Pipeline camp at Trebanos decides to close, Milford Haven camp continues, & more to come

pipeline protests respect wishes of landowner , to protect her from bullying police and national grid officials….

after continued harrassment and bullying from the police and national grid, the 68 year old lady on whose land the trebanos pipeline protest was on has aked protestors to leave. she was informed by her legal representative that she still risked a £60k fine and possible arrest, although we are still unsure as to how serious the danger of this happening to her was.

pipeline protests respect wishes of landowner , to protect her from bullying police and national grid officials….

after continued harrassment and bullying from the police and national grid, the 68 year old lady on whose land the trebanos pipeline protest was on has aked protestors to leave. she was informed by her legal representative that she still risked a £60k fine and possible arrest, although we are still unsure as to how serious the danger of this happening to her was.

to save her from this ordeal her wishes have been respected, this is a protest where the locals call the shots.

this is no defeat, we stopped them for nearly 2 weeks, and got them to abandon their plans to use explosives to blast sections of unstable hillside near a school.

the landowner, just like the overwhelming majority of local people, is still completely against the pipeline and in support of protestors.
our numbers are swelling as word of mouth and various publicity stunts have helped inform people about this, an issue which has been kept very quiet by the authorities. this is the biggest energy project Britian has ever seen, and it’s fossil fuel…. every level of corruption and intimidation and incompetance has been employed by those at the helm of this fossil fuel disaster.

meanwhile the mothers and grandmothers at milford haven are continuing to stop work. they are camped on a public footpath along the proposed route.

authorities are having great trouble moving them…. its public land you see

there are 36 places in total where the pipeline’s intended route crosses pub lic footpaths….. so if anyone’s up for camping, then find yourself a spot and go….

more info soon on our next site

Nottingham’s November Critical Mass and Bike About

Friday 24th November @ 5.30pm

Setting out from the usual meeting place [Outside the Savoy Cinema on Derby Road, meet at 5.30pm] with more arriving from the Sumac in Forest Fields.


Friday 24th November @ 5.30pm

Setting out from the usual meeting place [Outside the Savoy Cinema on Derby Road, meet at 5.30pm] with more arriving from the Sumac in Forest Fields.

As usual, I’ve tried to take a set of pictures (see full set) that show critical mass to be an empowering experience. Hopefully fun to be at. A celebration of the alternatives to the existing ‘car culture’.
Those attending continue to grow in numbers. [although there has been a bit of a lull over the summer months.

We were entertained by the ‘muti-person thinggy’ soundsystem as we peddled about in town. Drawing on such tracks as The Mixtures, ‘The Pushbike Song’. Queen, ‘I like to ride my Bicycle’. Ventures, ‘Ghost riders in the Sky’. And Pink Floyd ‘Bike’. We all enjoyed ourselves lots, with passers-bye amused at out musical selections …….. wicked!

Critical Mass Cyclists Arrested (Leeds)

24.11.2006

Leeds Critical Mass ends with two cyclists being assaulted by police and driven away to station.

The monthly gathering of cyclist keen to foster some freedom on the road and gain some space on the congested Friday evening streets of Leeds city centre set off just before 6pm tonight, after the usual 20 minutes of nattering and this month the added joy of watching the German Christmas market coming to life. The turn-out of 20 was in high spirits, with a chorus of tinkling bells, triumphant horns and cheerful whooping, and was soon joined by some enthusiastic late comers on Merrion Street adding a further feeling of solidarity to the group. The horn beeping and engine revving from the queue of cars behind started later than usual as the caravan turned west past Leeds bus station on the first loop, but as usual the serenity of cycling freely and unthreatened around the inner city loop drowned that out, the cars were reduced to a powerless crawl; conversations between cycling strangers became the order of the hour. The serenity was marred slightly as an incompetent, impatient, learner plated motorcyclist clumsily barged through the cluster and swerved into one cyclist. But the journey continued onwards onto the second loop. As the rain became heavier the consensus of the group was to continue round as far as the Common Place for a warming cuppa and chat, presumably about how fun cycling and critical mass specifically is.

24.11.2006

Leeds Critical Mass ends with two cyclists being assaulted by police and driven away to station.

