have a devastating effect on the central African rainforest.

RIO TINTO’S ABYSMAL RECORD
While we can conclude that Alcan itself heavily supplies the arms industry and is invading Africa as it invades Iceland, it is now part of Rio Tinto, the world’s largest private mining company, “long criticized for gross human rights violations dating back to its support of apartheid in Southern Africa.”
We will name some of the many cases. Rio Tinto has been know to subject it’s own workers to poisoning in mines, having security guards shooting locals on the spot looking for small amounts of gold in one of it’s mines and having union-members spied upon or fired in its Brazilian gold mines.

Rossport Solidarity Camp Face Threat of Eviction

Court Report.
23/07/07

Rossport Solidarity Camp temporarily thwarted Mayo Co. Council’s attempt to secure a permanent injunction at Castlebar Circuit Court today. Judge Harvey Kenny adjourned the case to next Tuesday 31st of July to give members of the camp time to seek legal advice. Mayo County Council was refused an interlocutory injunction against the camp but an interim order was upheld. The council has undertaken to not to act on this order while the case is adjourned.

Court Report.
23/07/07

Earlier this morning members of the Rossport Solidarity Camp and several local supporters arrived at Castlebar Circuit Court on foot of a Court Order issued by Judge Donagh McDonagh last Friday 20th of July. This order cited Rossport Solidarity Camp was an unauthorised development in a Candidate Area of Special Conservation.

Eoin O’Leidhin was the only one of the three people named on the court order present at the hearing. Mayo Co. Council was granted an application to have Niall Harnett added as an extra respondent/defendant to the injunction when he submitted a statement representing the camp’s position. Judge Harvey Kenny put the case back to the afternoon so that members of the camp could consult with the Co. Council representatives and their solicitor Michael Browne.

When the court reconvened, John Kiely JC, outline the councils case. Mr Kiely stated that the camp has caused “irreparable damage” at the site and that the camp was “an unauthorised development” contrary to the Planning Act of 2000 section 160. He informed the court that the council’s decision to act was due to a report from Karen Gaynor of the National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS) and not because of “greater and better” issues regarding the camps participation in the Shell to Sea Campaign.

Mr Kiely countered Niall Harnett’s argument that the council failed to give warning [of the councils intention to seek eviction] stating that “this is a nullity under section 3” of the Planning act.

Speaking about the residents of the camp Mr Kiely stated that they were “genuine protesters and conscientious objectors to progress”. He acknowledged the many precautions taken by the camp to minimise the footprint of the camp but argued that had “Joe Blogs been in front of the court he would be treated the same way. He pointed out that the council had an obligation to enforce the planning laws and that the court “with a heavy heart” had to deal with many travellers in the same situation.

In response, Niall Harnett, who represented the Solidarity Camp, disputed the council’s claims of irreparable damage and that authorisation of the site was “implicit in the communication and co-operation between the camp and the NPWS”. Niall told the court that the camp had carried out the recommendations set out by the service. Niall referred to an independent impact statement that was included in a statement that he had earlier handed up to the Judge. This report by, Bob Wilson, a director of Celt – Centre for Environment Living & Training and the Clare Biodiversity group stated that he is confident that the vegetation would soon take hold again.

Taking issue with the urgency of the council’s action Niall told the court that the camp had just received the papers on Friday and that the camp had not time to seek legal advice. He pointed out that the council stated that they had expected large numbers to attend the camp at the weekend but numbers were relatively small at the camp over the weekend.

In his argument Niall told the court that the camp had not been consulted or warned about the councils intent to seek a court order. Niall said, “that although Agenda 21 had not been ratified in law… it is council policy” and that consultation is a principle of Agenda 21. Niall also stated that the council’s solicitor Michael Browne had accepted that short notice was given. Niall then told the court that the order was inappropriate.

Niall requested to read his statement in to evidence for the court but the judge told him that the important points were made and that it may take some time to read.

Niall accepted that the site did not have planning permission but told the court “it is a genuine claim that we didn’t know” that the camp “was not an authorised development”.

Judge Kenny suggested that there was no getting over the planning permission barrier. In an act of goodwill Niall invited Judge Kenny to visit the camp.

John Kiely JC assumed that Niall was making an application to adjourn the case and said that he could see the court giving “liberal time” to seek legal advice. He went on to question the credentials of Bob Wilson and reiterated the council’s position that the camp was an unauthorised development.

