Squatting / Free Spaces / Protest Sites – Page 48

Titnore Woods threat – Tescos every little Hurts!!!

1.8.2009
Tescos & Worthing Borough Council agree to development of Titnore Woods!

Worthing Borough Council and Tescos HAVE agreed to destroy the ancient Titnore Woods,it was passed yesterday.

Words fail me but Tescos REALLY are living in the age of stupid!

Please bring canned food and rope to the protest camp and yourselves please.

1.8.2009
Tescos & Worthing Borough Council agree to development of Titnore Woods!

Worthing Borough Council and Tescos HAVE agreed to destroy the ancient Titnore Woods,it was passed yesterday.

Words fail me but Tescos REALLY are living in the age of stupid!

Please bring canned food and rope to the protest camp and yourselves please.

More Including directions to camp can be found at www.protectourwoodland.co.uk

Worthing Borough Council please hang your heads in shame those that voted this insane application through!

Latest EF! Action Update bursts forth

Car tyres deflate in the night, diggers halted in their tracks, buildings and MPs covered in slime…airports plagued by crazy golf, picnics, city gents and hostage-taking…eco-villages and other autonomous spaces sprout, as others are under threat…tree-sits, banks evicted, fake phone-masts and whaling ships sunk….it must be time for another Earth First! Action Update, bringing you a concentrated quarterly blast of inspiration and contacts to get out there and take direct action against the bastards threatening this planet and its inhabitants.

News from the front-lines – permanent protest camps old and new, and temporary gatherings in a field near you, all the dates and info you need for a summer of blistering action and torrential outpourings!

Successes here, across the pond and round the very other side of the world.

Successes here, across the pond and round the very other side of the world.

A report back from the Coal Caravan, plus info about the communities along its route.

Court news – what happened after protesters planned to shut a coal-fired power plant, and climbed atop a train, plus handy Security Tips for Going on Actions.

Leaving it All in the Ground – news of global fights against the mining of gold, copper, bauxite and aluminium – blockading, torching and night-time pixieing.

A View from the Trees – a story from our eco-centric cousins. And indigenous Peruvians fight on against the wholesale onslaught on our world.

And a round-up of your favourite public order situations – G20, SmashEDO and Athenian rubbish dumps!

Read, download and print it here, subscribe so you get it direct to your door, or look out for it at a climate camp near you.

If you want to be listed or get a bunch of them to distribute, please get in touch.

Share your inspirational news at EF! Action Reports, and it’ll find it’s way into your very own printed EF!AU, in good old black and white print.

Climate Camp Scotland Legal Briefing Released

The Legal Guide for Climate Camp Scotland, taking place next week, is available now from our website.

Go to http://climatecampscotland.org.uk/?page_id=291

See you all next week!

The Legal Support Working Group

The Legal Guide for Climate Camp Scotland, taking place next week, is available now from our website.

Go to http://climatecampscotland.org.uk/?page_id=291

See you all next week!

The Legal Support Working Group

Camp for Climate Action Scotland

There is no time to act but now! Come to the Camp for Climate Action in Scotland 3-10 August

For a week of low-impact living and high-impact direct action, keep 3-10 August free and join us in Scotland to take direct action against the root causes of climate change and ecological collapse. This summer the struggle against a capitalist system intent on extinguishing life on the planet will hit the Firth of Forth!

What’s happening:

We’re going to set up camp somewhere around the Firth of Forth, a part of the central belt of Scotland littered with power stations, corporate HQs, gas and oil refineries, open cast coal mines, a nuclear power station and a cement factory. We want you to join us to hold the people and systems responsible for climate change to account.

The camp will focus on supporting groups of people taking action against a whole range of targets. If you’re coming with a group of friends that’s great – we’ll help you choose targets and actions, and if you’re coming alone there will be plenty of opportunity to meet other people to work and take action with.

The camp will have as low an ecological impact as possible so expect compost toilets, grey water systems and micro-renewable energy. There will be kitchens on site where campers will make three meals a day so there’s no need to bring any food or cooking equipment. Organised horizontally, the camp will provide lots of opportunities to get involved, be creative and practical and learn new skills. There will be workshops, discussions and opportunities to link up with other people, groups and campaigns.

We hope to work with and in solidarity with local communities and ongoing campaigns around the camp’s locality to build on what others are already doing and for the camp to have long-lasting positive impacts.

