Category: Action Reports

Activists disrupt work at site of opencast coal mine

29.06.2008

Activists yesterday obstructed a steamroller which was being used to set a tarmac ramp designed allow heavy plant machinery access to the fields where UK Coal intend to extract around 1 million tonnes of coal.

Once the steamroller had halted, one activist proceeded to d-lock themselves to the machine.

29.06.2008

Activists yesterday obstructed a steamroller which was being used to set a tarmac ramp designed allow heavy plant machinery access to the fields where UK Coal intend to extract around 1 million tonnes of coal.

Once the steamroller had halted, one activist proceeded to d-lock themselves to the machine.
All remained until the police arrived, which was a considerable time later. However, the spontaneous action clearly delayed their work, as the site foreman spent much time talking to the police etc.

Concerned of Smalley
http://www.earthfirst.org.uk/leaveitintheground/

London, Brighton & Manchester Critical Masses commemorate dead cyclists

June’s Critical mass in London saw a slightly different route. As always we met at Southbank and managed to leave at 7.15pm.

June’s Critical mass in London saw a slightly different route. As always we met at Southbank and managed to leave at 7.15pm.

Following the killing of Marie Vesco on the A23 her friends, rampART and Food Not Bombs asked people to ride to Brixton, where she served free food every Sunday afternoon with Brixton Food Not Bombs.

Approximately 600 cyclists left Waterloo going South via Lambeth North, then Elephant& Castle, going round a few times stopping the traffic. Via the Oval we went to Brixton, where we stopped at Windrush Square. By now there were maybe 300-400 cyclists left (there was a bit of North-London snobbery). Different people spoke about Marie and how they missed her. How she died and why she worked with Brixton FoodNotBombs and how giving out free food was so important to her. There was a minute’s silence for her.

Then we cycled North again, police stopped us halfway up towards Stockwell. They had tried to dictate the tempo previously, but rogue cyclists broke through, stopped the traffic ahead of the police line and in that way forced the police to let the Mass go (Health and Safety and all…).

They managed to block Stockwell Road and we didn’t quite get the momentum of breaking through. To the coppers’ surprise the tip of the Mass turned around, cycling back on themselves and turning off the main road further down (Sidney Road I think). We made our way to the Oval, cycling past the Cricket knobs, some of which were using bad language, when we came in sight. Others were supportive.

Vauxhall Bridge ended up being a bit of a splitter were we lost a few people. Going across the bridge, past Parliament we hit the square, encircling it a couple of times, until something happened with the sound system (as always) not quite sure what. music stopped. Raising bikes, blocking road, we then went to see the queen. The whole ride took about two hours and a bit. Nice atmosphere, good mix of people and bikes and so good to have some music on the way (three sound systems).

What happened with the sound system on the North side of Parliament Square was that the police stopped it playing and riders strongly objected to this ban which caused a long traffic holdup.

The cycle police keep on targeting Critical Mass sound systems in the SOCPA zone around Parliament while doing nothing to stop sound systems in cars, buses and lorries. Also the SOCPA legislation is currently under review and other police are tending not to enforce it.

video of ride.

More videos:

cycling down brixton road

through brixton high street

outside the ritzy, enjoying some tunes, before a minutes silence in memory of Marie Vesco

riding up the mall

bringing the mass & some music to the queen
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Yesterday the Brighton Critical Mass monthly bicycle ride was done in the memory Marie Vesco – the young French woman who had been killed on her way from London to the Carnival Against the Arms Trade, that was held on the 4th of June. We, at Critical Mass decided to complete her journey to EDO MBM (ITT) bomb factory that she could not make.

The usual meeting place The Level, 6 p.m. saw police waiting for some sort of a demo. There were: 2 police vans full of coppers, 1 CCTV UNIT van, 6 motorbikes, and none of the police on bicycles.

The ride had commenced as have rode onto Lewes Road escorted by police motorbikes. For a while it felt as if we were prime ministers escorted to some important meeting.

When we had reached the bottom of the Home Farm Road there were few police waiting for us. We then went to the factory to be astonished by the police presence at the factory. There were at least 40 officers with dogs waiting for some sort of a riot.