The monthly gathering of cyclist keen to foster some freedom on the road and gain some space on the congested Friday evening streets of Leeds city centre set off just before 6pm tonight, after the usual 20 minutes of nattering and this month the added joy of watching the German Christmas market coming to life. The turn-out of 20 was in high spirits, with a chorus of tinkling bells, triumphant horns and cheerful whooping, and was soon joined by some enthusiastic late comers on Merrion Street adding a further feeling of solidarity to the group. The horn beeping and engine revving from the queue of cars behind started later than usual as the caravan turned west past Leeds bus station on the first loop, but as usual the serenity of cycling freely and unthreatened around the inner city loop drowned that out, the cars were reduced to a powerless crawl; conversations between cycling strangers became the order of the hour. The serenity was marred slightly as an incompetent, impatient, learner plated motorcyclist clumsily barged through the cluster and swerved into one cyclist. But the journey continued onwards onto the second loop. As the rain became heavier the consensus of the group was to continue round as far as the Common Place for a warming cuppa and chat, presumably about how fun cycling and critical mass specifically is.

After passing under the railway by the Leeds College of Music, the lights turned red and the procession slowed to its halt and allowed the group to condense. But as the bikes came to a slow halt the sound of sirens from behind grew louder. Sighting a blue lighted van shaped vehicle approaching and presuming an ambulance, bikes were moved to the side of the road to allow it to pass. But as the lights got nearer it became obvious it was in fact a police van, followed closely by a car. The van screeched to a halt a in an instant an aggressive mannered policeman marched out of the van and without hesitation hurled one cyclist and bike to the floor, he was then manhandled and thrown into the back of the police van which had been opened by his colleague, arrested apparently for obstruction of the highway. The two officers were soon joined by two others from the car which pulled up further down the road. Threats to nearby cyclists were blared out and at least one other person was dragged into the back of the van. “You’ve go no lights� came the accusation. “Your next unless you get out of here�, from another policeman. “We’ve got you on CCTV�. At this point the aggression of the first officer had evolved into an obvious seething anger and he came at the main group of cyclist barking further threats but was soon pulled away and convinced “that we can’t do anymore�.
“I appreciate the point you’re trying to make,� stated his calming colleague. “but you’re obstructing the highway. Get off the road and get out of here.� And they left, with three of the group in the back of their van. Bemused, angered and riled the remaining cyclists trouped back to The Common Place and then made their way to the Kirkgate police station.

After a long wait we were told that the officer about whom the complaint of brutality was to be made was the person who was on duty to handle complaints on that shift, and it was therefore not possible to make a complaint. Also it was revealed that those arrested were in the process of being released. The charge of obstruction clearly did not hold any strength and the aggression and contempt that the violence show by the police was completely inexplicable.

Maybe it was an attempt to rattle fear into those of us trying to make a pro-cycling statement on cycle unfriendly streets, an attempt possibly to flex the muscles from a force who want to eliminate the voice of dissent and subdue people through a display of aggression and fear instilling. Maybe it was just that the officers who made the call were having a shit day and wanted to take it out on someone, the adrenalin from the confrontation and the position of power going to their heads and preventing rational and calm behaviour?

Whatever it was, it was outrageous and disgraceful, although in many ways sadly not unexpected. And despite this shocking police display, Critical Mass will continue to be held in Leeds on the last Friday of each month. Bring your best horn, a loud bell, and your lights, and come and help reclaim the streets for cyclists.

Ten Reasons to Block LNG in Wales, contractors address & First victory for Trebanos protestors

Corporate greed and mindless materialism threaten to destroy the planet. Act now

Ten reasons to join the protest at Milford Haven LNG

1. The supposed justification for this facility is that we need a secure source of energy when we run out of our own. When is this projected need going to exist? We have just received a pipeline from the huge stocks of Norway. We have so much gas we haven’t got room to store it.

Corporate greed and mindless materialism threaten to destroy the planet. Act now

Ten reasons to join the protest at Milford Haven LNG

1. The supposed justification for this facility is that we need a secure source of energy when we run out of our own. When is this projected need going to exist? We have just received a pipeline from the huge stocks of Norway. We have so much gas we haven’t got room to store it.

2. If the possibility of having to rely on Russian gas at some hypothetical point in the future represents a strategic threat to our energy supply, how does getting it from the Middle East in vulnerable ships improve our security?

3. The answer is that Qatar, which has the third largest reserves of LNG in the world after Russia and Iran, is the staunchest ally of the USA in the Middle East. Coincidentally the LNG company operating out of Milford is owned by the US giant Carlyle group, whose involvement with the Bush Neo-cons is well documented, and who stand to make enormous profits. http://english.pravda.ru/comp/2002/06/25/31119.html
http://www.ameinfo.com/94204.html

4. The planning process has been pushed through, against public protest into safety factors, as a prototype of the Blair governments need to secure energy supplies from private companies. Effectively their power depends on maintaining central control of the legislation related to planning for large energy projects.

