Global – Page 67 – Earth First!

Responding to Harmful Government Inaction, Protestors Stop Blasting on Coal River Mountain

Four Protestors currently on Coal River Mountain. Two locked down to drill rig on Bee Tree Permit site. Mine security and county police are currently there as well. Blasting is still halted.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 11/21/09
Contact: Zoe Beavers 304-854-7372
Email: news@climategroundzero.org

Four Protestors currently on Coal River Mountain. Two locked down to drill rig on Bee Tree Permit site. Mine security and county police are currently there as well. Blasting is still halted.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 11/21/09
Contact: Zoe Beavers 304-854-7372
Email: news@climategroundzero.org

PETTUS, W. Va. – Early this morning two concerned citizens, Dea Goblirsch and Nick Martin, locked down to a drill rig on Coal River Mountain’s Bee Tree mountaintop removal site, effectively stopping blasting. Two others, Grace Williams and Laura Von Dolen, joined them in direct support, holding a banner with the message “Save Coal River Mountain”.

These nonviolent protestors have taken this action to bring attention to the extreme danger facing residents of the Coal River Valley from blasting near the Brushy Fork Impoundment. They plan to stay locked down until law enforcement removes them.

Resident of Rock Creek, W Va., Delbert Gunnoe, stated his concerns with the blasting, “You know when they put a blast over there, and it shakes the windows over here, at what, ¾-a-mile distance, imagine what it does over there.” Gunnoe continued, “if [the impoundment] did bust…what would be the destruction? The town of Whitesville would no longer exist.”

The four are fearful of the blasting that Massey Energy began in late October. These blasts are 200 feet from the Brushy Fork Impoundment, permitted to hold nine billion gallons of toxic coal slurry. The impoundment sits atop miles of hollow, abounded underground mines, further endangering its integrity. By Massey’s own estimates, roughly 998 people will die should the dam break. The emergency evacuation plan states that a 40-foot wall of sludge, cresting at 72 feet, will flow through the valley, reaching 20-feet-high about 15 miles down the road. Apart from the initial flood, the impact of this potential spill would be felt along the Coal River’s 88 miles.

“The Brushy Fork Sludge Impoundment keeps residents of the Coal River Valley up at night, waiting for eight billion gallons of toxic coal slurry to come rushing towards them,” said Dea Goblirsch, one of the two locked down. “I don’t know how Massey executives sleep soundly at night.”

Hydrologist, Dr. Rick Eades spoke of concerns about the stability of the dam as blasting occurs. He questioned “blasting where underground mines existed in the Eagle coal seam, the possibilities for adversely affecting near-surface bedrock in a way that could possibly enhance pathways for slurry to be released via the subsurface and bypass the dam.”

The concern is that slurry will break into underground mine shafts and blow out through old mine openings on the side of the mountain. This potentiality for Coal River Mountain mirrors the cause of the world’s largest slurry spill which occurred in Martin County, Ky. In 2000, 250 million gallons of slurry broke forth from a 2.2-billion-gallon impoundment, killing nearly all life in the Big Sandy River. Its impact reached all the way to the Ohio River, about 100 miles away.

Earlier this week, EPA sent out a letter to Marfork Coal Co., a subsidiary of Massey Energy Co., airing concerns about the absence of a valley fill permit, and requesting an extensive amount of information concerning the mountaintop removal operation on the Bee Tree site.

In note of this, Nick Martin, currently locked down, said, “The EPA’s recent action proves that the communities’ concerns about this site are shared at the highest levels of government.”

Matt Louis-Rosenberg, a Climate Ground Zero activist, adds, “Coal River Wind attempted to get a meeting with the governor for a year and it took people sitting in his office to get him to sit down and meet with concerned community members, just like it takes our actions up on Coal River Mountain to get the federal government to step in.”

