Category: Squatting / Free Spaces / Protest Sites

Roll Back The Tracks Bike Ride

What do you need to bring?

– bicycle 🙂
– bicycle panniers
– tent, sleeping mat and sleeping bag
– headlamp/flashlight
– power bank for charging electronics
– bottles for carrying drinking water
– a sealable tupperware for carrying food and eating out of, mug and cutlery
– toiletries and medication
– clothes to stay warm and dry
– first aid kit
– a basic cycle repair kit if you have one
– banners and flags to attach to your bike! (no XR banners please)
– cash for donations for food.
We are looking into continuing the bike ride along the second leg of the proposed route from Birmingham to Leeds from the 20th to roughly the 27th of August. For this leg, you will also need:
– camping stove & gas
– cooking equipment

Camping Sites

We have tried where possible to get permission to use camping sites. However, in some places we will be trespassing, and as such, facilities will be minimal. We have selected places that we feel are suitable to camp for the nights of the 15th-19th.
On the night of the 20th, we will be wild camping in a park in Brum centre, and from then on, wild camping in locations that we have not yet visited, and therefore we can’t guarantee they will be brilliant places to camp.

Food & water

On the first leg of the ride from Manchester to Birmingham, we will have a catering team following us in a vehicle. With volunteer support from us, they will provide one cooked, vegan, evening meal each day, and provide the ingredients for us to make our own breakfast and packed lunches.
Volunteers in the kitchen will need to wear a face mask and observe physical distancing.
Donations for food are greatly appreciated, though no-one will be turned away for lack of funds.
On the second leg, we will NOT be catered for, so if you are cycling from Brum to Leeds, you will need to buy your own food and cook for yourself.
Most of the camping sites have running water nearby. However, you need to have at least 2 1L drinking bottles with you on the ride, and to fill them up whenever possible on route to campsites. Stay hydrated!

Toilets

At some of the campsites, there are toilets. Where there are not toilets, we will have a bike trailer toilet cubicle in tow, and a spade. Collectively, we will have to dig a pit for everyone to poo in. If the idea of pooping in a pit grosses you out, then make sure you use public toilets on route.

Checking your bike is ready to join Roll Back the Tracks

Lots of different bikes can make this trip, but it needs to be in good working order.

Please make sure you have at least one water bottle holder on your bike. You also need to think about how you will carry your luggage. You need either a pannier rack bolted to your bike frame to carry pannier bags with your belongings, or you’ll need to bring bike packing bags to carry luggage directly on the frame. Please don’t come with a backpack of all your stuff, you will be sweaty and uncomfortable quickly. Full suspension mountain bikes are not recommended.

If you don’t cycle regularly, or you are borrowing a bike for the trip check that the bike fits – take it for a test ride of a few hours to see how comfortable it is. You need to be able to stand over the frame without it touching you between your legs and be able to comfortable reach the handlebars and brakes.

Check your brakes

Rim brakes (the brakes act on the metal circular part of your wheel)

• pull on the brakes one at a time to ensure that they can stop the bike
• check there is plenty of rubber across the whole of all the pads (especially if your brakes are noisy)
• check that the brakes just touch onto metal and not onto the rubber of the tyre
• check that when you pull the brake lever (the part in your hand when riding) the lever doesn’t touch the handlebars.

Disk brakes

• Check that the front and the back brake stops your bike (rather than when both are pressed at the same time).
• Check the rotary wheel is straight and firmly attached.
• If the brakes are ringing you need to get them adjusted.

Wheels

• Check that quick release wheels are properly tightened. You should be able to read the word ‘closed’ when they are;
• otherwise, check that wheel nuts are tight, especially if you remove your front wheel.
• Clean the braking surface if you have rim brakes – use washing up liquid in water and a rag.
• Check the tyres are fully inflated. The pressure is written on the side of your tyre.
• Check the tyres still have a pattern across the surface and do not bulge.
• Check that the brakes haven’t rubbed a grove in the rubber of the tyre.
• Check that the wheel runs in a straight line – do this by lifting one end of your bike and pushing the wheel round fast, it should move smoothly and not rub.
• Look at your wheels to ensure all the spokes are there and squeeze them in pairs to check they are of a similar tightness.

Frame

• Make sure there are no cracks or big dents in the frame.
• Check the bolts attaching mud guards, water bottles and the pannier rack are all tight.
• Can you move the handlebars fluidly?
• Could they be too loose? Put the front brake on, turn the front wheel 90 degrees and then see if the front of the bike rocks if you push forward on the turned handlebar. If so, it needs tightened.