5. The Haven is eminently unsuitable for this kind of project; being located in hazardous waters and situated within metres of numerous oil storage tanks. SIGTTO – the industry’s safety consultation network has condemned the siting of the LNG Terminal at Milford.
http://sigtto.re-invent.net/DNN/

6. The pipeline is ostensibly so large to act as a storage facility as a deterrent to Terrorist attack. Not only is this untenable in view of the vulnerability of the ships, but this kind of pressurised pipe has no precedent in this country and its safety remains a mystery which they have refused to investigate.

7. This whole project is totally unnecessary. As the film Inconvenient Truth points out, we can solve our energy needs and climate change by adopting energy efficiency measures. In this light such massive investment in wasteful technology is absurd and distracts us from the need to create long-term renewable solutions.

8. This whole affair represents the steamrollering of public participation. The first many knew, including those who had signed consents for a “pipeline� of unspecified dimensions to cross their land, of the massive destruction wrought on 200 miles of welsh countryside with motorway size routes cut through priceless landscapes, was when they suddenly found it all happening.

9. In many places the routes have passed perilously close to dwellings, electrical cables and, as in the case of Trebanos, where they have at last prevented them blasting through the mountain, poses a significant risk of landslides. Previous accidents using this technology don’t bear contemplating; the precautionary principle must apply here.

10. Why should this development come through the heartland of rural Wales? Reports suggest the terminal and Re-gassification plant should be sited offshore and brought in somewhere along the Bristol Channel. This shows that corporate interests are at stake and even vie with each other to determine that the route of the pipeline does not go through their land.

http://www.green-culture.blogspot.org

=====================================

Contractor Details for LNG pipeline
22.11.2006 19:06
Main contractor fo LNG pipeline are:-
Land Marine Project Engineering Ltd
Dock Road North
Bromsborough
Wirral
CH6 2LN
Tel No 0151 641560
Fax No 0151 6449990
http://landandmarine.com
A quick look at website lists they are undertaking contracts for MOD as well working in even more enviromental parts of the globe

=====================================

In the face of concerted opposition from local people, the government has reversed its decision to allow the pipeline constructors to use explosives close to the village of Trebanos in South Wales.

BBC news report on the reversed decision from the DTI.

This clearly would not have happened without the campaign of resistance from local people, so this is only the first step on the path to stopping this enormously destructive pipeline.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/6170620.stm

Birmingham activists close Shell petrol station in Rossport Solidarity action

20.11.2006 Over 20 Birmingham activists today shutdown the Shell petrol station on Bath Row nr. Five Ways, Birmingham for over three hours (no arrests !!!) Over 20 activists initiated the daylight blockade of the central Birmingham Shell station. Three protestors ‘locked on’ in the entrance to prevent access to the station whilst others strung banners … Continue reading “Birmingham activists close Shell petrol station in Rossport Solidarity action”

Rossport Shell station protest Brum 2
Rossport Shell station protest Brum 3
Rossport Shell station protest Brum 4
Rossport Shell station protest Brum
20.11.2006
Over 20 Birmingham activists today shutdown the Shell petrol station on Bath Row nr. Five Ways, Birmingham for over three hours (no arrests !!!)

Over 20 activists initiated the daylight blockade of the central Birmingham Shell station. Three protestors ‘locked on’ in the entrance to prevent access to the station whilst others strung banners across the exits and a ledge looking over the forecourt (pictures to come). There were no serious encounters with motorists and passers by were generally supportive of the demo, the aims of which were to disrupt Shell’s operations and to raise awareness of the struggle of the community of County Mayo, Ireland against Shell’s construction of a dangerous and experimental pipeline which poses not only a danger to the environment of this idyllic part of Ireland but also the people of County Mayo. Protestors also tried to obtain a statement from the company but were unsuccessful.

Police took over 20 minutes to respond to the action but on arrival failed to convince the protestors to move on, with half-hearted vague threats of arrest for obstruction of the highway, breach of the peace, and even witholding identity (which isnt a crime duh). In the end there was little the small group of ill prepared local pigs could do except stand by, wave bemused motorists on and take some late photos on a knocked up digital camera.

The protest ended peacefully at a time determined by the protestors after a meeting to which the franchisee was invited to give a formal response to the protest. The blockade lasted a total of three hours.