The concern showed by the EPA reflects what the residents of the Coal River Valley have known for a long time; the Brushy Fork Impoundment is putting lives in danger, and the blasting on Coal River Mountain only increases that danger. The protestors on the Bee Tree site are putting out a call to action to save Coal River Mountain and protect all those who would be impacted by a catastrophe there. This action fits into a larger fight against mountaintop removal in Appalachia.

On the whole, Gunnoe’s sentiment was, “Don’t like much about Obama, but he’ll have one heck of a supporter if he stops mountaintop mining.”

Note: More information available at http://climategroundzero.org.

ELF Attacks Carso Cement Company in Mexico State

“On the night of November 18, we again attacked the enterprise CARSO in the state of Mexico. This time we saw that a wide hose coming out of the cement business was further contaminating the canal. The toxic waste of civilization completely destroys biodivesity, creating illness and additionally, these destroyers of the land push to the edge the last that remains of wild nature.

It is because of this that we decided to act and we threw bottles filled with gasoline at the hose, and after this we threw rocks wrapped in cloth and lit on fire. The person operating a big crane had a look of astonishment after seeing from the darkness of the branches of the trees, balls of fire coming directy at the property of the wretched CARSO enterprise.

We will not tolerate more environmental destruction. The vindicating fire lives not only in our words but also in our actions.

Earth Liberation Front”

http://www.elfpressoffice.org/comm111809.html

Buy Nothing Day (Bristol, Birmingham, Falmouth, Leeds, Lincoln, Sheffield…) – Steal Something Day (everywhere)

Bristol: To buy, or not to buy…

Saturday November 28th is Buy Nothing Day (UK). It’s a day where you challenge yourself, your family and friends to switch off from shopping and tune into life. The rules are simple, for 24 hours you will detox from shopping and anyone can take part provided they spend a day without spending!

Everything we buy has an impact on the environment. Buy Nothing Day highlights the environmental and ethical consequences of shopping. The developed countries – only 20% of the world population are consuming over 80% of the earth’s natural resources, causing a disproportionate level of environmental damage and an unfair distribution of wealth.

As consumers we need to question the products we buy and challenge the companies who produce them. What are the true risks to the environment and developing countries? The argument is infinite – while it continues we should be looking for simple solutions and Buy Nothing Day is a good place to start.

As last year’s buy nothing day was a huge success in the city centre, we will be doing the same event again – a free shop, where people can take away things for free. We will be right at the heart of the mad shopping world that is Broadmead.

Helping people think about the material world we live in, and making conscious decisions in the way we exploit the world, its people and the natural resources.

Bring musical instruments, things to give away in the free shop, chalk, and your lovely self!

Hope to see you there.

Happy 10th Buy Nothing Day!

Buy Nothing Day started in North America in the early 90’s and has grown to an international day celebrated in over 50 countries. The Buy Nothing Day UK website went online in January 2000. We’re not quite 10 years old, but on November 28th Buy Nothing Day will be just 10 days young – another reason to celebrate the frugal festival.

http://www.buynothingday.co.uk/

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Birmingham: We are holding our 8th annual Santa Parade in Birmingham City Centre for Buy Nothing Day on 28th November at 12:00 noon. Email: joe (at) birminghamfoe.org.uk. For last years parade click here.

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Falmouth:
Free Shop
Kernow Action Now! a new direct action group in Cornwall will be launching what will become a regular Freeshop on Buy Nothing Day. The Freeshop will be from 1pm outside the old Woolworths in Falmouth, Cornwall.

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Leeds:

Buy Nothing Day is trying to make people think about the goods they buy – think before you shop! We are NOT asking you to go without milk if you run out. Instead, before you buy think about where things come from, how they got here, what resources were used to make them and: do you REALLY need them?

The idea is to encourage people that instead of buying something for Christmas they could make something (see our alternative Christmas gifts for ideas). There is so much advertising saying BUY THIS we thought that there should be some saying BUY NOTHING.

Last year we had Christmas Carols, a free shop, food and all for free in Briggate. Lots of people interested in the concept and lots of cups of tea.

