Unnecessary Developments – Page 39

Inner Mongolians protest against Coal extraction

May 28, 2011

China: Inner Mongolia: street protests against Chinese abuses

Beijing – Protests are spreading in Inner Mongolia, as demonstrations spread following the death of two local herder leaders opposed to environmental destruction due to coal mining.

Yesterdays, protests were held in two towns in Inner Mongolia, the Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Centre (SMHRIC) said.

May 28, 2011

China: Inner Mongolia: street protests against Chinese abuses

Beijing – Protests are spreading in Inner Mongolia, as demonstrations spread following the death of two local herder leaders opposed to environmental destruction due to coal mining.

Yesterdays, protests were held in two towns in Inner Mongolia, the Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Centre (SMHRIC) said.

It has been difficult for the foreign press to reach the area, but pictures were surfaced online showing hundreds of protesters marching through the county seats of Huveet Shar Banner (county) and Left Ujumchin Banner.

The protesters carried banners bearing Mongolian slogans including ‘defend the rights of Mongols’ and ‘defend the homeland.’

Six more protests are planned in other areas of Inner Mongolia from Friday to 2 June, SMHRIC said. Using online social networking, Mongolians were invited to further gatherings in Alshaan Left Banner on Friday, Ordos City on Saturday, and Tongliao on Sunday.

Protest first broke out on Monday in Xilinhot, the administrative centre of Xilin-Gol, when hundreds of ethnic Mongolians gathered in from of a government building after a Mongolian herder leader was killed by a coal hauler driven by ethnic Han Chinese. Mergen, that is the herder leader’s name, was trying to stop coal-hauling lorries from taking a shortcut across fragile grazing land

Photos showing his body were posted online. They show his head, crushed under the wheels of a 100-tonne coal hauler driven by two Han Chinese drivers on 10 May, and his body, dragged by the lorry for 150 metres.

On Tuesday, more than 2,000 people, mostly students, took to the streets in protest, demanding Chinese authorities respect the rights of Mongolian herders to their land and lifestyle.

Indigenous Mongolians have complained for a while that China is only interested in the region’s mineral resources, especially coal. For them, mining and industrial development is destroying grazing land, undermining the traditional herding economy, already under stress from expanding desertification and lack of rain.

Shen Wenyin, deputy chief of the Xilingol League government, said on Tuesday night that the two Han Chinese drivers, Li Lindong and Lu Xiangdong, had been arrested by police. He did not comment the protest.

He did however confirm that residents in the Abag mining area tried to stop operations at a nearby coal mine on 14 May because of noise, dust and water pollution.

One of the protesters, Yan Wenlong, 22, was killed when Sun Shuning, a worker, drove a forklift truck into Yan’s car. Sun was arrested for intentional homicide. Official sources said that the mine stopped operations.

The wave of protests is increasingly taking on an ethnic connotation as indigenous Mongolians resent domination by ethnic Han Chinese who have become the largest ethnic group in Inner Mongolia, following a deliberate immigration policy pursued by Beijing that includes tax and financial breaks as well as other advantages.

Ethnic Mongolians now number only 6 million out of 23 million people in the province, a minority in their native land.

Experts note that the situation remained calm until recently. Things began to change when large-scale environmental degradation began to threaten the local herding economy. Action by ethnic Mongolian groups based abroad has also played a role.

From Signalfire

http://signalfire.org/?p=10797

South Coast climate camp eviction threat

26.5.11
The St Annes protest site in Lewes (http://brightonclimateaction.org.uk/)
has been under threat of eviction since 4pm yesterday!

Please come and support the resistance by coming to visit sometime soon.
OR come and stay on the beautiful site – we desperately need people to occupy. There are spare tents and bedding.

26.5.11
The St Annes protest site in Lewes (http://brightonclimateaction.org.uk/)
has been under threat of eviction since 4pm yesterday!

Please come and support the resistance by coming to visit sometime soon.
OR come and stay on the beautiful site – we desperately need people to occupy. There are spare tents and bedding.

Lots of fun things going on, including tree house building, seed planting, music making and tea drinking.

the address — St. Anne’s School (disused)
Rotten Row
Lewes
East Sussex
BN7 1LJ

and here’s a video about the site —
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B14oEZFLcHQ&feature=player_embedded

South Coast climate camp: occupation continuing!

Following a number of meetings of the local community at the camp it has been decided to continue the occupation of the site, at least until it becomes clear what the situation is regarding the owner’s (East Sussex County Council) plans for the site. All the indications are that they wish to demolish the existing school buildings and sell the beautiful grounds to developers to be concreted over.