Niall Harnett concluded that the “balance of harm was a test for any injunction” and that the harm to those living on the camp and would be greater.

Judge Kenny agreed that short notice was given. Judge Kenny stated, “that they were entitled to some breathing space” but would not concede to Niall’s request to putting the case back to after the courts summer break. Before he rose Judge Kenny ensured that the council undertook not to act on the interim court order before the next court sitting. Judge Kenny adjourned the case to next Tuesday 31st of July 2007 when he will make his ruling on the matter.

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Dutch/Belgian Earth First! gathering 24-26 August 2007

Join the Dutch EF! gathering and get involved in DIY and ionformative workshops on the three most extensive threats to this planet: climate change, one third decrease in biodiversity and the increasing abuse of natural resources. We can’t wait any longer: NOW is the time to shrink or we’ll drown!

From Friday evening the 24th until Sunday evening the 26th of August there will be workshops, discussions, brainstorms and presentations about eg the five coal-fired power stations planned to be built in the Netherlands, current campaigns, climate neutral squatting, DIY windmills, economic shrink and much more!

For more info visit www.groenfront.nl or send an email to 2007@groenfront.nl Don’t hesitate to submit your own workshop suggestions.

Children’s facilities available. Don’t bring dogs or journalists.

Iceland actions – Scotland & Iceland

Saving Iceland Blockades Century Smelter at Grundartangi
19.07.2007

News of Saving Iceland’s latest action as part of the Summer of Resistance to the aluminium industry in Iceland.

Saving Iceland Blockades Century Smelter at Grundartangi
19.07.2007

News of Saving Iceland’s latest action as part of the Summer of Resistance to the aluminium industry in Iceland.

GRUNDARTANGI – Saving Iceland has this afternoon closed the single supply road from Highway 1 to the Century/Nordural smelter on Hvalfjordur and the steel factory Elkem – Icelandic Alloys. Saving Iceland opposes the planned new Century smelter at Helguvik and the expansion of the Icelandic Alloys factory. Activists have used lock-ons (metal arm tubes) to form a human blockade on the road and have occupied a construction site crane.

Century Aluminum, a part of the recently formed Russian-Swiss RUSAL/Glencore/SUAL conglomorate, want to build a second smelter in Iceland in Helguvik with a projected capacity of at least 250.000 metric tons per annum. The planned site is designed to accommodate further expansion. Grundartangi has this year been extended to 260.000 mtpa.

Currently, an environmental impact assessment (1) is under review for the Helguvik smelter, produced by the construction consultants HRV (Honnun/Rafhonnun/VST).

“It is absurd that an engineering company with a vested interest in the smelter construction could be considered to produce an objective impact assessment. The document makes absurd claims, such as that pollution is really not a problem because Helguvik is such a windy place that the pollution will just blow away,” says Saving Iceland’s Snorri Páll Jónsson Úlfhildarson.”

“This smelter will demand new geothermal power plants at Seltún, Sandfell, Austurengjar and Trölladyngju. In addition to the Hengill area which has already been seriously damaged by Reykjavik Energy. The impact assessment does not take these into account, nor the impact of the huge amount of
power lines and pylons required. The plants will ruin the natural and scenic value of the whole peninsula. Also, the recquired capacity, 400 MW, exceeds the natural capactity of the geothermal spots, and they will cool down in three to four decades (2). And Century admits it wants the site to expand further in the next decades. So it is obvious that this smelter will not just ruin Reykjanes but also need
additional hydropower.”

The impact procedure seems to be completely irrelevant anyway, since the company has completed an equity offering worth $360 million to be deployed for partly financing the construction of the Helguvik smelter project (3). This indicates that Century already has high level assurances that the project is to continue no matter what.

This completely contradicts the claims the new government of
Iceland, and particularly it’s environment minister Þórunn
Sveinbjarnardóttir, is opposed to new smelter projects.

Icelandic Alloys wants to expand its facility for producing
ferrosilicon for the steel industry. It is in fact one of Iceland’s largest contributors to greenhouse gases and other pollutants (4).