Police followed some of the protestors to a nearby restaurant after the action, going as far as entering the premises to conduct surveillance before the owner of the business asked them to leave on the grounds they were harrassing his customers for no reason.

http://www.corribsos.com/ (Shell to Sea – Campaign against Shell in Ireland)

PIPELINE SQUAT?PROTEST public transport, maps info & video

http://www.pontardawe.org.uk/
gives you all you need
so no excuses
very low police prescence,
enormous local support

Trebanos demohttp://www.pontardawe.org.uk/
gives you all you need
so no excuses
very low police prescence,
enormous local support
they love us, and we love them
we can win this one
more bodies needed though!
especially during mon-fri as many of us have jobs to keep up…. unfortunately.
get down there, its great!

4 min video report from the occupied LNG pipeline at Trebanos in South Wales.
Trebanos report – video/x-ms-wmv 9.0M

Rossport Solidarity Picket, Salford Quays

18.11.2006

Saturday 18th November, around 20 activists, including the Rhythms of Resistance samba band went to picket the Shell garage at Salford Quays. Whilst the band played, the rest of us leafletted drivers as they arrived and where possible spoke to them. The site of the band made it all the easier to do so and most were prepared to talk too.

Rossport Shell picket Salford18.11.2006

Saturday 18th November, around 20 activists, including the Rhythms of Resistance samba band went to picket the Shell garage at Salford Quays. Whilst the band played, the rest of us leafletted drivers as they arrived and where possible spoke to them. The site of the band made it all the easier to do so and most were prepared to talk too.

The response was generally good. We spoke to them as they arrived and whilst on the forecourt. The message as simple – please don’t buy petrol here, better still think whether your car journey is necessary. At least ten cars simply drove away from the garage in the hour and a half we were there, which must have cost them a few hundred pounds.

The leaflet is available at: http://af-north.org/shell/rossport.htm (text below).

For more local information, please contact us at: shelltosea@af-north.org

More information about the campaign can be got from: www.indymedia.ie/mayo
Information about Shell to Sea: http://www.shelltosea.com/
Rossport Solidarity Camp: http://www.struggle.ws/rsc/ or www.rossportsolidaritycamp.com

——————

Buy your petrol somewhere else today.

Shell has a terrible record of destroying the environment and the communities unlucky enough to live near their exploration sites.
On the west coast of Ireland, in an area called Erris, in County Mayo, they have found gas. They want to bring it ashore and refine it in an area which is unspoilt and undeveloped. The result will be the total destruction of the local area and the lives of the people who live there.
Already five men have spent three months in prison for protesting about Shell’s plans. The local people have fought long and hard to stop work at the refin ery. Now Shell and the Irish police are attacking these same people daily to allow construction to go ahead.

Help show you are opposed to their destruction of Erris and the way they vandalise our planet. Buy your petrol somewhere else. Better
still, think whether you need all those car journeys. Hurt them in their pockets. It’s the only way to make Shell see sense.
Manchester Shell to Sea: shelltosea@ af- north. org

Safe Haven Pipeline Demo update & contact details

18.11.2006

since thursday a group protesting about lack of safety regulations and public consultation have been blocking the laying of the pipeline right next to the LNG constryction site – they are digging in for the long haul!

18.11.2006

since thursday a group protesting about lack of safety regulations and public consultation have been blocking the laying of the pipeline right next to the LNG constryction site – they are digging in for the long haul!

Thanks to Schnews newsletter I got down to the demo yesterday afternoon to find 3 OAPS huddled in a tent on the public footpath which runs right through the middle of the massive construction site of the new Milford Haven LNG terminal.

The weather was appalling and they have already roughed it for one night. As soon as they had pitched camp on thursday hordes of cops and officials surrounded them with every manner of arc lights, generators, fenceposts, barbed wire and then packed up and went off to leave the site deserted for the weekend.

The owerwhelming presence of machinery and earthworks seems to blot out the existence of the Safe Haven protest group who are campaigning to have the official Risk Assessment report released for public consultation – apart from the actual pipeline there are grave concerns over the safety of the re-gassification plant. Previous accidents with this kind of technology have been known to produce fireballs of 27 square Km.

They have been trying to raise awareness of the issues ever since the virtaully non-existent public consultation for the Planning of this vast and unnecessary white elephant – which just turns out to be another pet project for the money-spinning Carlyle group [Bush and Saudi Patronage].

They are currently on a public footpath so there may be a struggle to evict them – basically they want to get the Safety report into the public arena and believe that if the facts are known they stand to gain considerable concessions even if the whole thing doesn’t get stopped completely.