How to get there:

The location of the site will be announced just before the start of the camp – check here or phone the info number which will be available shortly before the 3rd for directions to the camp. If you’re coming by public transport get yourself to Edinburgh Waverley or Glasgow Central train stations and be prepared to travel – info-points will tell you the train station to get to and how to get there. There will be shuttle buses from the nearest train station to the camp. If you can’t make all of the camp, just come along for a day, a weekend or whatever you can.

What to bring:

Camping gear – a tent, sleeping bag and mat, practical clothing and footwear. Be prepared for rain and sun. Banners and decorations to make our site beautiful and anything else that you would like to see. But most importantly, bring all of your friends!

We will also be asking for donations to cover costs of food and expenses for the camp. Suggested amounts will be made available closer to the time.

What not to bring:

It is possible that you will be searched by police on entering the site – penknives and anything that may be construed as a weapon is best left behind. You may also want to protect your personal details but remember, if you don’t bring a cash card, bring enough cash to cover your transport, food donations etc.

Know your rights!

Checkout the websites below for some advice on dealing with the police.
http://www.faslane365.org/en/legal
http://www.g8legalsupport.info/guide/

Up to date legal information and advice will be available at the camp.

Children:

Are most welcome and there will be a kids space that people will be able to volunteer for.

Dogs:

If you bring dog(s) please take responsibility for them. We ask that you keep them on a lead as there have been incidents at past camps that we’d prefer to avoid.

If you want more information or to get in touch email us on climatecampscotland@riseup.net

See you there!

Come to our next meeting!

Edinburgh, Wednesday 29th July, 12:00-16:00, Forest Cafe Action Room, 3 Bristo Place

in the meantime, get yourself down to Mainshill Solidarity Camp!
See: http://coalactionedinburgh.noflag.org.uk/

Mainshill Solidarity Camp

Get down to Mainshill Solidarity Camp as soon as you can, eviction is expected soon.
In the meantime watch the film and get inspired.

Film
Youtube “Mainshill solidarity camp”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IG43wAy2RTY

Website
www.coalactionedinburgh.noflag.org.uk

Map
Search for “Douglas, Lanarkshire” on Google maps
http://maps.google.co.uk/

Get down to Mainshill Solidarity Camp as soon as you can, eviction is expected soon.
In the meantime watch the film and get inspired.

Film
Youtube “Mainshill solidarity camp”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IG43wAy2RTY

Website
www.coalactionedinburgh.noflag.org.uk

Map
Search for “Douglas, Lanarkshire” on Google maps
http://maps.google.co.uk/

Come visit Faslane Peace Camp this summer (stay forever…)

it’s summer, come help stop the war machine!!

Has been a quiet summer so far up ere at peace camp. And we wondering where you all are? Got a few residents off doing other projects for a while, so some solidarity would be much appreciated. Even if you can only visit for a day or so. If you’ve not been before please visit. We can accommodate you, help with actions, protests or even just come to chill.

Weekly vigil every wed at 4pm outside north gate.

Work weekend coming soon.

01436820901

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Faslane Peace Camp is in dire need of people,

At the moment all residents except one are defending land elsewhere in the country the camp is being manned with only one resident who is quickly losing it!!

This is a call out for people to move here or visit as often as they can, we are afraid to say that if the camp stays practically empty for much longer we will have to close.

The main purpose as i can see it of the camp is to be a base for direct action against nuclear weapons and related issues, if the camp is not being used by peace activist for its intended purpose i see little point in lots of time and energy being spent.

The current peace campers are tired and unable to continue with the upkeep of the entire site without new energy. Please make your contribution to the 27 year old site, none of us want to see the end of such a historic place.

Save Vestas – Defend Jobs, Save the Planet – Support the Occupation – UPDATE below: arrests, cops starving them out…

Workers at the Vestas Wind Turbine factory on the Isle of Wight have JUST NOW occupied their factory. They are fighting for 600 jobs and the future of the planet. They need help now.

PLEASE TEXT AND CALL EVERYONE YOU KNOW.

Workers at the Vestas Wind Turbine factory on the Isle of Wight have JUST NOW occupied their factory. They are fighting for 600 jobs and the future of the planet. They need help now.

PLEASE TEXT AND CALL EVERYONE YOU KNOW.

There is a large picket of support starting outside the factory. This will be crucial in giving people confidence inside. We want hundreds of people by morning.
If you are not working, come now, by car, bus or train.
If you are on the South Coast and working, come for the night and go to work exhausted and proud.

If you can’t come, call up friends and offer to pay the fare or petrol money for someone else to come down. Or part of the fare.
Don’t just call the environmental and union activists you know. Call your friends and ask them who they know. Call your brother’s friends or your children’s friends. Text everyone. Get your friends calling and texting.