“Expansion of Icelandic Alloys and Century considerably contribute to Iceland’s greenhouse emissions. If there are no further expansions of heavy industry beyond Grundartangi and ALCOA Fjardaal, Iceland will emit 38% more greenhouse gases than in 1990. If other expansion plans continue, levels would rise to an incredible 63% above 1990 levels. (5). That is completely irresponsible.

This shows that all the talk about ‘green energy’ from hydro and geothermal is, in reality, a lie. Icelanders have to rise up against these foreign corporations,” says Úlfhildarson.

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

Notes and references:
1. Environmental Impact Assesment, HRV, may 2007, http://www.hrv.is/media/files/Frummatsskýrsla_2007-05-02_low%20res.pdf
2. Landvernd, Letter to national planning agency, 28th June 2007, http://www.landvernd.is/myndir/Umsogn_Helguvik.pdf
3. Credit Suisse, June 12th 2007, http://www.newratings.com/
analyst_news/article_1548857.html
4. Icelandic Ministry of the Environment, March 2006, http://
unfccc.int/resource/docs/natc/islnc4.pdf
5. Idem.

=================================
Icelandic Embassy Targeted by Activists

On the morning of 20th July, the Icelandic embassy on Queen St, Edinburgh was targeted by members of Saving Iceland(1). Paint was thrown on the building, the lock was glued and a message was affixed to the exterior reading “The Whole World is Watching”. “Iceland Bleeds” was also painted on the steps. The action served as response to recent acts of police brutality against Saving Iceland activists in Reykjavik who continue to oppose the assault on the Icelandic wilderness by heavy industry.

Icelandic Police attacked a non-violent Reclaim the Streets protest in the centre of Reykjavik, on July 14th. Video evidence(2) shows Icelandic police violently throwing protesters to the ground while others were punched and kicked. Five peaceful protesters were held in police cells, one with a broken rib after the police attack. The Reclaim the Streets demonstration was part of a continuing action camp held near Reykjavik this summer, involving activists from across the globe, including Scotland.

The recent expansion of large-scale aluminium production in Iceland has involved a barely democratic process and a comprehensive devastation of vast natural areas on a scale unprecedented in Europe today.

The Saving Iceland activists responsible for the action against the Icelandic Embassy state:
“We are sending a clear message to the Icelandic government that the destruction of unique ecosystems has environmental implications for us all. The repression of those who are opposing these destructive mega–projects is unacceptable. In the context of the current climate crisis we must all take responsibility for the destruction of our planet by criminal corporations such as Alcoa. The whole world is watching”.

The action in Edinburgh was an expression of solidarity with the activists and Icelandic people who are attempting to stand up to the unjust rule of the aluminium industry over democracy. Saving Iceland activists state: “We will not stop until the corporate invasion of the Icelandic wilderness has ceased. The world is not dying, it is being murdered. And those who are doing it need to be held accountable.”

(1) Saving Iceland is an Icelandic based direct action group opposed to continued expansion of heavy industry in Iceland. It involves participants from all over the world in collective resistance to the Icelandic state’s “Masterplan” which includes the damming of every major glacial river in Iceland by 2020 solely for the purpose of aluminum smelting. Saving Iceland has organised three summers of international protest to halt this vast destruction. It will not cease it’s opposition until all aluminum production leaves Iceland. For more info visit www.savingiceland.org

(2) Video documentation of the police violence on Saturday 14th in Reykjavik can be found at the following link. Note the use of pressure points applied for an extended period to the man on the ground and the accompanying and prolonged screaming: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NenbTc0cQs4&mode=user&search

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The Clown Army and Saving Iceland invade Reykjavik Energy building
20.07.2007

Clowns redecorate Reykjavik Energy O.R.s interior with banner. Strawberries were offered by the corporate scum, but the clowns were not swayed from their action.

Today 25 protestors from Saving Iceland went into Orkuveitu Reykjavíkur (Reykjavik Energy, O.R.) and hung up a banner inside stating: ‘Vopnaveita Reykjavíkur?’ (‘Reykjavik Arms-dealers?’). The banner was not hung outside as planned earlier because of weather conditions. Protestors stayed in the building from 15.15 until 16.00 hrs.

Páll Erland speaking on behalf of O.R. states that they offered strawberries to protestors and welcomed Saving Iceland to put up the banner. While Erland might be happy to discuss strawberries with their visitors, they certainly did not give permission to hang up a banner indicating that they sell energy to companies known to be involved in arms production and serious human rights violations (as documented in our earlier press release). Saving Iceland has now contacted O.R., requesting they put up the banner and discuss publicly with us the ethics of selling energy to corporate criminals such as Century-RUSAL and Alcan-RioTinto.

