Global – Page 87 – Earth First!

Solidarity actions for imprisoned liberationists

Italy, Mexico, Spain & UK
Solidarity actions for; Paola Gori, Jeff Luers & Sean Kirtley

Communiques reported to Bite Back Magazine: 15th – 19th June:

Italy, Mexico, Spain & UK
Solidarity actions for; Paola Gori, Jeff Luers & Sean Kirtley

Communiques reported to Bite Back Magazine: 15th – 19th June:

30th May – h 21.00 – Mountains of Emilia Region, Italy.
We set on fire a hunting tower placed in a wood populated by boars.
We have destroyed it with two liters of gasoline ignited by a retardant primer.
– A.L.F. –

Night of 5th June – Emilia Region, Italy.
A small chicken farm was visited again (see the communique of last month).
We have liberated one cock (the only male present) and slashed the tires of the car of the farmer.
– A.L.F. –

These actions are dedicated to Paola. She is a vegan, animal rights activist, prisoner in ‘Le Sughere’ Italian jail.
Please write* and support her.
Also, please support the victims of state repression in Italy and Austria.
Freedom for all!
Liberta ‘per tutti!”

received anonymously (translation):

“On the night of June 14 (International day in support of the earth liberation warrior Jeffrey Luers and all radical environmental prisoners), the Earth Liberation Front and Animal Liberation Front got together and went to the doors of one of the many companies guilty in the domination, destruction and extermination of the earth and its living beings.

Various slogans were painted such as ‘No More Vivisection,’ ‘ALF,’ ‘No HLS,’ ‘Support Jeffrey,’ ‘Murderers’ and others which attacked the company Unilever which shares property with DHL (an HLS supporter). Now as one passed through these modern-day extermination camps, one can read the slogans of the FLA and FLT on most of its walls.

Compañero Jeffrey we know about your situation and it gives us great pleasure to know that soon you’ll be out here on the front line fighting again like you’ve done before. We hope that those bars and life in prison leave you with even more strength to continue.

To all those radical environmentalist prisoners, an embrace from Mexico.

For Animal Liberation!
For Earth Liberation!
For Human Liberation!
Direct Action!

FLA & FLT”

excerpt from anonymous report:

“In support of Jeffrey Luers and the struggle for animal liberation
During the early hours of June 14, the locks of every fur shop in the Bilbao city center were glued, in support of this prisoner and many others, and in general of the struggle for animal liberation.”

reported anonymously:

“Activists in the North West decided to ‘pimp’ a hunt scums ride.

The car was easy to find as it had both the pro-hunt ‘Felix Says’ sticker and a BASC (Shooting) sticker in the rear window. The BASC sticker sealed the car’s fate, the Judge in the Sean Kirtley case was into shooting and a member of BASC. The car had paint stripper applied, spray paint over the windows, windscreen wipers wrecked and one wing mirror smashed. Looked really pretty once we’d finsihed.

If the owner wants compensation then they should write to Judge Ross and NETCU. It’s the criminalisation of legal protest that has caused this.

ALF”

Nigerian attacks closes oilfields

19 June 2008
Oil company Royal Dutch Shell says it has temporarily stopped production at its main offshore oilfield in Nigeria, following a militant attack.

The raid took place overnight on the Bonga oil platform about 120km (75 miles) off the coast of the Niger Delta, the company said.

It is the first attack on the oilfield, which normally produces about 200,000 barrels a day.

Attacks on the inshore Niger Delta have helped drive up world oil prices.

Nigeria’s valuable offshore oilfields had always been considered difficult for most militants to target, the BBC’s Alex Last reports from Lagos.

But early on Thursday gunmen in boats reached the Bonga installation, Shell’s flagship project, for the first time.

A Nigerian navy spokesman confirmed reports that militants had kidnapped a US oil worker from a separate vessel on their way back from the raid.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) claimed it carried out the attack in an email sent to journalists, and named the American as Captain Jack Stone.

They said he would be released “in the coming hours”.

Sophisticated

The gunmen failed to get inside the platform, but attacked a key vessel used for production storage and offloading, a Shell spokesman said.

Several people were reported to have been injured.