Gears

• Look at your chain and everything it touches. Dirty? It really is worthwhile using an old tooth brush to clean each link and contact point before re-applying oil to each link and then removing any excess with a rag.
• Move the pedals and ensure they can freely turn round completely.
• Check that the bike can go into all of its gears. There are going to be hills, so you’ll need a range of gears.

Got a creaking bike?

Can you work out where it is coming from? If standing up to pedal makes it stop check your saddle, if it is worse when you peddle hard it is likely your bottom bracket.

Got a problem with one or more of these areas? If yo don’t know how to fix it find a friend who does or take it to an independent bike shop – but watch out they may not be able to do this at short notice.

Please bring a spare inner tube with you in case you get a puncture, the size is written on the side of your tyre. If you don’t know how to change a flat tyre still bring a spare inner tube and we can fix it together.

Having a fully working bike is your responsibility.
We are meeting together on the 14th at Ryebank Fields Protest Camp in Manchester to check bikes. Please bring a bike which is in full working order as we may sadly have to ask you not to come if you’re bike isn’t up to the job and we can’t get parts to fix it.

How can you help?

• Know of anywhere we (max 50 riders) could sleep in the following areas?
◦ North Cheshire
◦ Birmingham Centre (ideally near Digbeth)
◦ West Leicestershire
◦ Sheffield
◦ Leeds
• Involved in a critical Mass or cycling group in Brum, Nottingham, Sheffield or Leeds? Help us organise some cyclists into a critical mass!
• Have you got a bike sound system you could bring on part of the ride?
• Do a workshop on route. Sing a song round the campfire.
• Get creative and make some flags or banners for our bikes!
• Volunteer in the kitchen.
• Tow the bike trailer toilet for a few hours.
• Spare some change? We are trying to raise 2000 pounds to fund the project. can you help either by donating or sharing? Here´s the link to the crowdfunder:
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/roll-back-the-tracks

Drop us an email on rollbackthetracks@riseup.net to RSVP or for more info.

 

Protest camp set up against Glossop development

Row over George Street Woods rumbles on
Friday 30th June 2017

Environmental activists have set up a protest camp close to the centre of Glossop.

Row over George Street Woods rumbles on
Friday 30th June 2017

Environmental activists have set up a protest camp close to the centre of Glossop.

The trio moved into George Street Woods last Friday and say they are planning to claim it ‘for the people of Glossop.’

The move has resulted in confrontation after nearby resident Steve Rimmer said the land belonged to him.

Mr Rimmer – who lives opposite the site – also accused the group of trespass and has tried to legally remove them.

The three say they will block the entrance to the land to prevent Mr Rimmer gaining access.

Speaking outside the team’s tent, protest leader Robert Hodgetts-Hayley, 22, said: “We intend to occupy the land for as long as it takes.

“Glossop people are supporting us with food and drink and even bringing takeaways.”

The occupation is the latest round in the long drawn-out battle to decide ‘ownership’ of the former Shepley Mill site.

Stance: Steve Rimmer claims he is the owner of the land

Mr Rimmer says he legally acquired the site by ‘adverse possession’ 10 years ago with its ownership unknown.

He has since put a fence around the land and cleared away much of the stone and glass.

He intends to seek planning permission to use the site for visiting caravanners.

The Friends of George Street Woods have always opposed any form of development, saying the land should be an amenity for Glossop people to walk and have picnics.

They are fully supporting Robert and his co-protesters Adam Martin, 23, and Jake Parker, 19, who are also trying to secure the land by the same method.

Robert said: “We are going for secondary adverse possession to secure the land for the people of Glossop.

“We want to protect the environment for the greater good of the people. Almost 1,000 people have signed a petition supporting us.”

Protest: Jake Parker, Robert Hodgetts-Hayley and Adam

Martin want to claim the land ‘for the people of Glossop’

The protesters claim that to claim adverse possession a person must have occupied the land for 10 years.

They say that Mr Rimmer’s claim is two years short and because their occupation has broken the chain, his claim is no longer valid.

They claim technically no one has owned the land since the mill came down and it is not registered by the council.

Speaking to the Chronicle, Mr Rimmer maintains the land is his and that he has improved it by removing much of the rubble.

He says a London QC, who looked into ownership, said he was in ‘lawful adverse possession’ and had a right to exclude trespassers.

Mr Rimmer said: “High Peak Council declared it as a local green space, but I am challenging that, it is a brown field site.

“I am seeking an injunction to stop the trespass.”

Robert said borough councillors Godfrey Claff and Damien Greenhalgh had visited the site to offer support and that the whole issue was to be discussed by the borough council.

“We are here for as long as it takes,” he added.

Friends of George Street Woods Everyone needs a friend, especially those friends in danger of being lost to us, those that need support and nuture of the community at large. This is the aim of FOGSW – to ensure George Street Woods remains a place for the community to play, relax, research and pass the time in.