Join us.

See website below for meetings or come to Briggate – 11am

http://www.greenactionleeds.org.uk/buy-nothing-day-09

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Lincoln:

My Dads Strip Club out again on Buy-Nothing-Day-Release, this time three events in three days in the city of Lincoln.

Thurs 26 Nov 2009 8-10pm Dog and Bone, St Johns St, Lincoln.
BITE THE HAND feeds thoughts of breaking conditioned responses … subverting systems upon themselves… interrupting needless consumption… and cutting off the power. Enjoy an evening at the Dog and Bone with My Dads Strip Club as they demonstrate to you ‘the art of reclaiming space’. Putting embarrassment aside, they will address the delicate subject of carnal knowledge of Coke machines. The comedy in the work runs very close to anger, and excites all kinds of stuff in on-lookers.

Fri 27 Nov 2009 5.30-7.30 pm at the Healthy Hub cafe Beaumont Fee
(after The 4pm Mini-Wave happening at the cathedral )
FROM DIRTY CASH TO CLEAN GREEN come watch us try to navigate our way out of the chaos of climate change through drawing and performance capturing the connections between slag heaps and supermodels green-washing and the titanic and our flooded out cumbrian towns. Sound by FLOTEL.

Sat 28 Nov 2009 at various locations in the city of Lincoln.
GOOD SHIT DOESN’T HAVE TO COST THE EARTH Making our annual dis-functional attempt to relate to the shopping experience MDSC will try to coerce innocent shoppers to break their addiction to mass produced poorly made products (cheap-shit) instead offering for sale alternative organic and sustainable high-priced merchandise. Meet us for a report back at the Dog and Bone pub 1pm sharp.

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Lincoln Mini Wave – meet Friday 4pm outside Lincoln Cathedral. The event is in solidarity with mobilisations around the UN conference in Copenhagen www.ecolincs.org
Buy Nothing Day – sabotage the shopping
www.buynothingday.co.uk
www.dogandbonelincoln.co.uk – Best community pub in Great Britain award 2009

http://www.mydadstripclub.com

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Consumer Virus Outbreak, Sheffield

Meet by the statue in the main Meadowhall concourse at 1pm and do anything but shop!
We know that sweet tasty braaaains will be short supply during the run up to Christmas, but let’s see what we can do … Zombies and outbreak cleanup crew are all welcome : bring friends, costumes, signs and fake blood aplenty!!!
A facebook event page can be found here : www.facebook.com
FEEL FREE TO INVITE FRIENDS : ALL ARE WELCOME IN THE ZOMBIE HOARD!!!

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Steal Something Day

“…Unlike Buy Nothing Day, when people are asked to “participate by not participating,” Steal Something Day demands that we “participate by participating.” Instead of downplaying or ignoring the capitalists, CEOs, landlords, small business tyrants, bosses, PR hacks, yuppies, media lapdogs, corporate bureaucrats, politicians and cops who are primarily responsible for misery and exploitation in this world, Steal Something Day demands that we steal from them, without discrimination….

…Unlike the misplaced Buy Nothing Day notion of consumer empowerment, Steal Something Day promotes empowerment by urging us to collectively identify the greedy bastards who are actually responsible for promoting misery and boredom in this world. Instead of ignoring them, Steal Something Day encourages us to make their lives as uncomfortable as possible.

As we like to say in Montreal: diranger les riches dans leurs niches!

And remember, we’re talking about stealing, not theft. Stealing is just. Theft is exploitative. Stealing is when you take a yuppie’s BMW for a joyride, and crash into a parked Mercedes just for the hell of it. Theft is when you take candy from a baby’s mouth.

Stealing is the re-distribution of wealth from rich to poor Theft is making profits at the expense of the disadvantaged and the natural environment. Stealing is an unwritten a tax on the rich. Theft is taxing the poor to subsidize the rich. Stealing is nothing more than a tax on the rich. There is solidarity in stealing, but property is nothing but theft….”

