Category: Action Reports

Anti-Mining Blockade Evicted in Guatemala

The eviction comes a day before a presidential meeting and a year after a violent eviction against La Puya’s peaceful resistance.

June 3rd, 2015

from Telesur
The community of La Puya in central Guatemala, resisting the U.S.-owned El Tambor gold mine project for over three years, faced eviction Tuesday after at least 300 security forces arrived in the early morning forcing illegal displacement of the blockade, Prensa Libre reported. According to witnesses, in the early hours of the morning security forces, including riot police, removed barricades blocking vehicle traffic to clear the entrance to the mine and also took down the community’s signs accompanying the blockade.

Community representatives later spoke with with the officers, saying the eviction was illegal and that they awaited a legal order for the community’s removal. The threat of eviction comes days after La Puya reactivated its peaceful blockade and also coincides with the one year anniversary of violent eviction against the community last May.

Community representatives have a meeting scheduled Wednesday with President Perez Molina, whose resignation has been widely called for in recent weeks by social movements, to reinitiate a dialogue on the community’s demands, Prensa Libre reported. Members of Guatemala’s Council for Human Rights also arrived on the scene to observe the increased police presence as a preventative measure for the community as they faced the threat of a repressive crackdown.
Members of the resistance and organizations in solidarity with La Puya held a demonstration in the capital city Tuesday afternoon to denounce the repression against the peaceful resistance and demand “respect for live and sustainable development.”
La Puya launched its resistance against the construction of El Tambor gold mine in 2012. Women and indigenous people are at the forefront of the community’s non-violent movement that has effectively put a stop to the work of at least three transnational mining companies.
During the first of three years of resistance against the mine, La Puya caused $US3 million in losses for the company Exmingua, the Guatemalan subsidiary of Nevada-based U.S. transnational extractive corporation Kappes Cassiday & Associates.

Germany: An Update from Hambach Forest Defenders

June 2nd, 2015

The defence of the the Millenarian Hambacher Forest against the encroching RWE open cast lignite mine continues with activist-build towers and live-in barricades.  The Hambacher Forest is not only one of the last Millenarian Forests in Europe but also the largest on the edge of mostly deforested area of Ruhr Valley and the Belgium, Netherlands, Luxemburg region hence its importance to biodiversity and animal migration corridors.

The lignite mine fought through direct action methods by the activist living in the forest for the last 3 years has been devouring towns, villages, whole forests and draining the watertable for up to 70 kilometers  and is also the largest in western europe and Europe’s biggest net CO2 emmiter.

The scale of the mine itself being 12km across and nearly half a killometer deep conjures analogies of Mordor or SciFi Prison planet with the diggers  being the world’s largest machines feeding the conveyor belts delivering the coal to rail links supplying the power plants on the edge of the mine itself and throughout this region .  This in turn pales in comparison to the global and externalized costs of lignite as a climate chaos agent and a number one source of mercury contamination in worlds oceans.

The Hambach Forest Struggle continues to experience periodic police intrusions, arrests and desctruction of barricades which are protecting three forest tree-sits: Oaktown, Beechtown, and CrustyTown  which are spread throughout the forest.  The arrest result in solidarity actions and demonstrations and relatively short releases.

This is not something that can be said about the irreversible habitat destruction that continues day and night and sadly after partial victory of having the costs of evictions and police actions being deferred to the RWE concern  the German Forestry department started filing complains about the forest being blockaded against the machinery send to destroy it and the taxpayer and the German State resumed again picking up the bill for the repression of eco-activists and ecological destrucion.

For that reason we urge all who choose to pursue the avenues of civic action to put grassroots pressure on the appropriately named Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture in Bonn (www.verbraucherlotse.de) Monday to Thursday from 9:00 bis 17:00 Telefonnummer 02 28 – 24 25 26 27, per E-Mail  info@verbraucherlotse.de, 53168 Bonn und unter der Fax-Nummer 02 28 – 68 45 72 20.

 

 

For those in the struggle to protect the Earth through direct action we urge you to visit us and follow the struggle and become a part of global community of resistance.

Our present demand and wish list includes as always planetary eco-justice followed by walkie talkies, 12v batteries and solar panels.

In Solidarity,

Hambach Forest Defenders!

Didcot Camp Action Round Up: 18 actions against the fossil fuel industry

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Blockades, shutdowns, lock-ons, love-ins, tripods and nanas…..Reclaim the Power’s day of action against the fossil fuel industry today (1 June 2015) saw 18 different actions drawing the dots between big energy firms, government ministers, public relations companies, oil arts sponsorship and the fracking industry.