Mayo shell site blockaded, later occupied, jailings & solidarity demo

13.07.2007

Local Protesters Blockade Shell Construction site in Mayo

A number of Shell to Sea campaigners have established a non-violent blockade of the road leading to the proposed gas refinery site at Bellanaboy. Two protestors are locked on to an immobilized vehicle, preventing access to the site.

13.07.2007

Local Protesters Blockade Shell Construction site in Mayo

“It is vital for the preservation of Erris and the protection of its people that all work on this destructive and exploitative project be stopped immediately. Despite a contemptible strategy by the authorities that either ignores or maliciously persecutes those opposing the project, residents remain resolute in their opposition.” says John Monaghan

This action comes in the wake of the conviction of three local residents on a charge of assault, a charge they vigorously deny. The judges’ verdict has been met with surprise and chagrin from the community.

Today Shell to Sea supporters are clearly demonstrating that they will not be deterred by Gardai violence or false imprisonment

for timeline etc go to http://www.indymedia.ie/article/83416

Occupation of refinery site

Breaking news – 10pm

100 people have just occupied the proposed refinery site in Ballinaboy!

People jumped the main front gates of the refinery site and just walked on. Over 100 people occupied the site. The atmosphere was very relaxed and peaceful.

People chatted to the security staff and challenged them as to why they feel the necessity to work for Shell.

People stayed on site for roughly half an hour. They had a walk around, and a good look around. People walked right to the top of the site and back down again.

There were no Gardai there for the duration of the occupation.

People have just left the site together as a block and are going on to have a bonfire together and with the fishermen that have just been released from prison.

This follows a day of all out action by the people in Erris. Two people had locked on this morning to a vehicle. This blocade, supported by road blocades done by people on another road prevented the trucks from working for the vast majority of the day. The two men that ‘locked on’ have both been charged with numerous public order and road traffic offences. They are due to appear in the District Court in Castlebar on Wednesday.

Shell to Sea campaigners jailed for police assault

A text message and short phone call last night revealed that three Shell to Sea protestors have been jailed on assault charges against the Garda.

The text message from one at the Rossport Solidarity Camp said the three men were found guilty of assaults on the police.

One man received three months, another one month and the last is facing four months in prison.

A forth man is also facing the same charges.

An appeal is set for today to see if they can over turn the charges, but as the message I received last night said it did not look good.

For further updates keep your eye on here or on: http://indymedia.ie/mayo

Solidarity with Jailed anti-Shell Protesters- Picket at Department of Justice, Dublin

No Justice in Rossport- the Gardaí work for Shell

Supporters of the campaign to have Shell site their refinery offshore and for the Irish govt to secure Irish natural resources for the people showed their solidarity with the three Erris fisherment who have been wrongly jailed. A large group of about forty protesters handed in a short letter (signed by them all) to the minister expressing outrage at the treatment of the three men.

The Gardaí complained that the presence of such as a large group of people at the entrance of the building had health and safety implications, and tried to order those present to move, but it was poined out the health and safety implications of Shell’s scheme for Mayo were a much greater threat to us all.

Garda reinforcements arrived and tried to intimidate the protesters, who included some Sinn Féin and Green Party members (as well as members of smaller groups and none), but no one paid any attention to them, since they are widely recognised as simply being used as merceneries for Shell now, their authority is slipping away.

First Directions to The Camp for Climate Action 2007…..

The camp dates are drawing nearer and nearer and we’re all desperate to know where it will be… but we’ll just have to wait a little longer!

But what we do know is that if you get yourself to Staines railway station in West London by 10am on Tuesday 14th August, you will be greeted by our friendly welcome team and promptly transported via a magical mystery tour, to the camp! (There will also be lifts to the camp later in the day and throughout the week.)

The camp dates are drawing nearer and nearer and we’re all desperate to know where it will be… but we’ll just have to wait a little longer!

Camp for Climate Action comes to Heathrow this summer.