We have held one minute silence for Marie and went back to town where after a half an hour police had left us alone.

Overall a success.

video of ride.

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This month Manchester critical mass had a one minute silence to honour two passionate cyclists that were killed this month by motorists, and to remember all our cycling comrades that have been killed on the roads.

NORMAN FAY
Norman Fay died on Friday, June 20. He was cycling to the York cycle rally when a motorist collided with him.

“He was just 72 so it’s come as a real shock.

Norman had a well deserved reputation for fine craftsmanship and engineering, and had an infectious love of all things cycling. His bikes have been many people’s introduction to cycling and his experimentation with different cycle forms appealed to hard core enthusiasts and occasional riders alike. I’ve been the lucky owner of a couple of his bikes, one of which I bought when I was 18 and I still have but is sadly gathering dust in the hut.

Both Norman and his late wife Marion were both founding members of South Tyneside Friends of the Earth.

Whilst he died relatively young in modern terms, his continued cycling proved that you’re never to old to get on your bike. Maybe it’s time I dusted off mine.

A true local hero.”

MARIE VESCO

Marie Vesco was killed by a car on Wednesday 4th June while cycling to Brighton. Active in various London social centres, Whitechapel and Brixton Food Not Bombs, she now had plans to open a new social centre.

Marie was part of a group of twelve cyclists who left Brixton in the early hours of the morning to join the Smash EDO demo. They were on the A23 by Burgess Hill when an impatient gas guzzling imbecile swerved across two lanes straight into Marie, then another car hit her. She died instantly, there was nothing her friends could have done. The driver of the second car got straight on his phone as soon as he came to a halt – not for an ambulance but to call his lawyer. He then started pushing Marie’s mates around. One driver has been arrested.

On the arson of Sprider store (Athens, 28/6/2008)

“After puting off the fire, firemen found gas canisters inside the store, a fact leading invstigations to an arson case, and police takes over…”

Sprider shop burnt“After puting off the fire, firemen found gas canisters inside the store, a fact leading invstigations to an arson case, and police takes over…”

Communique sent via e-mail to directactiongr@yahoo.gr:

On June 28, 2008 we chose to strike one of the well-known Sprider chain stores, at Lykovrissi. This choise wasn’t random at all.

We live an every day life turned into an arena of competition as well as accumulation and demonstration of lifeless objects. The expensive car, the classy outfit, the new mobile phone and fast internet are the modern values of your world. The consumer crowds grumbles over costliness while they buy off at their shopping therapy a piece of “joy” and a sterile image of success and show-off. In our days, humans seek for an identity at the new accessories of their mobile phones, their cars’ covers and fashion trends. And everything seems cool.

It is enough for one to choose, of Saturday night’s dilemma between Kolonaki or Psyrri area, the right dress, the appropriate mobile phone and most of all that fake smile, to impress everybody around.

When it comes to everyday life, the lack of communication, loneliness, the slow suicide of alienation, the servitude to a job, the cops’ orders, the reporter’s truth, the bosses’ exploitation… Who cares about all that? Besides, they’re not even a life-style trend to be advertised and followed faithfully.

Thus, all of you faithful consumers, titled with misery and proprietors of the lie can keep dressing up your fancy nothingness tissued with all the shades of compromise and indifference. We instead have chosen for ourselves the colors of war: As long as our life suffocates in the tissue of commercial advertise, useless objects, stylish orders and all the symbols of a consumer paradise, our rage with consiousness will keep searching for break-outs.

We had written in our communique concerning our previous strike against the Aigaleo Police Station, that we do not need an incident or a concurrence to get to action. Now though, we come with an event. On July 11, 2008 the comrades Marios Tsourapas and Chrissostomos Kontorevithakis face a jury, for their arsonist attempt against a municipal police car, an action they have claimed responsibility for, and stand up to it.

All we have to say on that, is that the material damages and the total destruction of this luxurious store are illustrative of our wilfulness, in case of our comrades imprisonment continues.