For the full original text and call-out, go to http://earthfirst.org.uk/actionreports/node/432

Preparing for a warm winter in Copenhagen: A guide to the COP15 protests

This December the United Nations Climate Change Conference or COP15 will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark. Those organising the conference claim it aims to be a step towards the building of a ‘new global climate treaty’ in an attempt to tackle climate change.

But many feel that this meeting is a sham, created to prop up existing systems that promote, not hinder climate change. Propaganda to back this up is already pouring out of the COP15 website which in a recently published article dubbed Britain, France, Germany, Greece and Sweden as ‘climate heroes’.

Many groups and individuals have spent the last year and a half organising against COP15. This will culminate in several days of protest during the conference. The protests, organised by a wide network under a loose banner of ‘Climate Justice Action’ focus on many climate related issues including production, anti-corporate action and industrial agriculture.

Copenhagen has seen several mass protests in recent years, notably in 2008 after authorities evicted the Ungdomshuset squatted social centre. Read more at http://www.lasthours.org.uk/news/riots-in-copenhagen/
Who’s who?

What is COP15?

COP15 is the name given to the United Nations Climate Change Conference taking place between the 7th and 18th of December in the city of Copenhagen, Denmark. Officials from almost 200 countries are expected to attend as well as representatives from other organisations and NGOs. The aim is to establish a ‘global climate agreement for the period from 2012′. The conference is sponsored by corporations such as BMW, Honda and Volvo.

Who are Climate Justice Action?

Climate Justice Action (CJA) is a broad network people and groups mobilizing to take action against Climate Change. The group includes NGOs and charitable organisations as well as more grassroots groups. All are operating under a united set of network goals and principles. For more information on CJA or to read the network principles visit http://www.climate-justice-action.org/about/about-cja/

Never Trust A COP

More explicitly anti-capitalist organising is also taking place. A network titled Never Trust A COP was formed in April 2009. The network includes people from the radical left, anarchists and ‘groups based on consensus decision making’. The network have called for an anti-capitalist block on December 12th’s mass demonstration as well as participation in the action on December 13th (see below). A longer text from NTAC which outlines the need for anti-capitalist action can be read here.

What’s happening?

[ edited – see Last Hours link below for more details of events happening throughout, BUT please note that the fullest and most correct dates/links during the climate negotiations are at http://earthfirst.org.uk/actionreports/node/22201 ]

Both Climate Justice Action and Never Trust A COP offer logistical information from their websites. The UK based group Camp for Climate Action have organised coaches to Copenhagen for the protests. You can find more information on this at http://www.climatecamp.org.uk/actions/copenhagen-2009/coaches

Read at http://www.lasthours.org.uk/articles/preparing-for-a-warm-winter-in-copenhagen-a-guide-to-the-cop15-protests/ for links and pictures.

Global Minga Round-up (AKA Mobilisation in Defence of Mother Earth and the Peoples)

October 12 (the 517th anniversary of Columbus’ landing in the Western Hemisphere) marked the first day of the Global “Minga”/Mobilisation in Defence of Mother Earth and the Peoples, called by the IV Continental Summit of Indigenous Peoples Abya Yala. Rallies, protests and other actions are being carried out around the world in response to the call, including (infrastructure-related actions highlighted):

Labrador, Canada: Inuu elder and activist Elizabeth Penashue launched a week-long walk along the Mitsa-Shipu (Churchill River) from Happy Valley-Goose Bay to Gull Island, in opposition to the proposed Lower Churchill Hydro Project. If built, the two dams would cause vast environmental devastation and irreparable loss of Innu land, history and culture.

USA: The Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES) is holding a weeklong mobilization against the North American and Central American Free Trade Agreements (NAFTA/CAFTA) and against gold mining in El Salvador. Events are planned for Seattle, Olympia, Portland (OR), San Francisco, Washington (DC), Milwaukee, Los Angeles, Boston, New York, Baltimore and Philadelphia. Find out more information here.