Let’s take a run-down of the day’s events…(more text and pics coming soon!)

Action 1: 9.04am – Npower’s debt collection and pre-payment meter office in Leeds blockaded

We’ve all had the threatening letters from energy companies demanding payment for bills we can’t afford – and today we hit back. Reclaim the Power groups visited RWE Npower’s offices in Leeds and blockaded the front doors. Many households are forced onto pre-payment meters which are more expensive than direct debit accounts.

Action 2: 9.08am – Delegates at World Coal Association conference locked out of Institute of Directors

The coal industry are trying to continue burning fossil fuels by dangling the promise of Carbon-Capture-and-Storage technology. Conference delegates at a World Coal Assocation event found all five entrances to the exclusive Institute of Directors blocked this morning. There no arrests but lots of marigolds.

Action 3: 9.09am “Wind not gas” protest at DECC

Cheeky protesters highlighted the continued fossil fuel bias within the Department for Energy and Climate Change by blockading its steps. Rowan Tilly explained, “Against the advice of their own Committee on Climate Change, the government has approved the construction of up to 30 new gas-fired power stations, and intends to go ‘all out’ for shale gas – with up to two thirds of the UK licensed for fracking. This new dash for gas is recklessly at odds with our national and international obligations on climate change and must be resisted, for both the sake of ourselves and future generations.

“We are now finding ourselves at a stage where we don’t know where government ends and corporations begin and unless we act now we will soon find ourselves be locked into infrastructure which will burn carbon for years to come whilst killing off renewable energy, with political decisions ruled by profit and acting in ignorance of the blatant dangers of climate change. We simply can’t afford to let this happen.”

Action 4: 9.10am – Invesco’s Revolving Door between government and Drax

Continuing this theme, Reclaim the Power activists visited the offices of Invesco – the investment management company which owns 26% of Drax coal-fired power station in Yorkshire. New DECC junior minister Andrea Leadman worked at Invesco for 10 years before taking up her post in government. The revolving doors were literally blocked and banner dropped above the London Wall road.

Action 5: 9.30am – Polishing a turd: office occupation of Media Zoo

Public relations firm ‘Media Zoo’ represent chemicals giant Ineos – who have recently pledged £640 million investment in fracking. Eight activists occupied their offices in Imperial Wharf, London carrying a banner banner reading, ‘Fracking is Shit. You can’t polish a turd.’ They used arm tubes lock ons to stay put. Seven people were arrested around lunch time.

Mediazoo’s website boasts extensive experience of dealing with “industrial disputes”, “fatal accidents” and “child labour”. They are consulting Ineos on PR and media strategy. The CEO of Ineos Upstream Gary Haywood said, “I want Ineos to be the biggest player in the shale gas industry.” Mediazoo were responsible for what UNITE described as Ineos’s “campaign of fear” during the dispute at Grangemouth oil refinery in Scotland when 1400 workers fought cuts to pay, jobs and pensions.

Action 6: 9.45am – Anti-nukes visit Carmargue PR firm

As well as representing RWE Npower, public relations firm Camargue also spin the work of Horizon Nuclear Energy. 12 protesters targeted the firm’s offices in Soho. Clare Jones said, “The public has a right to be informed about the real dangers of nuclear – from cancer to contamination to climate change. For the cost of building one nuclear power station you could build over 1000 offshore wind turbines.”

Action 7: 10.25am – Energy UK lobby group blockaded

Energy UK is the trade body for the Big Six energy companies. They have lobbied the government to introduce the ‘Capacity Market’ into the recent Energy Act (2014) – which uses public money to subsidise new gas power stations. Three people blockaded the entrance, including two in an arm tube lock on.  There were two arrests.

Action 8: 10.30am – Big Six Love-in at Oxfordshire Conservative Party headquarters

Big 6

Action 9: 10.55am – RWE Npower headquarters in Swindon blockaded

Action 10: All morning – Subvertising in Oxford

Action 11: The Bill of Wrongs at British Gas HQ near Oxford

Action 12: 12.11pm – Lancashire Nanas link fracking and gas-fire power stations at Didcot B

Cuadzilla puppet

Action 13: 1.00pm – Van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’ rebranded by Shell

Shell rebrand

Action 14: 1.00pm – Avonmouth Biofuel plant invaded

Action 15: 1.30pm – “No stone left unfracked” Tripod fracking rig erected at London City Hall

Boris Saya

Action 16: 1.41pm – Edelman PR firm deliver first fracked baby (trigger warning)

Action 17: 2.00pm – Blockade of Cuadrilla offices in Lichfield (again!)