Mend says it is campaigning for a greater share of the region’s oil wealth to be kept by local people, but the government says they are criminals motivated by the ransoms they receive from oil companies.

The shutdown has cut a tenth of Nigeria’s total output in one go.

This comes on top of a reduction of at least 20% in recent years following inland attacks.

Our correspondent says Bonga was new, expensive and working well despite the difficulties and repeated attacks affecting the company’s inshore operations in the Delta.

The militants in the Delta are getting more sophisticated and better equipped and armed, he says.

Now they have proven that in terms of distance at least, all of Nigeria’s facilities are within their reach.

Amnesties promised

Next month, a peace summit organised by the government on the Niger Delta unrest is due to begin in the capital, Abuja.

The government has promised amnesties to any militants who take part.

Mend has refused to attend unless Henry Okah, one of their leaders currently on trial for treason and gun-running, is also granted amnesty.

But the government has refused.

“We want everyone to be there to air their grievances,” vice-presidential aide Akilu Indabawa told the BBC’s Hausa Service.

“But in Henry Okah’s case the issue is in front of a court and the government can’t intervene because it respects the rule of law.”

Other reports to balance this –
Nigerian militants demand government accept mediation by ex-US president Carter
Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta Declares War
Nigerian militants: We killed drunken soldiers

—–

21st June 2008
Nigeria oil pipeline ‘attacked’

US oil giant Chevron has halted onshore oil production at its Escravos oilfield after an attack on a pipeline.

The loss could equate to about 120,000 barrels per day, about 6.6% of Nigeria’s total daily crude production.

The Nigerian military said militants blew up the Niger Delta pipeline, but the region’s main armed group blamed angry youths for the attack.

Earlier this week, Nigeria’s president ordered tighter security in the Delta after an attack at a Shell facility.

According to the BBC’s Alex Last, in Lagos, sources in the western Niger Delta believe the latest attack is the work of illegal oil “bunkerers” – involved in the lucrative trade in stolen oil.

Significant loss

The earlier attack on Shell’s floating oil platform at Bonga, which cut a tenth of Nigerian oil production in one go, was carried out by militant group the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend).

News agencies quoted Mend as saying that it was not responsible for the Escravos incident, which occurred on Thursday night.

Mend said it had been contacted by angry youths who reported having blown up the pipeline, the Associated Press said.

The Escravos incident highlights the vulnerability of the oil infrastructure in Nigeria, our correspondent says.

With the government planning to hold a big summit of Niger Delta leaders and more money expected to flow to the Niger Delta, perhaps the armed groups there feel it is a good time to show how relevant they are to any chance of peace, our correspondent adds.

While the loss to Nigerian crude output is significant, it is a small fraction of the daily global oil output, of about 85 million barrels per day.

News of the Escravos attack comes ahead of a meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, of major energy producers and users – where the rising price of oil will be the key topic for discussion.

On Friday the Nigerian government announced how it would spend a $10bn (£5bn) windfall from the rising oil price.

It will spend just over $5bn fixing the country’s power supply and the rest will be shared among the 36 state governments.

FIGHT SPECIESISM! #2 – Out Now

The second issue has expanded from 6 to 10 pages because of the quantity of news and analysis that has been published since the first edition.

Click HERE to read or HERE to print.

ISSUE 2, July 2008
Articles:

– Solidarity actions for Sean Kirtley
– ALF target NFU – “no badger cull”
– Fur Industry – Oslo under attack
– Falling towers – 43 in 92 days, Sweden
– Judge Ross & NETCU – crucify civil liberties
– NETCU and SOCPA – a nasty dictatorship?
– Earth news – Leave it in the ground & burning mansions*
– Anarchy in Brighton – Smash EDO Carnival*

Please distribute far and wide!

NOTES

Fight Speciesism! is the newsletter from Antispe Britain. Issues are published sporadically, dependent on when there is enough to news to fill the pages.

**Due to popular demand, FS! now features a small portion of Earth news and a column for the latest anarchist action.

We would also like to apologise for not including the recent repression in Austria against anti-fur activists. It was decided that because the issue is developing swiftly, the news printed would unfortunately be out of date when published.

However, please see the Indymedia UK feature that has been created to keep you up to date with the latest.