People are strongly encouraged to come down, get involved and perhaps stay for a while in order to defend the site and help this new community space flourish. Do get in touch if you can help in any way. E-mail southcoastcamp@riseup.net or call the site phone 07743 218521.

http://brightonclimateaction.org.uk/occupation-continuing/

In the spirit of Gerrard Winstanley; a shout out for help from a neighbouring allotment group. Are you free on Saturday?

On St. George’s Day, Saturday 23rd April, 2011 we started a Green revolution in Ashton-under-lyne, Tameside, in the tradition of English radical group The diggers who during the period of the English Commonwealth, in 1649 reclaimed the common land of St. George’s Hill from the Lords of the Manor by digging and cultivating it.

After years of delay by Tameside Council prospective allotment holders in Ashton have now organised ourselves to take over control of the land on Ashton Moss that had been allocated for the replacement allotments, supported by sympathetic
volunteers we came together in a day of action to reclaim the allotments from Cordingleys who have neglected and mismanaged the land.

Background

In 1996 at the time of the development of the M60 Motorway, Ashton Moss allotment sites were taken out of use and the land was given by Tameside Council to local estate Agents, Cordingleys, to develop for business and leisure use, the contract included providing alternative allotment sites

People on the Council’s allotment waiting list who were promised plots on the site are still waiting, although the allotment site was
developed by Cordingleys over 7 years ago, we have now been told that the site is not due to be handed over in the near future.

Ashton Allotment Action now intend to take direct action to start
cultivating the allotments as a matter of urgency. Because the land has not been cultivated, since it was developed it has now become overrun with weeds, principally Soft Rush which needs to be cleared before we can start growing fruit and vegetables. We intend to clear the weeds from a part of the site and to the plant seeds or seedlings.

Regular Saturday Action days

We inviting everyone to come along to our action days and help us, every Saturday from 10.00 am

Please come along and support our action days, come when you want and stay as long as you want, please bring your own hand tools, food and drink

The allotments are located on Moss Lane, which is a rough track
running from a junction of Lord Sheldon Way, left turn from
Droylsden/Manchester, right turn from Ashton.

If you are coming by car, it could be advisable to park at the leisure park and walk over the roundabout and motorway bridge, where you will find a footpath leading to the allotments

Ashton Moss Allotment site co-ordinates
OS X (Eastings) 392221
OS Y (Northings) 399178
Nearest Post Code OL7 9LA
Lat (WGS84) N53:29:21 (53.489254)
Long (WGS84) W2:07:07 (-2.118708)

Please view our video of the 23/04/11 Action day http://you.tube/8X0qjO_UxkQ

For further information and directions contact Nigel 07709056079

For history buffs, the Diggers’ pamphlet online:
http://www.bilderberg.org/land/poor.htm

http://ashtonallotmentaction.wordpress.com/

Indigenous People and Supporters Occupy Sacred Land at Glen Cove

On April 15, 2011, approximately 150 Indigenous People and supporters occupied the ancient burial site at Glen Cove, Vallejo, California, blocking the Greater Vallejo Recreation District (

On April 15, 2011, approximately 150 Indigenous People and supporters occupied the ancient burial site at Glen Cove, Vallejo, California, blocking the Greater Vallejo Recreation District (GVRD) from gaining entry to the site with bulldozers to begin work on their new public park. The GVRD’s plans, which involves grading a hill and building toilets and a parking lot in the area, would deface the landscape and desecrate the sacred site.

Indigenous People at the protest, including Members of the American Indian Movement (AIM), have said they will remain at the site until the GVRD and the City of Vallejo agree to not carry out their plans.

The federal government has reportedly stepped in to mediate talks between the Indigenous People and the park district.

See Below for a Press Release from Sacred Site Protection & Rights of Indigenous Tribes (SSP&RIT).

Media Contacts: Mark Anquoe (415) 680 0110; Morning Star Gali (510) 827 6719; Norman “Wounded Knee” Deocampo 707-373-7195; Corrina Gould 510-575-8408.

Please Urge the GRVD and the City of Vallejo to respect the Ohlone Peoples wishes of preserving Sogorea Te. They do not have to desecrate the site. They are choosing to desecrate it.