Cuadrilla HQ

Action 18: 2.30pm – Occupation of Imperial College’s Department of Mining

Reclaim the Power – Didcot and beyond!

 

Five days to go – here we come Didcot!

Programme’s up and packed full of treats.

In less than a week’s time Didcot Mass Action Camp 2015 will be in full swing and we’re counting down the days and raring up for a wicked weekend.

Set-up and start: Friday 29th May
Finish: Tuesday 2nd June 2015
Facebook event here

We’ve got a packed schedule this year including the ‘Ministry of Dissent’ – a one-stop shop for skilling up and taking action with trainers on board all day.  There’ll be the good people of Barton Moss speaking about how to set up an energy co-op and activist friends from Rojava will be talking about how to set up an entire autonomous region!

A range of trainings are scheduled from organisations working on the frontline of social change in the UK right now, including London Black Revs and UK Uncut, with Fuel Poverty Action taking on the ‘Big 6’  and community mobilising with DPAC (Disabled People Against Cuts), and we’ll hear news about what’s coming up with the Paris climate talks in December, and from friends in the Rhineland about holding off Big Coal there in August. Closer to home, we’ll also be hearing from Frack Free Lancashire about the imminent decision in June, and how we can come together to say no to fracking – not now, not ever.

There’s also a comedy double bill and music in the evening and time for us to dance and play, and get energised and ready for our big day of action on Monday.

Check out the full programme here.

The site will be announced on Friday the 29th – keep your eyes on our website , Facebook and Twitter

Volunteers wanted!

Everyone’s invited to get involved in making this camp awesome, and there’s a wide range of volunteer roles available that we’re looking to fill.  Specifically this includes:

  • kitchen crew
  • experienced child-minders
  • qualified first-aiders
  • experienced tranquillity/well-being crew
  • media savvy people to help out in the media tent
  • gate and comms
  • welcome tent crew
  • water and plumbing
  • a dedicated crew of TAT-down on Tuesday (taking down camp)

If you’re up for helping with any of these roles then please let us know via our Facebook page or drop us a line at info@nodashforgas.org.uk   – thanks!

 

Canada: Two Arson Attacks on Logging Trucks in the Province of Arauco

Arson attacks

Two arson attacks were carried out early Thursday morning at various points in the Araucania Region.

May 17th, 2015

The first took place in at the Mariposas Estate, located on Highway CH181that connects the townships of Curacautín with Victoria, in the Province of Malleco.

According to police reports, the unknown suspects entered the area and lit fire to a shed that contained logging equipment.

Guards confronted the suspects, which gave way to shots being fired, although police assert there were no injuries reported.

Due to the incident a tractor, as well as an excavator, were completely destroyed.

Logging trucks and Look-Out Posts Damaged in Mininco

Meanwhile, the other incident took place in an area of Mininco, on Highway 5 South, at the northern exit of the Araucania Region.

It was there that three logging trucks and a pedestrian lookout post were burnt down, and police are investigating on the scene.

Close to 20 armed hooded suspects forced out the truck drivers to complete the attack, and the fire reached the nearby look-out post, according to witnesses.

arson 2

During the morning hours, the Provincial Prosecutor, Luis Espinoza, stated that they would work with investigators and local police to search for clues in connection to two other similar incidents in the townships of Caracautín and Victoria.

“The attacks were simultaneous, which provoked the arson of three trucks and a look-out pedestrian post. It was a coordinated attack, dividing themselves between the trucks, and intimidating the drivers with long and short firearms,” alleged the prosecutor.

The local Government representative of the Araucania Region, Mario Gonzalez, stated that there would be charges against those responsible for the incidents.

“We are investigating the incidents with the arson of these trucks and the look-out posts to come up with possible charges,” stated the representative.

“Everyone rejects these actions that do not favour the development of the region,” added Gonzalez.

In the area, pamphlets related to the Mapuche land conflict were found, stating the freedom of [Mapuche Political Prisoner] Patricio Queipul.

from Women’s Coordinating Committee for a Free Wallmapu

Source: Radio Cooperativa

Notre-Dame-des-Landes: Three ‘Vinci’ lackeys chased out of the ZAD (and their vehicles sabotaged)

sabotaged biologist’s vehicle

Wednesday morning [April 29th 2015], in Vigneux-de-Bretagne, three biologists from Angers who came to study marbled newt were chased off by a dozen masked individuals.