On October 16, the Durango, Colorado chapters of Earth First! and Root Force are presenting the Beehive Design Collective on their True Cost of Coal graphic tour.

London, England: Protests were held at the Colombian, Peruvian and Spanish embassies, the UK Foreign Office and the Department for Energy and Climate change, demanding and end to EU-Latin America free trade agreements and an end to UK agrofuel subsidies.

Melbourne, Australia: A Latin American Solidarity Network space was launched at Trades Hall. A documentary film night will be held October 15.

Guatemala: Social movements marked the Minga with a nonviolent demonstration. An assassin dressed in black fired on the crowd, killing a 19-year-old and seriously injuring a 16- and a 65-year-old.

Colombia: More than 25,000 indigenous People have begun to March to the city of Cali to protest for respect for their territory and against the harmful social policies maintained by the Uribe government. The protesters are expecting to arrive on October 16. 115 indigenous councils have ceased ongoing dialogues with the government for the occasion. (For updates, keep an eye on: www.cric-colombia.org, www.onic.org.co). Approximately 2000 Uwa have also begun an “armed strike” in opposition to Ecopetrol, who has been exploiting natural resources from their ancestral sanctuary for the past 13 years.

Paris, France: Social groups have organized a week of solidarity actions for the Minga, including public debates, forums, a one-day festival, and protest rallies in support of Indigenous Peoples.

Argentina: A Global Week of Action against Debt and International Finance Institutions (IFI’s) is running in conjunction with the Minga. Opposing the new agreement between the Government and the International Monetary Fund, participants will be rallying for climate justice (October 13), rural women and the repudiation of debt (15 October), food sovereignty (16 October) and the eradication of poverty (October 17). A memorial was also held on October 11, honoring the martyrs of resistance.

Cuba: A one day event http://www.movimientos.org/defensamadretierra/show_text.php3%3Fkey%3D15924&rurl=translate.google.ca&usg=ALkJrhgIwwHDwwtuTEeL6TgbGl3sC3Ef7g” target=”_blank”>commemorating the tenth anniversary of the Cry of the Excluded was held in Havana.

Bolivia: The First hearing of the International Court of Climate Justice will be running at the Universidad Mayor de San Simón in Cochabamba, from October 13 to 17. The event will be transmitted LIVE on the internet. An Assembly of Social Movements will also be held in Cochabamba on the 15th, immediately followed by a Regional Meeting Against Climate Change.

Peru: Delegations from around the country marched to the headquarters of the UN in Lima on October 12, to present a series of demands and proposals by indigenous peoples to stop global warming. This will be followed by 3 days of workshops led by indigenous communities.

Other events, including festivals, workshops, protests, Ceremonies and other actions are taking place in Spain, Ecuador, Uruguay, Brazil, and elsewhere.

Via Campesina has also called for an International Day of Action Against Multinational Corporations for the final day of the Minga: October 16, 2009.

Defenders of the Land, a cross-Canada network of First Nations in land struggle, is also putting together a week of educational events on Indigenous Rights and struggles, from October 25-31, 2009.

More information and reports are available (in Spanish) here.

Phoenix, AZ — The week was kicked off with a protest at Arizona State University against the recognition of “Columbus Day,” along with education about the true (genocidal) nature of Columbus. The rest of the week consists of a media initiative to spread the truth about Columbus Day. It will culminate on Friday with a mass march to protest the racist and human rights-abusing policies of Maricopa County Sherriff Joe Arpaio.

Tucson, AZ — A banner was suspended from a downtown bridge in opposition to mining (possibly a reference to planned copper mines in Arizona).

Another anti-mines banner, this one reading “No New Mines on Apache Land! Ya Basta!” was hung in Tucson, AZ on October 16 (this time from the “Snake Bridge” over Broadway Boulevard). It was in opposition to the proposed mine in Superior, Arizona on sacred Apache land.