Greater Vallejo Recreation District
707-648-4600
Shane McAffee, General Manager
395 Amador St.
Vallejo, CA 94590
E-mail: smcaffee@gvrd.org

Osby Davis, City of Vallejo Mayor
707-648-4377
555 Santa Clara St

Vallejo, CA 94590
E-mail: mayor@ci.vallejo.ca.us

Current requests from the group: shade structures, tents, paper towels, banner/sign making supplies, rope, moist hand wipes, Bronners soap, honey, and most of all, more people to stand with us. We do not need any more bottled water!

An Emergency Defense Fund has also been set up to sustain the ongoing effort.

To send a message to the group, just leave a comment on any of the articles at http://protectglencove.org.

Directions: If you’re in the Bay Area, you are invited to stop by for a few hours, or a few days. Directions to Glen Cove can be found here.

April 15th: Occupation underway, demonstrations at City Hall and GVRD Headquarters

Native Americans and supporters have successfully occupied the ancient burial site at Glen Cove, Vallejo, preventing the Greater Vallejo Recreation District from beginning work that would desecrate the sacred site. Beginning with an early morning spiritual ceremony attended by over 100 people, protesters vowed to block bulldozers and prevent any work that would desecrate the site from taking place. The occupation will continue until there is an agreement to protect the burial site. Dozens will camp at the site tonight.

At 11:30 am today the protesters held a peaceful rally and ceremony at Vallejo City Hall and then marched to the offices of the Greater Vallejo Recreation District.

Last night the United States Department of Justice sent a senior conciliation specialist to Glen Cove to meet with Native American leaders. The Native Americans asked the DOJ to help facilitate a meeting with the GVRD to try to reach an agreement to protect the sacred burial site. It is possible a meeting between the sides, mediated by the US Department of Justice, may occur Monday. The State Attorney General’s office has also become involved after the organization SSP&RIT filed an administrative civil rights complaint against the City and GVRD on Wednesday.

Native American activists and supporters have begun the occupation of Glen Cove as an escalation of their struggle that has been going on for over a decade, since the Greater Vallejo Recreation District (GVRD) first proposed plans for a “fully featured public park” including construction of a paved parking lot, paved hiking trails, 1000 pound picnic tables and a public restroom on top of the 3500 year old burial site.

On Wednesday, April 13th, Sacred Site Protection and Rights of Indigenous Tribes (SSP&RIT), a Vallejo-based community organization, filed an administrative civil rights complaint to the State of California alleging that the City and GVRD are discriminating on the basis of race in threatening to destroy and desecrate significant parts of the Glen Cove Shellmound and burial site, for harming Native Americans’ religious and spiritual well-being, and effectively excluding Native Americans from their right to full participation in decision-making regarding the site.

The history and cultural value of the site has never been disputed. Human remains have been consistently unearthed as the area around the site has been developed. Native Americans continue to hold ceremonies at Sogorea Te just as they have for thousands of years. The Glen Cove Shell Mound spans fifteen acres along the Carquinez Strait. It is the final resting place of many Indigenous People dating back more than 3,500 years, and has served as a traditional meeting place for dozens of California Indian tribes. The site continues to be spiritually important to California tribes. The Glen Cove site is acknowledged by GVRD and the City to have many burials and to be an important cultural site, yet they are moving forward as early as Friday with plans to build a toilet and parking lot on this sacred site and to grade a hill that likely contains human remains and important cultural artifacts.

SSP&RIT have asked GVRD to reconsider their plans to grade the hill and build toilets and a parking lot at the site.

Video of trip there

New protests erupt over Stuttgart 21 rail project

8 February 2011

Police and opponents of the Stuttgart 21 rail project clashed early Tuesday morning as work began to transplant trees to make way for a new building. Police used force to remove demonstrators who blocked equipment.

More than 1,000 demonstrators came out in the early hours of the morning to protest the continuation of construction work on the controversial revamp of Stuttgart's main train station. According to police, around 50 people tried to stop the machines that would be used to transplant the trees.

Police repeatedly broke up groups of demonstrators who had sat in front of the equipment or tried to tear down barriers. According to Matthias von Herrmann, the spokesman for a group opposed to the project, officers used nightsticks.

"Those responsible for Stuttgart 21 have still not understood our criticism of their project," said Herrmann in a statement. "We shall continue to resist the building operations and protest against them, just as we have over the past weeks and months."

Some 32,000 members of the Parkschützer group were notified by e-mail or text message at 3:34 am on Tuesday. The group, whose name translates as "park guards," oppose moving the trees, saying they play an important role in filtering automobile emissions from a busy intersection.