Protesters end blockade of Brazil mining railroad

Jun 13, 2008
SAO PAULO – Hundreds of Brazilian protesters ended a blockade of a railway line that transports iron ore for mining company Vale, the company said late on Thursday.

It was the latest in a series of protests this week, some of them violent, by landless peasant groups targeting large companies and multinationals in Brazil.

Jun 13, 2008
SAO PAULO – Hundreds of Brazilian protesters ended a blockade of a railway line that transports iron ore for mining company Vale, the company said late on Thursday.

It was the latest in a series of protests this week, some of them violent, by landless peasant groups targeting large companies and multinationals in Brazil.

Protesters left peacefully after the Minas Gerais state’s justice department ordered them to leave the tracks earlier on Thursday or risk being removed by police or fined 30,000 reais ($18,000) for every day they remained, Vale said in a note.

“It started around 6 a.m. this morning,” a Vale spokeswoman said, adding more than 30 trains were delayed in the 10 hours that protesters had stopped traffic on the railway.

Trains on the line each carry around 14,000 tonnes of ore from the company’s network of mines in the state to ports but Vale could not immediately confirm how many were transporting the commodity. It said around 70 trains a day carry iron ore and other cargo down the line.

One passenger train was stopped by the protest as well as trains carrying goods for other firms, Vale said.

The Via Campesina peasant movement said about 1,500 people were occupying the railway to pressure Vale to negotiate with 500 families who will be dislodged by the construction of a hydro-electric dam in which the company is involved.

Protesters occupied properties of industrial conglomerate Votorantim and a supermarket belonging to the Wal-Mart group on Wednesday.

The peasant groups are demonstrating against the advance of one-crop farms they say harm the environment and small farmers. They are also protesting high food prices, the growing use of biofuels and the influence of multinational companies in Brazil.

Via Campesina said in a statement it was holding another protest in front of Goias state’s electricity company over price increases.

Action day for persecuted eco-activists in the US

This Saturday (14th June), there will be an international action day for the, by now numerous, eco-activists who are currently imprisoned in the US.

The repression against people carrying out direct actions in the United States continues to rise. The most recent conviction in a series of sentences is that of Eric McDavid, who was sentenced to more than 19 years in prison ( http://supporteric.org/). He has actually never carried out any actions, but was allegedly part of a group that (according to a police informant) was planning them. He was sentenced on grounds of a witness statement of this police informant, who had not only infiltrated but actually steered the group, and received at least 75.000 USD for her “work”. Eric is 19 years old. Because he refused to “confess” or cooperate in the investigation, he received this incredibly high sentence.

Eric’s conviction is only one of many examples. Many more people are persecuted and prosecuted and consequently threatened with life in prison. The prosecutions started when North American authorities started an offensive against the radical ecological movement; the resulting investigation and prosecutions were later referred to by activists as “green scare” (see also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Scare). A court case is currently held against Marie Mason, for example ( http://freemarie.org/). Briana Waters has already been found guilty and is awaiting her sentencing in prison ( http://supportbriana.org). Tre Arrow ( http://trearrow.org/) is also facing trial after he was extradited from Canada. Although Tre Arrow “confessed”, in the hope for a lower sentence, he has refused to provide the authorities with information about others.

Many are already sentenced and imprisoned, many others could face new investigations and procedures at any point in time. The threat for radical activists is enormous, especially when considering that home security legislation has turned the US into a police state (see www.greenscare.org for background information).

Direct action

Those prosecuted are accused of having taken part in actions carried out in the collective names of ELF (Earth Liberation Front) or ALF (Animal Liberation Front), see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Liberation_Front. No one ever got hurt in any of the actions, which were generally related to fighting climate change and the introduction of genetic technology.

The 14th of June has been declared international day of action by the campaign supporting the first eco-activist to be imprisoned, Jeffrey ‘Free’ Luers. His campaign also shows that international solidarity actually works. He was initially sentenced to a horrendous 22 year imprisonment (his “crime”: setting fire to three SUVs owned by a car dealer). In appeal, the sentence was reduced to ten years. Jeffrey, who has been in prison since 2001, is expected to be released at the end of 2009! (see http://freefreenow.org/ for more information).