WE WANT HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE NOW. SAVE THE JOBS – SAVE THE PLANET.

The workers want Gordon Brown to step in as if it was a troubled bank and save the jobs and keep making wind turbine blades. They gave the bankers trillions. They say they care about climate change. He has talked about creating 40,000 “Green Jobs”, the first step should be protecting these 600.

The workers will need solidarity – donations of money, food and other assistance. In the first instance please send messages of solidarity to savevestas@gmail.com

We will suggest other forms of solidarity soon. Do this now. Reach for your phone.

—-

How to get there, and more info at:

http://savevestas.wordpress.com/

—-

A protester claims the 30 demonstrators at a sit-in at the Vestas wind turbine factory on the Isle of Wight have been told they will be sacked.

Danish company Vestas Windsystems plans to make 625 workers redundant at the end of July, despite rising profits.

One of the protesters, who occupied the Newport site on Monday, said managers gave them until 2230 BST on Tuesday to end their action or face the sack.

Vestas said consultation on the site was on-going and would not comment.

The worker, who did not want to be named, said: “We have been told we will be sacked.

“We were given the choice to leave by 2230 BST last night and keep our redundancy package and walk out with no charges.

“Obviously we have stayed in. We didn’t want it to come to this.

“We want the company to explore the possibility of the government taking the site over and improving the redundancy package.”

The campaigners have called on Ed Miliband, the energy and climate change secretary, to travel to the island and speak to them.

Luke, one of the protesters, said: “We’re prepared to stay here for as long as it takes.”

About 200 workers staged a protest outside the factory on Tuesday after being turned away when they arrived for work.

They were also joined by climate change protesters who are supporting them.

Police said Vestas has started legal action to gain an injunction which would remove the protesters.

The company said the factory was being closed next week due to reduced demand for wind turbines in northern Europe

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Update, 22nd July: ARRESTS AT VESTAS + FOOD IN

At 5.10am this morning, a climate activist at the protest outside the Vestas plant attempted to take a bag of food to the occupying workers by means of a rope which the workers had lowered from the balcony. The activist was grabbed by 5 police officers and arrested. On his release he obtained the police report of his arrest, which stated that the reason for his arrest was that, as his bringing food to the occupiers had the stated intention of prolonging the protest, it was facilitating a breach of the peace – clearly ludicrous as the police have themselves admitted that the protest is not breaching the peace.

At 1248, a large number of protestors walked through the line of police holding food in their hands which they threw up to the balcony. The police pushed some of the protestors and attempted to obstruct the line but did not offer substantial resistance. One protestor was harassed by a security guard, and asked a police officer, whose number was 24266, if he intended to do anything about it; the officer said he didn’t. Another protestor saw a police officer grabbing the arm of an activist as he attempted to throw food to the balcony – the activist told the police officer that this constituted harassment, the police officer took no notice.

A second climate activist was arrested and taken through the front doors of the factory. Later, a sergeant whose number was 3027 came out and said that no-one had been arrested for carrying food, but that one activist had been arrested for assault. Other protestors present have commented that as the activist in question, who has not given permission for his name to be released, is a christian pacifist, this seems unlikely.

Security have started putting up a fence around the site, with protestors outside attempting to get a second food-carrying walk-in past the police before its completion. There are currently around 50 protestors outside the factory, over 30 of them Vestas workers, and sources say they expect numbers to increase drastically around 6pm when the protest starts.

Cambridge Social Centre – evicted & more info

18th July 2009
Last night a large number of police with several vehicles, riot gear, and dogs evicted the newly opened social centre, on the pretext of fire safety. There were no arrests. The public meeting called for tonight will go ahead in a reduced format outside the bingo hall.

Last night the 20 occupants of the old bingo hall were evicted by around 50 police including tactical units with riot gear, under the pretext of fire regulations. Ironically, the police interrupted a meeting that had just secured 5 fire extinguishers and was discussing the opening up of the remaining fire exits in preparation for the planned public launch tomorrow.

The police initially said that they would not take action on the squatted building, as squatting is a civil matter between occupants and building owner. However, the squatters gained a higher profile through local media and outreach work, promoting anti-capitalism and social change, and organising a public meeting and music event that was anticipated to draw large numbers of people. Following this, the police threatened the occupiers over two days, and finally moved to protect property and the status quo, using any possible excuse.