Also in Tucson, activists held a Fair Trade fair. In Tucson and New York City, activists distributed information on the connection between the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and swine flu.

MOVEMENT #1 – No Borders Newsletter

The new free monthly newsletter featuring news and updates from the No Borders Network and beyond.

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The new free monthly newsletter featuring news and updates from the No Borders Network and beyond.

Download the .pdf

Join the mailing list

The re-naming and re-launching of the newsletter is part of an attempt to to create a more regular and broad based periodical, drawing in other groups, organisations and individuals that work for freedom of movement and equality for all.

More details

Alleged ELF/ALF Anarchist Arrested in Mexico

ELP has learnt of an arrest in Mexico where a 16 year old is accused of ELF activity. Below is a report about his arrest.

Last 27 of October a 16 years old Mexican activist was arrested at night and acused of being part of the ELF. He was riding his bike with a back pack wen a police patrol started to follow him. He decided to get rid of the backpack and ran away with his bike. Sadly the cops managed to capture him. Afterwards they took the backpack and found 4 incendiary devices (each one made with two petrol bottles), another petrol bottle, a pair of plastic gloves, a balaclava, a lighter, a spray can, and environmentalists logos.

ELP has learnt of an arrest in Mexico where a 16 year old is accused of ELF activity. Below is a report about his arrest.

He was sent to the police station were the police took pictures of him and found out that he is vegan. He was kept there all night and next morning. He refused to talk to the police or explain why he was carrying all that stuff in his backpack.

According to the press he is suspected of at least six attacks with incendiary devices by the ELF, ALF and eco-anarchists which are:

– The destruction by fire to a JCB on March 22 by the ELF.
– The arson attack that left serious damage inside a McDonalds on 12 May by the ALF.
– The destruction of a truck by an incendiary device of the government institution Sistema Intermunicipal Water and Sewer on May 19 by the ELF.
– The bomb threat at Federal Palace and the hospice cottages, where the Summit of North American leaders took place on July 7 by eco-anarchists.
– The placement of an incendiary device under a sports car in a residential area in Zapopan on 18 August by eco-anarchists.
– The burning of seven luxury cars at a car show on September 26th by eco-anarchists.

See communiques at http://www.elfpressoffice.org/actions2009.html and the McDonalds arson communique (+ video) at http://www.directaction.info/news_may12_09.htm

According to the press Diego A, the arrested activist, admited to be Anarchist, part of the ELF and responsable of the 6 attacks. But according to the Mexican Animal Rights magazine Rabia y Acción, this seems to be false.

Last 29 of October he went to trial but the judge didnt find enought evidence to convict him in a special prison for young men under 18 years old, so he was released. Now his parents are responsable of his future behaviour.

US oil company threatened with eviction from Amazon

30 October 2009

Indigenous people have threatened to evict a US company, Hunt Oil, exploring for oil on their ancestral land in the Peruvian Amazon.

30 October 2009

Indigenous people have threatened to evict a US company, Hunt Oil, exploring for oil on their ancestral land in the Peruvian Amazon.

According to FENAMAD, an indigenous organisation in south-east Peru, at least two hundred people have gathered in a small town called Salvación, which acts as Hunt’s base in the region.

A meeting between company representatives, local indigenous people and high-ranking government ministers, including the prime minister, was scheduled to take place on Wednesday. Fifty policemen have been sent to Salvación – a move condemned by Peru’s national indigenous peoples’ organisation, AIDESEP.

FENAMAD says local people have not given Hunt consent to work on their land, and they are willing to put their ‘lives on the line’ to stop them from doing so. They said they would evict the company if it continued to violate their rights.

FENAMAD says that local people have also asked to speak directly to Hunt’s owners. Hunt is a private company whose CEO, Ray Hunt, is a long-standing associate of former US presidents George Bush and George W. Bush.