Aviation is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions in the UK, and all our efforts to tackle climate change in other sectors are undone by the massive growth in air travel.
Holding the camp at Heathrow aims to highlight the lunacy of the government’s airport expansion plans, target industry giants profiteering from the climate crisis, and raise awareness of the need to fly less.
The camp will also support local residents in their long-term struggle against the building of a third runway and the destruction of their communities.

There will be a day of mass direct action aiming to disrupt the activities of the airport and the aviation industry, but in the interests of public safety there will be no attempt to blockade runways.

Although the location is different, the philosophy of the camp remains the same: to be a place for the burgeoning network of people taking radical action on climate change around the country to come together for a week of low-impact living, education, debate, networking, strategising, celebration, and direct action.
The camp will feature over 100 workshops covering topics such as climate change impacts, carbon offsetting, biofuels, peak oil, permaculture, practical renewables, campaign strategy, skills for direct action, and much more.
Run without leaders by everyone who comes along, it will be a working ecological village using renewable energy, composting waste and sourcing food locally.

It all comes down to us, now. We are the last generation that can do anything about climate change. In 20 or 30 years’ time, should we not change our ways, we’ll be committed to emissions increases that will see forests burn, soils decay, oceans rise, and millions of people die. If we don’t get this issue right, so much else is lost too.

We still have time, but not for long. Make it count.

Why target aviation?

It is the fastest growing source of CO2 emissions.
It has been left out of the first faltering frameworks to control emissions, eg. the Kyoto Protocol and the Climate Bill.
It is the most damaging form of transport.
Unlike the other high emitting sectors (e.g. energy and food production), there is no alternative sustainable technology.

The only way to reduce emissions from aviation is to reduce the number of flights.
And unlike those other sectors, aviation is not a necessity.
There is a major airport expansion programme planned at 21 airports, with increases in capacity equivalent to a new Heathrow every 5 years. This expansion programme locks us into increased emissions, and undoes all our other efforts elsewhere to reduce emissions.

Why target Heathrow?

Nowhere in the UK is there a larger source of CO2 emissions. Most countries emit less greenhouse gases than Heathrow’s planes.

Heathrow is the world’s busiest international airport. It is an iconic global symbol of aviation.
Heathrow is the heart of the UK?s aviation industry.
Heathrow is the central plank of the government’s airport expansion plans. Heathrow has a planned third runway that can be stopped.

The third runway would bulldoze entire villages and destroy communities. There is a big, established, long-term local campaign against Heathrow and BAA that we can join forces with.

There is an opportunity to highlight bias in the corrupt planning process in favour of big business and development.

The presence of Harmondsworth detention centre nearby highlights the plight of environmental refugees and the fact that climate change is fundamentally an issue of social and global injustice.

Cabinet refuses consultation with Herefordshire public: ‘Hereford Eight Arrested’

July 12 2007 – Herefordshire Council Cabinet refused this afternoon to guarantee that they would consult with the public or even allow full council to debate the future of the Dinedor Serpent.

Cabinet member Cllr. June French told reporters and protesters that it would not be an agenda item today, but that it would be discussed at an unspecified future date. She could not guarantee that it would be debated by the full council or allowed a vote. Cllr. French announced an internal inquiry into how the council had handled the publicity around the Serpent.

8 protesters subsequently refused to leave the Council building until Cabinet members guaranteed a full public consultation. When this guarantee was not forthcoming, the prostestors, including an elderly people, refused to leave. They were peacefully escorted from the premises by the police.

Update 10:15pm: The protesters were arrested on charges of ‘aggressive trespass’. They have just been released on bail having spent several hours in police cells in Worcester and are expected back in Hereford shortly. They will have to report back on July 26th and face either a caution or be taken to court.

“All the Council had to do today was guarantee a proper public debate, and then this would not have happened”, said a campaign spokesperson. “What do they have to hide? Those arrested are the Hereford suffragettes – all because Herefordshire Council won’t be open and democratic in it’s procedures.”

Calls continue to grow for Herefordshire Council to pause construction to allow a full public consultation and for all elected councillors to have a say in the final decision and not just the Cabinet.

Background info & other campaign news at http://www.rotherwasribbon.com/

For court case updates, see July 2007 archive.

critical masses (reports from end June/beginning July 2007)

Manchester:Ace mass on friday woo! despite all the students being away for the summer there was still an ace turnout of around 30-40 people.nice. and a few stayed for a nice bbq in the park which was real lovely.