One of the biggest problems in resisting this extraordinary level of repression by the state is the American justice system, which rewards people who make statements incriminating themselves and others. Some of those accused also did this, and part of this “evidence” has been proven to be incorrect, and yet was rewarded with concessions in sentencing. Some of these snitches are therefore either not sentenced, or free after a shorter prison term, even though they were accused of the same “crimes” as those who are spending decades in prison. These people are of course not supported by solidarity campaigns.

Others have decided to confess and cooperate in the procedure against them, yet have refused all other form of judicial cooperation. And then there’s the brave ones, who have denied all charges and all forms of cooperation. These people are of course faced with the harshest forms of repression, and are in most need of support.

What to do?

Those accused, their friends and their family welcome international solidarity very much. Publicity about their plight is also very important. It should be considered, however, that those accused, especially when they are in the middle of a trial, are sometimes not waiting to be linked to wild actions which are used by the prosecution to criminalise them even further. Financial support is also welcome, for the individual trials as well as for the general campaigns. A small campaign office that manages a high work load with little means is the CLDC ( http://cldc.org/).

Daniel McGowan ( http://suportdaniel.org), one of the many victims who was sentenced (to seven years), declares in one of his newsletters why the work of the CDLC is so important ( http://supportdaniel.org/blog/?p=33).

Furthermore, it is important to send letters, postcards and books to the prisoners. The North American prison conditions are, however, very strict (and here also, prisoners might not want to be linked to illegal political actions). Also, do not forget to protect your own privacy ( http://security.resist.ca/).

And 14 & 15 June is time for solidarity actions!
http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2008/05/375753.shtml

More information:

http://greenscare.org/
http://midwestgreenscare.org
http://portland.indymedia.org/en/topic/greenscare/
http://www.ecoprisoners.org/
http://www.greenisthenewred.com/blog/
http://www.anarchistblackcross.org/
http://breakthechains.info/
http://www.earthfirstjournal.org/
http://www.whosarat.com/

Action update Australia

In May, a personal letter was hand delivered to the $10 million mansion of Mike Smith, the CEO of the ANZ bank in Melbourne’s most affluent suburb of Toorak.

In May, a personal letter was hand delivered to the $10 million mansion of Mike Smith, the CEO of the ANZ bank in Melbourne’s most affluent suburb of Toorak. The letter, signed by the E.L.F., declared that his property, including his and his wife’s luxury cars, amongst a detailed list of other personal items, would not remain safe so long as ANZ continued its financing of the proposed Gunns Tamar Valley Pulp Mill in Tasmania.

The proposed pulp mill, run by Gunns- Tasmania’s forestry corporation which holds a virtual monopoly over the state, would contribute greatly to global warming, it would spew 64,000 tonnes of effluent into the Bass Straight every day, bring the Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle, the spotted tail Quoll, and the giant freshwater crayfish to extinction, and would turn the ancient old growth forests of the Great Western Tiers, the North East Highlands, and the Ben Lomond forests into pulp.

The same night, vegan pizzas from numerous multi-national chains were delivered unsuspectedly to the doorstep of Mike’s family home.

By strange coincidence, the following week ANZ withdrew its support for financing the $2 billion Gunns Tamar Valley Pulp Mill project.

This effectively puts the pulp mill’s future in a dire situation. Unfortunately the state and federal governments of Australia still continue their backing of the eco-cidal project.

$3.5 million luxury home torched in South Carolina

6.06.2008
Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. – 16 partially or recently constructed luxury homes have been intentionally burned down in southeast Charlotte, western Union County, and Lancaster County, South Carolina since 2001. Authorities have yet to find who is responsible for the fires, but now believe that radical environmentalists may be behind the arsons. The most recent development to go up in smoke was a $3.5 million mansion destroyed Monday evening, see pictures below.

The fire at 8407 Winged Bourne Drive, south Charlotte, started about 7:30 p.m. in a second floor hallway and spread quickly, shooting flames hundreds of feet into the air. The three-story mansion off Gleneagles Road near Quail Hollow Club had plywood floors and studded walls and was about 60% complete. By Tuesday investigators had ruled out all possible accidental causes.

“The only difference is this burned during daylight,” said Charlotte’s Chief Fire Investigator David Lowery said, declining to elaborate.