George Street Wood diary

A series of films documenting the life on site at the George Street Wood protest in Glossop, Derbyshire.

Twyford Down ‘Operation Greenfly’ audacious direct action anniversary today

Today (22/5/16) is the 23rd anniversary of Operation Greenfly at Twyford Down – one of the most exciting and audacious direct actions of the 1990s. Twenty-one years ago, the govt were trying to bulldoze a road through the most protected landscape in England and a massive direct action campaign erupted to stop them, which kickstarted the 1990s roads protest movement.

Today (22/5/16) is the 23rd anniversary of Operation Greenfly at Twyford Down – one of the most exciting and audacious direct actions of the 1990s. Twenty-one years ago, the govt were trying to bulldoze a road through the most protected landscape in England and a massive direct action campaign erupted to stop them, which kickstarted the 1990s roads protest movement. We had an anonymous tip off that the road builders would have to close the whole of the M3 motorway over night to erect a ‘bailey bridge’ over it, to move the huge quantities of ‘spoil’ (chalky guts of Twyford Down) and spread it all over the water meadows below. They called this hugely important and strategic manoeuvre ‘Operation Market Garden”. So we launched “Operation Greenfly” to counter them.

They hired security guards from all over southern England, surrounded the site with razor wire, and had 100s of police protecting the site. However, as night fell and the motorway was about to close, some 200 protesters eluded police, went cross country and approached the site from an unprotected angle, miraculously trampling down the razor wire, and flooding onto the site, occupying the bridge!

For many people it was one of the most miraculous and empowering actions we’d ever pulled off. We occupied that bridge all night, drumming on the metal structure to keep our spirits up and warding off the “forces of darkness”, with the noise echoing across the water meadows and the silenced motorway. Fire breathers added extra drama. Hugely stirring and unforgettable. They had to draft in cops from all over southern England, and prise everyone off the bridge, cutting all the lock ons, taking hours. Over 50 arrests resulted with all of us being spread across police stations in the south.

They managed to just about get the bridge across the motorway before it reopened at 7am. However, they couldn’t complete the job and had to re-close the motorway 2 weeks later, causing major delays to their construction programme.

Were you there? What are your memories of that night?

 

Mass action camp: End Coal Now – April/May 2016

As part of the Groundswell year of action and international mobilisations taking on the fossil fuel industry, this May, we’re going to shut down the UK’s largest opencast coal mine – Ffos-y-fran in Wales.

As part of the Groundswell year of action and international mobilisations taking on the fossil fuel industry, this May, we’re going to shut down the UK’s largest opencast coal mine – Ffos-y-fran in Wales. It’s up to us to keep it in the ground – sign up to join us and get updates on plans.

What’s the Plan?

In collaboration with local resistance groups, we’ll set up camp near Ffos-y-fran and the site of the proposed new mine. We’ll build a camp and use this as a base to host a programme of workshops and trainings, and to build the kind of community we want to see – just, democratic and sustainable. We will also be taking mass action to shut down Ffos-y-fran. The camp will take place over the May bank holiday weekend, from Saturday 30th April to Wednesday 4th May and will come just before the Welsh Assembly elections on May 5th. Further information on the practicalities of the camp is coming soon. Sign up to the mailing list for updates.

Why?

For nearly a decade, the 11-million-tonne Ffos-y-fran mine has scarred the landscape and the community in South Wales. Now the corporation responsible for Ffos-y-fran – Miller Argent – wants to crush local democracy and resistance, and dig another vast coal mine just next door at Nant Llesg. Coal is the dirtiest fossil fuel and we cannot transition to a just, democratic and clean energy system while we continue to dig it up and burn it. We want to build on the strong tradition of mass action Climate Camps in the UK, and the success of the Reclaim the Power camps over the last few years. We have also been inspired by Ende Gelände and other international coal resistance movements. Last year, the Welsh Assembly voted for a moratorium on opencast coal mining, but the Government have ignored them. Let’s make leaving fossil fuels in the ground a defining political issue in Wales and the UK.

some Stroud protest present & past (location of 2016 EF! Winter Moot)

Stroud was an appropriate location for this year’s Winter Moot, with a proud history of protest past and present.

 

Stroud was an appropriate location for this year’s Winter Moot, with a proud history of protest past and present.

The venue for the Moot is the Centre for Science & Art, itself saved by the Stroud Campaign Against The Ringroad in the 70s. In 1980 there were plans to demolish some 17th & 18th century listed buildings on the High Street – a combination of roof top occupations and other strategies saved them, and the road is now pedestrianised.