Hunt owns the rights to explore in the region, which includes land belonging to the Yine, Matsigenka and Harakmbut tribes, with Repsol-YPF. Last month, FENAMAD announced it was suing both companies.

At the heart of the region is the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve, used by many indigenous villages for hunting and fishing and the source of six rivers that are the only fresh water supply for an estimated ten thousand people.

Earth Liberation Front hits in Butovo, Russia

“We waited for this night.
When we said to ourselves, “Enough!”
That night, we have proclaimed the beginning of the continuation of the struggle.
Wrestling on another front.
Against those who despite the protests of the people, ruthlessly destroy nature for profit or any other objectives.

At this time the price of this heinous act was one tractor and one excavator to dig a trench along the Butovo forests to pave the heating to the buildings internal intelligence service. This will cut down 135 trees and 268 shrubs. SVR carries most of the Butovo forest park of state forest lands in the land of Defense, for the construction of its object, thereby destroying the forest, which may affect the environmental situation in the south of Moscow.

They have not heard (or did not want to hear) the invocation of people, so that night the way home, we covered the last minute, soulless machine.
They went beyond the law, we too.
We want this to become an impetus for stronger action against those who kill our land.
When not helping the power of speech, can help force the fire.

Morning on 3 October.
Liberation Front of land.”

Porobnee of situtsii – Legal campaign to save the forest: http://www.spasiteles.ru

Source of translated communique: http://action.anarchistnews.org/?q=node/58

Original source of action: http://325.nostate.net/?p=328

ELF Press Office: http://www.elfpressoffice.org

Amazon mega-dams stoke new wave of Indian protests

Kayapó Indians are to hold a protest against a huge hydro-electric dam planned for Brazil’s Xingu River, one of the Amazon’s main tributaries.

The week-long protest will start on 28 October and take place in the Kayapó community of Piaraçu. At least 200 Indians are expected to gather. Representatives from Brazil’s Ministry of Mines and Energy, and the Ministry of the Environment, have been invited there to talk with the Indians.

The Kayapó and other indigenous peoples oppose the dam, saying they have not been properly consulted about it and have not been informed of its true impacts on their lands.

The dam will divert more than 80% of the flow of the Xingu River, and have a major impact on fish stocks and forests along a 100 km stretch of the river inhabited by indigenous peoples. Survival has protested to the government about the project.

The Kayapó are furious with Edison Lobão, the Minister of Mines and Energy, who recently stated that ‘demoniac forces’ were preventing the construction of large hydro-electric dams in Brazil. Kayapó leader Megaron Txucarramae said, ‘These words are very ugly and are offensive to us and to those who defend nature.’

Belo Monte is one of the largest infrastructure projects in the government’s Accelerated Growth Programme. In 1989 the Kayapó organised a massive protest against a series of dams planned for the Xingu River. They successfully lobbied the World Bank to pull out of funding the project, which was then shelved.

Dams planned for other Amazon rivers are also the target of indigenous protests. A year ago, the Enawene Nawe tribe ransacked a dam building site in a bid to stop dozens of dams planned for the Juruena river. The Indians say the dams will ruin the fishing on which they depend.

In the western Amazon, the Santo Antônio dam, part of a complex of dams being built on the Madeira River, will flood the land of at least five groups of uncontacted Indians. One group is thought to live only 14 kilometres from the main dam construction site.

In a letter to President Lula, the Kayapó explained their position: ‘We don’t want this dam to destroy the ecosystems and the biodiversity that we have taken care of for millenia and which we can still preserve. Mr. President, our cry is for studies that are well-done and which seek to discuss with indigenous peoples this great ecological cradle of our ancestors… We want to participate in this process without being treated as evil demons who hold back the country’s evolution.’

Survival’s Director Stephen Corry said today, ‘The real impact of the dams has been hidden. If they go ahead they will destroy the lives, land and livelihoods of many tribes. No amount of compensation can ever make up for damage on this scale, that will wreck peoples’ lives and independence.’