Critical mass has a my space account
here:http://www.myspace.com/mcrcriticalmass
and a facebook account here:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=597661675&ref=mf

also an email list at http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/manccriticalmass

so if you have photos or film of the masses please post or upload them or email for the passwords and i’ll send them out to you. also please use these and this list to discuss ideas and calls for help with future events for after the critical mass. In the past we’ve had benefit gigs, party in the woods, film nights, meals, beers in pubs, picnics, bike polo workshops, art exhibition, roller races etc etc. It would be ace if everyone could be involved in organising these. maybe we could even get together a little cm events working group..would anyone be interested in this? we could get together either after cm or in the month to share ideas, organisation and tasks.

these things can be discussed on this list or on myspace comments or on the facebook note or wall

ALSO
At previous critical masses in Manchester we decided on the following tips to ensure that we are all safe,that we cause least annoyance as possible, to make sure the ride stays together and to ensure that everyone feels comfortable. Remember sometimes people on critical mass come because it is a chance to reclaim the road and to feel safe, people who wouldnt usually ride in central manchester and also children, so its good to keep the nice friendly atmosphere to encourage cycling and that safe environment…if people want to discuss these its great, they were points that were agreed at several critical masses by people shouting and waving hands and that kind of thing. there is no organiser and everyone should be able to have their say. (in a way that is responsible and looking after each other)

1. If the light goes on red as the ride approaches the lights we stop and wait for green.
2. If the light changes part way through the ride getting through around 2 people per lane of oncoming traffic stop and cork the road. This basically means that they stand in the middle of that lane holding up their hand/ a sign saying ‘thank you for waiting’ so that cars will stop and let the ride stay together and go through the light safely. Thanking the drivers when everyone is through..we are trying to get drivers onto bikes not to hate us!!!
3. Slower riders and children and people with less confidence ride at the front of the ride and to the left hand side so that they can set the pace and help to stay together and also feel safer as they are less likely to be near traffic/ annoyed drivers.
4. We don’t have a set route for critical mass, instead whoever is at the front at the time can choose where we go, so we take it in turns! just shout left or right or straight on in plenty of time!
5. Have fun!

Future critical mass dates are

MEET CENTRAL LIBRARY 6PM FRIDAY:
27th July
31st August
28th September
26th October
30th November
28th December

2008
25th January
29th February (woo leap year!)
28th March
etc etc

London: Critical Mass 29th June – The June Critical Mass, with a few hundred cyclists, was a fun ride through the City and Holborn and managed to stay dry the whole way through!

Several hundred people left Waterloo bridge at about 7pm, cycling across Blackfriars bridge, along Ludgate Hill, past the Museum of London and onto Liverpool Street station. After some circling of Finsbury Circus the mass kept moving on to Old Street where we had a brief rest. Moving off the mass headed for Cambridge Circus along Theobalds road and High Holborn. From there it moved up and along Oxford Street and down to Westminster Square where there were some skirmishes with the cops over the sound system (see the account: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/374738.html)

It was a fun ride. The police for the most part seemed to keep their distance. Entertainingly a couple of police started head bobbing to the music in Old Street – I’m hoping someone got a film of it! Let’s hope next month is slightly sunnier though.

Edinburgh: It went pretty well. Around 50 people. Considerably more than last month. There was no police intervention, apart from preventing all vehicles to go across North Bridge, since it was shut again. We simply diverted down Leith Street, went all the way round the roundabout, then along Queen Street to the meadows from there. In the last 5 minutes the heavens opened.

Glasgow got the sun and a ride out to the West End complete with bike lifts and a film screening afterwards.

July York Critical Mass Ride Small but Successful

Well, it wasn’t a big ride, with just 19 people taking part, but we had fun, made cycling visible and encountered some complete idiots who need their 2 ton weapons removing from beneath them. The driver of a bright red Audi on Nunnery Lane expended much petrol revving, overtaking (twice) and generally being an idiot without any gain for himself, other than a nice picture showing that he, like a notable group of York’s drivers, has no concern whatsoever for cycle lanes or cyclists. No one was hurt, but as one person put it later “we gave as good as we got”, verbally of course.

Next months ride will probably also be small, but that’s no excuse not to show up. On Friday August 3rd we’ll be returning to the streets of York to promote cycling, sustainability and fun, same time and same place.