Gangs of Conscience

Note: You can read the previous claim of the Gangs of Conscience (Symmories Synidisis) on their attack against Aigaleo Police Station here:
http://directactiongr.blogspot.com/2008/05/attack-against-police-station-plus.html

Arrests As International Whaling Commission Fails To Protect Whales

Fifteen people were arrested by police at a meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), held this year in Santiago, Chile.

IWC protest

Fifteen people were arrested by police at a meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), held this year in Santiago, Chile. The protesters were supposedly trying to ‘storm’ the meeting but other reports state that the mere presence of people in front of the meeting’s venue was seen as a ‘security threat’.

The IWC meets annually to regulate the whaling industry and make decisions on conservation of whale populations. So far the meeting hasn’t reached any agreements and the commission continues to be strongly devided between the pro- and anti-whaling nations. Skye Bortoli, an activist from Teens Against Whaling described the meeting this year as ‘pathetic’, saying “this body will be known in the future as a small group of ecologically arrogant people who are condemning the world’s whales to agony and oblivion for petty politics and a few lousy bucks.”

Related Audio: Sea Shepherd Captain Paul Watson Talks in London | Interview With Nottingham Activist On Return From Whale Saving Mission

Related Newswire: Iceland Defies Moratorium On Commercial Whaling – Whale Hunt Started | Norway Starts Whale Hunting Season

Previous Features: Armed Canadian Coast Guard Storms Conservation Vessel | Nottingham Activist Returns From Whale Saving Mission In Antartica | Injured Among Sea Shepherd Crew As Japanese Military Open Fire | Activists Held Hostage By Japanese Whalers In Southern Ocean

Links: IWC official website | Wikipedia on IWC | Teens Against Whaling | Sea Shepherd Conservation Society | Greenpeace | Santiago Indymedia | Indymedia Ocean Defence

This year, like many a year before, the IWC fails to make progress in their protection of whales. Japan and other pro-whaling nations push for a partial lifting of the ban on commercial whaling. Also, the US (which has been involved with Japan’s whaling industry) has been pushing for the regulation of ‘scientific whaling’, something which conservations argue would only legitimize an already illegal activity. Japan uses the ‘scientific research’ as a smokescreen for their illegal commercial whaling practices.

There has been a debate about whether Greenland should be allowed a bigger quota of whales for their hunt and discussions are ongoing about Japan’s hunt in the Southern Ocean. It has been reported that the earliest the IWC might come to some kind of agreement is by next year’s meeting, which is to be held in Madeira, Portugal. The commission continues to be strongly divided between pro-whaling (Japan, Denmark, Norway, Iceland) and anti-whaling (Australia, United Kingdom, New Zealand, South Africa) nations.

Captain Paul Watson, from the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, did manage to get into the hotel this year. He normally never makes it inside as the Sea Shepherd is the only organisation officially banned from attending IWC meetings. Paul, like Skye Bortoli, isn’t impressed with the state of affairs at this year’s meeting: “There were many things that could come out of this meeting. Japan could withdraw from the IWC and become a renegade whaling nation along with their partners in conservation crime Norway and Iceland. Or a compromise may be brokered that will allow the Japanese to withdraw from the Southern Ocean without losing face or thirdly, and most likely, nothing will come out of this meeting at all. From the way things are going so far it looks like Sea Shepherd will be returning to the Southern Ocean to once again enforce the regulations that the IWC and the nations of the world refuse to uphold. Oh well, I come to these meetings with no expectations hoping to be pleasantly surprised. After more than three decades I am still waiting.“

Greenpeace was also present in Chile, with a dominant presence among the various anti-whaling NGO’s and conservationists. Dave writes on the Greenpeace blog: “We hope something good comes out of these meetings, and that the commission transforms itself into a body that protects the whales and not the whalers. While commissioners sit in rooms talking, whales are still dying in the Southern Ocean and around the world from commercial whaling, ship strikes, sonar-related deaths, netting and pollution, amongst other human-induced hazards.”

On a positive note, Chile, the host of this year’s meeting has declared a permanent ban on whaling in its waters. Speaking at a former whale processing plant that Chile closed in 1967, President Michelle Bachelet said she sent a bill to Congress proposing a whale sanctuary along Chile’s coastline and declared the whale a national monument.