In recent days, scientists from Gecco (Ecology and Conservation of Vertebrates Group), a Faculty of Sciences laboratory in Angers, have been taking samples on the ZAD. The concessionaire appointed by the state, mandated by Vinci, are studying the functionality of amphibian populations on the zone affected by the airport project. In this case the marbled newt.

Wednesday morning, they were acting in a place called La Fremière, north of Vigneux-de-Bretagne, when they saw a dozen hooded people arrive. They asked them to leave the premises after breaking windows and windscreens and puncturing their car tires.

By the time the gendarmes had arrived at the scene, the persons unknown had fled. There were no arrests. A complaint was filed.

Germany: Police and Security Clear Barricades in Hambach Forest

Police, RWE and securities appeared at the occupations in the Hambach Forest.

28 April 2015: At around 11 o’clock, police, RWE and securities appeared at the occupations in the Hambach Forest. They cut several climbing ropes, imposed dismissals and surrounded the living barricade.
This is not the first time climbing ropes where cut as a sabotage. This is a life threatening and useless action on behalf of the police and RWE.
This happens after the ‚dialog‘ in the state parliament in Düsseldorf with the police, the ministry of internal affairs, the parties, RWE and the regional initiative on the 20th of April this year. After the annual general assembly of RWE last week and the human chain in Garzweiler last weekend.
This is supposed to be the energy transition and the dialog that is held. The interest of economy and those who are payed by them are in the foreground. On the 21th of may, the administrative court in Aachen will decide if the meadow occupation could be immediately evicted. This is a callout to all people who want to resist against the destruction of landscape.
Pics of the action [here]

News

06:28 am
Night is passing and a new day is rising… at the moment one person is in front of the police station, with banners and information. The police told to register a picket(?). If not the banners should be removed. the outcome remains open…

05:50 am
During the night, the persons in front of the police station was switched. It remains calm with no rain. Come around and bring breakfast. Hof coffee and tee are welcome.

02:37 am
A sign of life from the cellars of the courts of this city. The press and a person in front of the police station are determined to stay until our friend is released. In front of the police station, a guitar is playing and from the cellars one can hear the Anti RWE song from Mona&Hummel. You can listen to it here: http://monaundhummel.noblogs.org/musik/

01:28 am
Blankets, Matrasses and rice to eat have been brought. Here you can find a film documenting the assaults of the RWE security against activists. They are apparently talking about the supposed digger occupation of 06.04.2015.

01:20 am
Greetings from the police station in Kalk, we are preparing for a long night.

00:05 am
Several people are at the police station in Cologne/Kalk, to show solidarity with our arrested friend. She is happy about support, as well as blankets, hot tee and cups. The hot chocolate is almost gone! Come around!

23:30 pm
We are online again and have installed a press location and an EA in Cologne. If you want to know more about the course of events around our arrested frend. This number is reachable around the clock: 0049 15753511306

18:oo pm
We just received the sad message that a friend of ours, who has previously been held captured in Hürth, has now been transfered to the prison n Cologne/Kalk. A release is not in sight. As she has been locked on, they charge her pf ‚resistance against executory officers‘We send you power and strenght… . The police operation was commissioned by the regional forest department Rhein Erft. One of the many institutions which are closely related to RWE and who support the depletion of the Hambach Forest, as has been shown in the last years during similar operations.

16:31 pm
The police retreated from the forest. Apparently the operation was enforced by the forest department of NRW.

15:30 pm
Heavy machinery of RWE is still on it’s way through the forest and on the former highway A4, clearing the barricades. The first supporters are arriving in front of the police station in Hürth.

14 pm
More police cars/trucks arrive and drive towards the forest occupations.

13:50 pm
RWE evicted the Hedgehog with the help of police, now they cut a swath of destruction through the forest.

13:30 pm
The police just announced that the person locked in the Hedgehog has been brought tot he police station in Bergheim, accompanied by a medic.

12:50 pm
The person in the Hedgehog is evicted. They will start with the destruction of the habitat.

12:30 pm
The situation around the Hedgehog is tense. There, RWE security and diverse police departments have surrounded the place and plan to destroy the barricades in the forest and evict and destroy the Hedgehog (a big, living barricade). On person locked themselves in the Hedgehog to stop further useless destruction of nature with their own body.
The Hedgehog is located at the former meeting point in the forest, where some RWE securities stole a statue of Christ a few months ago.
Apart from this, the helpers of nature destruction have left the meadow, Oaktown and Beechtown for now. Arrested people are set free, nothing else is known so far.