In 1989 the Save The Trees Campaign took on the council’s road-widening scheme (for a Tesco’s). A midnight raid to fell thirteen trees in Stratford Park was foiled when local people got wind of the ‘secret’ and attached themselves to the trees. The trees are still there, and instead a traffic calming scheme was developed, resulting in less crashes.

In 2013 a campaign was fought against developers with an apple tree being occupied for 6 days. A local who gave us a tour during the Moot of places fought for or saved by protests said: “There was a very sad end to this story, but I hope it is a good reminder of what we can do, and what may be needed in some of the battles over local development and our environment in the near future.” (source)

There’s been a long campaign these last years against the Javelin Park incinerator at Haresfield, and though the county council’s planning committee blocked it in 2013, they were over-ruled by the Secretary of State. GlosVAIN and others continue to campaign, and came to talk to us about the different community organising strategies they’ve used.

Though permission has been granted for the incinerator, the campaign continues (though unfortunately pushing an alternative that involves, er, incineration!).

Upton anti-fracking camp eviction in progress!

12th January 2017 – bailiffs and police have moved in at Upton Community Protection camp, in Cheshire.

12th January 2017 – bailiffs and police have moved in at Upton Community Protection camp, in Cheshire.

The anti-fracking community there has been going strong for a long time now and is at the forefront of community resistance to this national threat.  Get along to help if you can, and support people to keep resisting at least until Saturday, when there’s a national day of action there already set.

Updates at https://twitter.com/earthfirst_uk and how to get to the camp here

J16 Upton

he government’s grand gesture of ‘closing coal’ is conditional on replacing it with gas. Fracking is a key part of that vision, but it’s meeting with resistance at every step.

The government’s grand gesture of ‘closing coal’ is conditional on replacing it with gas. Fracking is a key part of that vision, but it’s meeting with resistance at every step.

Upton is the country’s longest standing community protection camp. It’s due to be evicted any day now so that test drilling for unconventional gas can start.

Lets put a red line around the UKs fracking front line. On January 16th, from 10am- 4pm. If the camp is still in situ we can help build an exciting new defence and show our solidarity with the community. If it’s been evicted and the drill is present there’ll be creative ways to get in the way. This will be a family friendly event with something for everyone.

http://www.nodashforgas.org.uk/event/j16-upton/

Hambach Forest, Germany: Ecodefenders blockade several targets in Europe’s largest open-cast mine

The last weekend saw a series of blockades, that halted work in several parts of the Hambach open-cast-coal-mine.

8.10.15

The last weekend saw a series of blockades, that halted work in several parts of the Hambach open-cast-coal-mine.

On Saturday morning, at around 2:30, several people occupied on of the huge excavators and stopped it for several hours.

One day later, around the same time, four people stopped the two main conveyor-belts that are used to load the coal onto the trains, with one group climbing around on top of one, while the other two people locked-on to the structure of the other. After being hosed with water for several hours by angry mine workers, all people were evicted at around 11:00 and taken to the police station in Düren, where they were released about one hour later, without giving their identities.

On Monday morning, again at around half past two, another group of people occupied on of the giant excavators, again being evicted a couple hours later and realeased without ID-check.

This was followed by jet another conveyor-belt blockade, which was evicted more brutally this time. One of the persons is still in police custody.

It seems the police and the energy company RWE are getting more and more annoyed by activists constantly slipping through the holes in their security net.

For more information check out: hambachforest.blogsport.de

Build gardens not prisons

The Reclaim the Fields International Action Camp, attended by 100-150 people

8.9.15

The campaign against a new mega-prison being built near Wrexham got a boost recently when the Reclaim the Fields network held an action camp nearby.

The Reclaim the Fields International Action Camp, attended by 100-150 people, ran from 28th August to the 2nd September 2015 and was hosted by a local anti-fracking site. Workshops explored the links between land struggles, prison abolition and other issues including gender, animal liberation and freedom of movement.

People held evening noise demos at three prisons in the region in solidarity with those inside, leafletted the local town, and picketed several companies involved in the mega-prison. Finally a blockade of the construction site held up lorries for over 4 hours without any arrests.

As anyone with experience of them knows, prisons are abusive places used to control and threaten people, particularly those of us who are working class, people of colour, or disobedient. We need justice processes based on strong, vibrant communities, not more prisons and cops harming our communities.

The new prison would be the biggest in the UK, and the second biggest in Europe. It aims to open in 2017 and would give the State enough cages to lock up an extra 2100 people.

Meanwhile, Robert King of the Angola 3 will give a talk on struggle and revolution in the US prison system, on Wed 16 Sep in Dundee.

Community Action on Prison Expansion | Reclaim the Fields UK | Gardens not Cages | Frack Free Wrexham | Borras Community Protection Camp