Cancellation of London Dongria Kondh tribe picket following targets disinvestment from Vendanta

The Survival demonstration outside Coutts Bank previously advertised on this website planned for the 10th June has been cancelled. In reaction to the planned picket Coutts has just informed Survival that they no longer hold shares in Vedanta, the British-based company whose planned bauxite mine will devastate the lands of India’s Dongria Kondh tribe.

Survival is continuing to lobby other Vedanta shareholders, as well as the company itself.

For more information, please go to http://www.survival-international.org/tribes/dongria

Report follows of picket last week.

Survival protest – ‘Finsbury profits from tribe’s destruction’
28 May 2008

Survival International this morning held a demonstration outside the London PR company FINSBURY, a subsidiary of global advertising company WPP. The protest highlighted Finsbury’s involvement with British mining giant Vedanta, which is set to destroy one of India’s most isolated tribes – the Dongria Kondh.

Carrying placards that said ‘Finsbury profits from tribe’s destruction’, demonstrators handed leaflets to Finsbury employees as they arrived for work, urging them to persuade Finsbury to resign their account with Vedanta.

Vedanta’s subsidiary, Sterlite, plans to mine aluminium ore from the Niyamgiri mountains in Orissa, India, where all of the 8,000 Dongria Kondh live.

The Dongria Kondh vehemently oppose the mine. Jitu Jakesika, a Dongria spokesperson, said, ‘We will become beggars if the company destroys our mountain and our forest so that they can make money. We will give our lives for our mountain.’

The Dongria Kondh have lived on the slopes of Niyamgiri since time immemorial, and are totally dependent on its forests. They view the mountain as sacred, grow crops on the slopes, and gather wild fruit in the dense forests.

Whaling protester scales embassy – court update

4 June 2008 update (main story below):
Conditional discharge of four months and ordered to pay £100 costs after being convicted of trespass.

Wyness told the court staff at the embassy had given him permission to protest outside the building.

4 June 2008 update (main story below):
Conditional discharge of four months and ordered to pay £100 costs after being convicted of trespass.

Wyness told the court staff at the embassy had given him permission to protest outside the building.

He said they had given him the invitation when he had tied himself to banisters inside the building on a previous occasion on 25 January.

The court was also shown footage which had been secretly filmed which showed a member of embassy staff suggesting it would be better to protest outside the building.

—

6 March 2008
A campaigner protesting against whaling by the Japanese has been arrested after chaining himself to the front of the country’s embassy in London.

Martin Wyness, 50, of Hereford, climbed the building at about 0730 GMT and lowered the Japanese flag to half-mast about 40ft (12m) from the ground.

He then unfurled a banner saying “Japan stop your illegal whaling” before chaining himself to the building.

Police said Mr Wyness came down from the building at 1047 GMT.

He was arrested on suspicion of criminal trespass.

His protest was believed to be timed to coincide with a meeting of the International Whaling Commission which began on Thursday.

The three-day summit, which is being held in Heathrow, will discuss the future of whaling in Japan, Norway and Iceland.

In January, Mr Wyness and his 14-year-old daughter Sophie were arrested after tying themselves to a staircase with cable ties inside the embassy, in Piccadilly.

The charges against them were later dropped.

Video of action

World Naked Bike Ride UK

A peaceful, imaginative and fun protest against oil dependency and car culture. A celebration of the bicycle and also a celebration of the power and individuality of the human body. A symbol of the vulnerability of the cyclist in traffic. The world’s biggest naked protest: 50+ cities and thousands of riders participate worldwide, including more than 1500 in the UK in 2007.

http://worldnakedbikeride.org/uk/

To check any details of rides below, see http://nakedwiki.org/wiki/UK

# Southampton: Fri 6 June, 6pm
# Brighton & Hove: Sat 7 June, 11am
# York: Sat 7 June, 4pm
# Sheffield: Sun 8 June, 2pm
# Manchester: Fri 13 June, 6pm
# Cardiff: Sat 14 June, (time is still being finalised)
# London: Sat 14 June, 3pm
# Edinburgh: 28 or 29 June – TBC

# There is discussion about possible rides in Cambridge, Belfast, Glasgow, Oxford, or even a Bristol to Bath ride.