12 pm
People are arrested in the Hambach Forest

11:40 am
Activists are surrounded and dismissals are imposed

 

Also, support the Hambach Defenders on 16 May:

from Hambach Forest Occupation
Support the environmental movement. Meadow under legal pressure

We at the Hambacher Forest have been resisting environmental destruction by the largest coal mine in Western Europe for the last three years experiencing 3 major evictions and numerous police and security actions. Now we are facing a new peril. Our support camp with its vegan kitchen, theater, infoshop and 2 libraries, numerous living and guest spaces is facing legal proceedings in Aachen on the 21st of May with a demonstration of support on May 16th in Cologne.
The Meadow Support Camp has become a canvas for building with strawbail, green roofs, renewable energy and biodynamic farming. It is also a home to many activists including two families with children. Supporting at the same time two forest occupations, direct action campaigs and public events.
We would like to call for international solidarity and support in the form of legal assistance in Germany as well as internationally. Please contact the court involved:

Demonstration on the 16th of May
Against coal mining in rheine area
Cologne / Ehrenfeld 14 o‘clock

Prozess on the 21st of May
Achen Administrative Court
Adalbertsteinweg 92
im Justizzentrum
52070 Aachen
fax 0241 9425 83204
tel 0241 9425 0

This is the court that will be attempting to use building code regulations to destroy structures in the Meadow Support Camp. It is the same regulations that are regularly used against earthship, straw bail and other informal architecture and spaces in favor of resource extraction rich(wasteful and destructive) habitats and interests.

Warrington fracking coal bed methane lock-on protest

21/4/15

Update:

Cheshire Police has confirmed that one woman and three men have been arrested for aggravated trespass.

At 1.25pm the woman had her chain removed but it was not until 4.30pm that all were arrested.

 

Anti-fracking Protectors Lock on at IGas Warrington coal bed methane compound

At Doe Green Widnes WA8 9TZ

The four protestors locked themselves to security fences around the well heads this morning

Please show local support!

Livestream: http://t.co/5IRjpIcv2q

Local newspaper article

 

fossil fool AGM season

Community Resistance to Extreme Energy: Standing in Solidarity with Frontline Communities

on 15th April, Wednesday,

6-9pm, A meeting at the Human Rights Consortium, UCL, Room 349, Senate House, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HU. Rising Tide UK join with Co-Resist, UK Tar Sands Network and the Human Rights Consortium’s Extreme Energy Initiative for this storytelling event with speakers from communities on the frontline of the Alberta Tar Sands & Gulf Coast Rising – providing a space to hear and reflect upon these important stories, as well as giving a general overview of BP’s extreme energy projects one day before the BP AGM as BP continues to trash the planet and push us further to the edge of climate catastrophe.
https://www.facebook.com/events/794277717322111/

BP AGM protest
on 16th April, Thursday,10am, ExCel Centre, above Custom House DLR Station, Royal Victoria Dock, London E16.
Join with many other activists days before the Deepwater Horizon anniversary, including those from the Gulf Coast communities, to demonstrate around the BP AGM where Share Action have tabled a resolution. Shareholders will be attending the 11.30am Meeting.

DRAX AGM/DECC Biofool Protest
on 22nd April, Wednesday,
11.00am-1.00pm, at the Drax AGM, the Grocer’s Hall, Princes St, EC2R 8AD, (down the left hand side of Bank of England). Join London Rising Tide helping their friends at Biofuelwatch with a lively protest to expose and oppose burning biomass and coal. Then….

At 1.00pm we will decamp to DECC (off Whitehall) with as many banners as we can to demand DECC stop subsidising burning trees and coal in the name of renewable energy and carbon saving.
#AXEDRAX Drax Power Station has led the way for the industry: lobbying; greenwashing; converting and building the necessary infrastructure; and clearcutting hugely biodiverse native forests in the southern US and Canada. Drax exemplifies much that is wrong with UK energy policy and “renewable” energy subsidies. So we are joining with coal and energy campaigners to tell DECC to #AXEDRAX now and for us to rethink the way that we do energy, moving beyond burning uniting Climate, Coal and Biomass campaigners with others who believe that this energy policy is stupid and unjust.
Spread the word: https://www.facebook.com/events/318444765019328/       See www.axedrax.org.uk