Over the next few days, 16 trees in all are to be transplanted to other locations in Stuttgart in preparation for the construction of an underground building associated with the multi-billion-euro rail project.

ZAD, the story so far…

4 November 2010

A community fights on against the invasion of the bulldozer empire….

And as the empire grows, the community must also grow, and look for those to join the fight….

4 November 2010

A community fights on against the invasion of the bulldozer empire….

And as the empire grows, the community must also grow, and look for those to join the fight….

For over 40 years, a storm cloud has been gathering, 25km north of the city of Nantes, France, over a rural area of farms, fields, houses, marshlands and forests. As an integral part of the massive expansion of the so-called “eco metropole” of the grand-ouest, the local government has been buying up an area of over 1860 hectares of land to make way for the construction of a so-called “high quality environmental” project a new airport, highway bypass and tgv train line. This zone is officially known as the “ZAD”, “Zone d’Amenegment Differè, and by us who resist as the “Zone A Defendre”.

Since the announcement of the plans, local residents and farmers have organised their resistance through petitions, demonstrations and a tractor occupation in the centre of Nantes. In spring and autumn ’09, the area was in a state of military guard, as 150 military cops were sent out to protect machines involved in the early works of core drilling and soil sampling. This is not a normal course of action; rather it was the response of the local government to acts of sabotage that occurred earlier on during the works.

In September ’09, after a climate camp in the ZAD, a call was made to occupy the abandoned houses and threatened areas of the ZAD, with support of local people in resistance to the airport. This call has been answered, and already there are some 13 occupied areas on the ZAD, including empty farmhouses, caravans on abandoned land, forests and collective gardens. On July 15th 2010, authorities delivered papers to 5 occupied areas, warning the occupiers that they should vacate these places by the 30th July or face legal proceedings and evictions. Earlier that day, an agreement was signed by 5 unimportant bureaucrats to finance the construction of the airport. On 29th July 2010, about 40 people occupied the council offices in Nantes. The next day, it was made public that the multinational construction company Vinci had been awarded the contract to build the airport. Already the first works have begun on the Barreau Routier, a highway bypass being built to serve the airport. In August 2010 the city of Nantes made public their search for a security company to be on constant guard on the construction sites and areas around the ZAD.

But we won’t be moved so easily. Busily growing food to support us over the next years, looking for further areas to occupy and building defences within the ZAD, we are digging our heels in even deeper and preparing for the fight.

If you would like to join, or even come and visit, we are always open. There are many houses, fields, trees, caravans that are to be occupied and defended when the time comes. If you have your own project to contribute, like setting up a new space, garden, action ideas, or any other useful resources or talents, even better. We are encouraging people to try and be as self sufficient as possible within this space, as well as wanting to be inspired to become part of this ever growing struggle against the machine of progress. Or if you can’t come and visit us, maybe you feel the wish to visit some sites or offices of Vinci in your area……

Wish list / ideas of stuff to bring…. bicycles and trailers, tarps, tools, building and barricading materials, climbing materials, computer and technical skills, wheelbarrows, rope of all kinds, books, vans/trucks, media resources, ideas, inspiration, fighting energy, donkeys, dragons and dentists…..

map/directions to the zad
email – zad@riseup.net
to sign up to our list, please email zad-occupation@lists.aktivix.org
Website coming soon

+ An update
This week (yesterday the 2nd of November) they started the drilling for testing soil where the highway is supposed to be build. Lets stop it!

Shell to Sea campaigners target Shell executives in Ireland

The folks in suits finally got a taste of the conflict they’ve been orchestrating in Co. Mayo, Ireland for the past decade.

The folks in suits finally got a taste of the conflict they’ve been orchestrating in Co. Mayo, Ireland for the past decade. Representatives from Shell and their team of expert witnesses who are presenting the planning application for the Corrib Gas onshore pipeline to the Irish planning board were prevented from leaving the oral hearing Thursday night by protesters from the Rossport Solidarity Camp.

Thursday was a long day for Shell’s expert witnesses, bosses, and executives. The planning board’s oral hearing into the Corrib Gas pipeline has been ongoing in Co. Mayo for the past four weeks, and local residents have been questioning Shell experts on details surrounding the proposed onshore pipeline.

At 10pm, exhausted and with long journeys ahead of them Shell delegates exited the front doors of the hotel to discover that protesters had boarded their bus, holding placards and banners with messages reading “Energy shouldn’t cost the earth”and “Shell: destroying the world, one community at a time.”