The fire officer who accompanied the police said that the occupiers would have to immediately remove the metal grills covering fire doors to make the building safe. This was planned for the following morning, and the occupiers and fire warden agreed that this could happen immediately, however the police accompanying the fire officer made it clear that this would immediately lead to arrests for criminal damage. It was obvious from the huge number of police in attendance that the outcome was already set, and that the only result the police would tolerate was eviction. Given the recent reputation of police actions against political protesters, the occupiers left for the own safety rather than keep the doors secured.

A statement from the occupiers said:

“We expect that this building in the centre of our city will remain empty for an indefinite amount of time, as has the previous social centre site on Mill Road, owned by Tesco, and an increasing number of properties in the area. At the same time, artists, musicians, community groups and local people struggle to find spaces to meet, socialise and put on events.

We believe that local communities, rather than wealthy interests, should determine what the buildings and spaces in the local area are used for. We will be going ahead with the planned public meeting at 7.30 pm, in the street outside the bingo hall, where we will be discussing the repression we have faced, free spaces, and our plans for the future.”

cambridgefreespaces@listst.riseup.net
http://cambridgefreespaces.wordpress.com

—–

17.7.09
Cambridge BINGO! Social Centre

Update on what’s going on at the occupied Bingo Hall Social Centre, Hobson Street, Cambridge.

Cambridge Social Centre opens in old Gala Bingo Hall!

Members of the Cambridge Action Network have occupied the old Gala bingo hall on Hobson Street, behind Waterstones book shop. The centre is now open to the public to use for events such as films, music, workshops, art, discussions and meetings. Everyone is welcome (during reasonable waking hours!)

We’re currently working to clean the space up, make it nice, and get hold of furniture, and we’d love you to join us. We organise by consensus – no-one is in charge, and everyone involved has an equal say. This is everyone’s space – let’s make it brilliant!

We’ve done this because we believe that local communities should have control of local spaces, and be able to use them for whatever they see fit. Empty, unused buildings are a disgrace in a society where getting access to space is so difficult. A direct example of this is in Mill Road, where a lively social centre was closed by Tesco last year, leaving an empty building ever since.

There will be an official opening event on Saturday 18th July at 7.30 pm, where you are invited to come along, enjoy the new social centre, and see how you can use the space and get involved.

There will be a open mic event in the evening showcasing local acts. Bring your own refreshments. Come on down!

Want to put on events or get involved? Get in touch in person or:

phone: 01223 356630

web: www.cambridgefreespaces.wordpress.com

email: cambridgefreespaces@lists.riseup.net

UPCOMING EVENTS from 17th JULY 2009:

Daily (most days): 5.30pm POLITICAL DISCUSSION TIME – topics are decided daily by those present with some radical/social/political issues suggested in the diary already.

Daily (most days): 7:30pm PUBLIC MEETING – to discuss the space/use of the space/arising issues

Friday, 17th July – after the public meeting – OPEN JAMMING SESSION

Saturday, 18th July – after the public meeting – OPEN POETRY & ACCOUSTIC MUSIC/LIVE BANDS (donations at the door for climate camp)

AND MUCH MORE COMING SOON…

More broken promises and lies as the fight to save Mainshill Wood continues.

The threat from Scottish Coal is growing, just as the front line against new coal looks forward to its one month birthday (complete with picnic). So get down here! Its now or never!

The threat from Scottish Coal is growing, just as the front line against new coal looks forward to its one month birthday (complete with picnic). So get down here! Its now or never! The Mainshill Solidarity Camp is extremely grateful for the continuing support from the local community and will be celebrating its one month birthday on Sunday 19th July with a community picnic at 3pm to which everyone is welcome.

Local residents awoke on Monday morning to the news of yet another application for an extension at Poniel [1], a Scottish Coal mine in the Douglas Valley, something that communities had been assured would not happen, and which new planning policy guards against…

Poniel Open Cast Coal site, a few hundred metres away from Mainshill, will be extended by 100,000 tonnes over a six month period. This broken promise is yet another example of the disregard shown to communities and the environment in the pursuit of profit.

Across the valley at Mainshill, environmental devastation and disastrous health impacts will result from the open casting of the 350ha site to extract 1.7million tonnes of coal which will cause 4.98million tonnes [2] of carbon emissions when burnt, excluding the huge emissions released through the extraction process [3].

Rather than responding to the objections made against these plans, Douglas and Angus Estates and its owner Lord Home (currently being investigated for alleged fraud [4]) prefer instead to make unfounded allegations in a recent media statement against the Mainshill Solidarity Camp [5] and continue to deny communities, through sham consultation, of their health, self determination and environmental justice.