Any support gratefully appreciated phone 07752 698489 for details

——————————————————————————————–

Anyone wishing to contact the camp at Tyn y Pant Farm in the Swansea Valley where protestors are occupying a length of pipe and have done since Sunday 12th November 2006 please telephone 07805 038725. The protest goes into it’s second week amidst amazing support from the people of the area who have had enough of being walked over by corporate business for the installation of a fossil fuel industrial sized pipeline to create a market for raped gas from foreign countries. Remember every time you turn on a gas flame or an electric light that it is not so that you can see or be warm but to enable someone, somewhere, probably not in your country, to make a profit.
We ask all those who come into contact with the fencing surrounding this pipeline to please tie a piece of green cloth or ribbon to the fence. One piece for every tree that has been destroyed in the wake of the pipeline, one ribbon for every person that will live in fear of this massive pipeline under their feet for the next 30 years if it is not stopped and one ribbon for every unnecessary death from terrorism and its causes
Thank you for your support all those who have already shown it.

Stop the pipeline! info flyer + events this week (& second camp started)

Stop the Pipeline!!
Land and homes across Wales are currently being destroyed for a huge, unsafe gas pipeline. Is this the best way to tackle climate change?

Trebanos pipeline 1Stop the Pipeline!!
Land and homes across Wales are currently being destroyed for a huge, unsafe gas pipeline. Is this the best way to tackle climate change?

What’s wrong with the pipeline?

The pipeline will be 150 miles long from Milford Haven through the Brecon Beacons into Gloucester, making it the biggest pipeline of its kind in Europe, cutting a chunk the width of a motorway. Despite concerns about on going climate chaos the government is putting their energy and resources into digging up beautiful countryside and people’s homes for more non-renewable energy, rather than building for alternatives like solar, wind and hydro power.

Locals groups have formed in resistance to the pipeline. Many feel they have not been properly consulted, some feel bullied and deceived, on an issue that affects them directly, with some people having their homes compulsorily purchased. There have also been many safety concerns as people feel the government have rushed plans through without proper health and safety checks. For example, it’s being built on the only earthquake zone in Britain, parts of it is on land that’s deemed too unstable for houses and the gas is odourless so locals wouldn’t know if there was a leak. In Trebanos, near Swansea, it was decided the land was too unstable for mains gas pipelines to the village and now they’re building Europe’s biggest gas pipeline!

What’s been happening this week?

Due to the absurdity of these plans, and the fact that no amount of campaigning has had an effect, people have recently taken direct action to stop work along the pipeline. At 5.30am last Monday (12th November) activists entered the worksite with some people climbing on to machinery and others occupying parts of the pipeline. The protestors have claimed squatter’s rights on a section of pipeline and have successfully stopped work since Monday. On Thursday 16th another protest site was started by concerned families in Milford Haven in solidarity with the protestors in Trabanos. There is also a green ribbon campaign for locals to show support for the protest.

What next?

A mass bike ride has been organized for Friday 24th November to raise awareness and show opposition to the gas pipe line. Meet outside Y Mochyn Du pub in Sophia gardens at 3.30pm.

More people are joining the camps as we speak but help and support are always needed, anyone with spare time is welcome to join in.
For regular updates and information see www.indymedia.org.uk

London neighbourhood Climate Camp Meeting 2 December

London neighbourhood meeting to plan for the next climate camp, lets get this thing rolling!

The Camp for Climate Action was packed with workshops and debates, the camp was a space to pool knowledge, ideas and inspiration to tackle the greatest threat to life on Earth. Under the shadow of 12 huge cooling towers we converged to take action on the biggest CO2 emitter in northern Europe: Drax power station.

London neighbourhood meeting to plan for the next climate camp, lets get this thing rolling!

The Camp for Climate Action was packed with workshops and debates, the camp was a space to pool knowledge, ideas and inspiration to tackle the greatest threat to life on Earth. Under the shadow of 12 huge cooling towers we converged to take action on the biggest CO2 emitter in northern Europe: Drax power station.

At the follow up meeting held in Manchester it was decieded that another camp would be held and that there would be regional meetings before the national gathering in Leeds on January 13 and 14. The London neighbourhood meeting will be held at the London Action Resource Centre, 62 Fieldgate Street, Whitechapel, on December 2 at 1 o’clock. see you there!

for more info see
www.climatecamp.org.uk
www.lonodnarc.org