At one stage when four high up Shell people tried to leave in a car, two protesters met them at the road and blocked their car with a banner reading “Shell’s lies cost lives.” The annoyed driver attempted to drive through the banner and in the process ran over one person’s foot. No serious injury was sustained and the driver refused to make any apologies for his actions.

After delaying the Shell suits for over an hour, one member of the protest explained that “it was so satisfying to finally see these people at the top, who are never held accountable suddenly be confronted with their own responsibility for this project and the devastation it has caused to the community”

Website Revamp

May 2011
We are really very sorry for the extraordinary hiccough with this site – this is the first time we’ve been able to even edit this message – it’s been so frustrating for everyone!

May 2011
We are really very sorry for the extraordinary hiccough with this site – this is the first time we’ve been able to even edit this message – it’s been so frustrating for everyone!

It’s working now (apart from old images not being accessible), and being gradually repopulated with the news we’ve missed. There’s a new Resources section too. Let us know (via submit story) anything that could be better.

We hope by the end of the process you’ll feel welcomed back with open arms, with new bells and whistles on their way. Thank you for bearing with us, and we look forward to your stories again making this a valuable resource for all.

Huntington Lane needs YOU!

UPDATE ON THE HUNTINGTON LANE OPEN CAST COAL MINE PROTEST SITE
It’s approaching six months since camp was set up at Huntington Lane open cast coal mine site and as the ‘anniversary’ approaches things are beginning to speed up. With a lot of defensive work being carried out on site by protesters, UK Coal have been been making preparations of their own; it has been confirmed that an Environmental License will be issued by the end of the month to allow UK Coal to begin work, the water supply has been connected and farmers are being asked to remove stock from the southern site. It has also been discovered that jobs at the mine site are being advertised/allocated and local firm McPhilips will begin working on the site infrastructure very soon.
Time is fast running out before an eviction notice is served and the camp would like to issue a call out for people, tools, lock on gear of all kinds (padlocks,D-locks etc), water and food. If you’re unable to offer any of these things but would like to support the camp, words of solidarity and support are also very gratefully received 🙂

OPEN CAST COAL IN THE SHADOW OF THE WREKIN
In October of 2009 UK Coal were granted permission by the then Secretary of State, John Denham to mine 900,000 tonnes of coal from a site called ‘Huntington Lane Surface Mine Site’ near Telford, Shropshire – this beautiful 230 acre site near The Wrekin encompasses part of the Shropshire Hills AONB and is home to a sceduled ancient monument. At least one County Wildlife Site and the flora and fauna of the borough’s largest and most valuable areas of ancient woodland are threatened by the surface mine. The development also involves the disturbance of four badger setts and the foraging territories of a further two badger clans.

Not only does the proposed mine represent a major blot on the beautiful rural landscape, being clearly visible from the Wrekin and many other local areas, and also create three years of noise and dust for local residents – the subsequent burning of the mined coal will release a minimum of 2,430,000 tonnes of climate changing CO2 emissions into the atmosphere.

In March 2010 protesters moved onto the site in an effort to resist this destruction at the hands of UK Coal.

HOW TO GET THERE
The entry point is actually on New Works Lane, New Works, Telford, Shropshire. The nearest train station is Wellington (Telford West).

For a map view go to:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=tf6+5bs&sll=52.675432,-2.498875&sspn=0.005738,0.013797&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Telford+TF6+5BS,+United+Kingdom&ll=52.675174,-2.499985&spn=0.000724,0.001725&t=h&z=19

The marker on the map is not quite in the right place but is very close to the entry point for camp – the stile is actually on the other side of New Works Lane, just before the houses begin, in the bushes to the right of a shonky old gate! (Please don’t block the gate if you’re coming by car/van as it’s still in use by the farmer – park at the side of the road if you can. There is more space to park heading north up New Works Lane) If you zoom right in on the map you can see the entrance on Streetview, but be warned – the greenery around the stile has grown substancially since this picture was taken! Once over the stile just follow the path; it breaks off to the left behind the houses and also to the right a little further along; ignore these turnings and follow the straight path which bears to the left after them. Continue to follow the path until you reach the sign directing you to camp.

HOW TO CONTACT THE CAMP
Tel: 07503 583419 or 07727 295232
Email: defendhuntingtonlane@hushmail.com
Web: http://defendhuntingtonlane.wordpress.com

*PLEASE PASS THIS INFOMATION ON TO ANY PERSONS OR GROUPS YOU THINK MAY BE INTERESTED*

Many Thanks!