At the public hearing attended by several members of the camp who also live in the local community, only two of the 700 people who objected were allowed to speak against the proposal. To prevent the casting aside of these objections and to obstruct the work already begun on site, the occupation of Mainshill Woods through direct action has been undertaken in solidarity with the local community.

Preparatory work for the mine such as the tree felling and bore sample drilling work undertaken by Apex already has been glossed over by the Estate and contravenes 7 conditions of the planning approval regarding studies to ascertain the presence of certain endangered species such as badgers and bats, which the occupiers know to be present on site.

The Estate has misreported the unearthing of an 11KVA underground power cable accusing the Mainshill Solidarity Camp of almost causing a “major disaster”. It was in fact Apex and Scottish Coal who endangered the lives of those on site and the local community by driving heavy machinery over the shallowly buried and unmarked cable. Any heavy machinery could cause death to the occupiers since the site is now comprehensively defended with treehouses and tunnels.

The Estate and Scottish Coal’s persistent profiteering from coal has been defended with reference to carbon capture and storage technology, however even the industry says that CCS is 20 years away. Only a small percentage of emissions can be captured using CCS technology at present [6]. CCS is a smokescreen for mining new coal, and evades the dramatic reduction in consumption integrated with localised renewable solutions and collective community action which is required given current scientific consensus regarding climate change.

The communites which would suffer the environmental injustice and negative health impacts resulting from coal extraction should have control over their local environment. If the planning system continues to side with the coal industry, futher direct action will be the only reasonable response.

ENDS

For more information please see: http://mainshill.noflag.org.uk or phone
the site for interviews on 07806926040

Notes to Editors
[1]
http://www.douglascommunitycouncil.info/news.asp?intent=viewstory&newsid=18504
[2] Carbon combines with oxygen in the atmosphere during combustion,
producing carbon dioxide, with an atomic weight of (12 + 16 x 2 = 44
kg/kmol). The CO2 released to air for each kilogram of incinerated coal is
therefore 2.93kg.
[3] http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19826520.100-capturing-carbon.html
[4]
http://www.nowpublic.com/world/coutts-bank-chairman-lord-home-named-carroll-trust-case-0
[5] The Mainshill Solidarity Camp has been occupying Mainshill Woods since
18/6/09 in order to resist Scottish Coal’s plans to develop a new open
cast coal mine.
[6] CorporateWatch Technofixes Report downloadable at
http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=3126

Kew Bridge Eco Village

“On June 6th 2009, nearly a hundred activists converged on a piece of derelict land at Kew Bridge in south west London to create an eco-village community based entirely on sustainable technology and construction techniques.”

From the Eco Village facebook group

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#/group.php?sid=5ed8b99539a428b28f9abf3dc54ec246&gid=88020757939&ref=search

Last Saturday (the 13th of June) we went to check out the Kew Eco Village…we arrived and were welcomed in…some people had come to work and others to just check it out.

The site, about an acre, has apparently been empty for over two decades and used to house a Scottish Widows building. All that remains is a small out house and a large pile of rubble close to the entrance on Kew Bridge Road. We climed the mound which included large sheets of metal and an old pub sign (immediatly next door is a pub) to survey the site. Behind us was a caravan and a wood pile. Ahead towards the river and Bridge, is mostly like a medow with a plastic covered structure where people can relax and sosialise and behind that scattered tents amidst the meadow. To the right is the kitchen and washing up area (All water has to be bought from off-site) and the remaining concrete building that people seem to sleep in and is to be the ‘safe’ for food and tools and such-like. We elected to muck in and were put on road-building duty which included a disabled access ramp (slightly narrower than planned due to a surprise unidentified pipe).

We also dug some garden planters in using old beds. This included smashing down rocks and sifting rubble to make usable soil. Others were using rocks and bricks to outline other guardens. Locals came to chat, find out what was going on and to have a look around. Kids turned up to help and hang out and to decorate the shelter with graffitti. There were tons of bees also in the yellow wildflowers. We were offered food froom the kitchen and there was water and, of course, tea .

“Come, be a part of this eco-village community!

This eco-village occupation is inspired by campaigns like The Land is Ours which campaigns peacefully for access to the land, its resources, and the decision-making processes affecting them, for everyone, irrespective of race, gender or age. for more information, please visit:

We now have a media website – http://ecocamp.info/ Its in its early stages but check out the fantastic video episodes of our first few days!

Please post any seeds or postcards or anything you like to:

The Eco Village
2 Kew Bridge Rd
Brentford
TW8 0JF

telephone: 07967864370″