London – Page 16 – Earth First!

Plane Stupid targets Red Bullshit

Environmental campaign group, Plane Stupid, has deposited a large mound of manure outside the south London HQ of soft drink giant Red Bull.

Environmental campaign group, Plane Stupid, has deposited a large mound of manure outside the south London HQ of soft drink giant Red Bull. Three activists, dressed as ‘avenging air hostesses’ in wigs and mini-dresses the same colour as the company’s logo, crowned the mound with placards reading: ‘Red Bull-sh*t’, ‘Red Bull gives you (plane) wings’ and ‘No second runway by stealth.’

The move was prompted by the revelation that Red Bull has applied for planning permission to build an aerodrome opposite London City Airport. The company claims that the new control tower, runway and helipads would support its annual air race on the River Thames.

But there are growing fears that the company is working with London City Airport and Newham Council to introduce a new heliport and permanent runway for private jets through the back door. ‘We believe Red Bull’s claim is bullsh*t and we’re telling them so,’ said spokeswoman Elizabeth Baines.

‘London City Airport is positioning itself a major hub for City executives,’ Elizabeth continued. ‘We suspect that Red Bull’s planning application is an underhand way of helping the airport to attract private jet and helicopter users. That way, they won’t have to deal with fierce opposition from people in East London who are sick and tired of the noise and pollution from the airport.’

London City Airport has been feeling the heat recently. Local campaign group Fight The Flights (FTF) has launched a High Court bid to stop the airport from expanding its flights volume by 50%. Six local councils have publicly supported FTF’s bid. The Greater London Assembly’s Environment Committee is also holding a probe into the effects of the expansion.

‘We insist that Newham council turns down this planning application. Red Bull may have high flying ideas but this time we think their wings should be clipped,’ Elsie added. ‘

For more information contact:
Leo Murray: 07595 506673
Nancy Birch: 07506 006597

heavies sent in to rampart at globe road — join us tomorrow at noon.

A bunch of heavies broke into the rampart social centre’s new location on 105 Globe Road tonight (friday, 23 April) at 10:30 pm. There were about 20 of us here watching films. The goons left, but said they wanted everyone out of building by 2 pm tomorrow.

We invite everyone, and their cameras, to come down and join us to welcome them. Come down at noon.

A bunch of heavies broke into the rampart social centre’s new location on 105 Globe Road tonight at 10:30 pm. There were about 20 of us here watching films. The goons left, but said they wanted everyone out of building by 2 pm tomorrow.

We invite everyone, and their cameras, to come down and join us to welcome them. Come down at noon.

rampart@mutualaid.org

PARTY AT THE PUMPS PART 2… THIS TIME IT’S SHELL!

MASS ACTION CALL OUT

When: Saturday, 15th May
Meet: 1PM at Oxford Circus
Bring: a zone 1-2 tube pass, noisemakers, your friends & family and your
dancing shoes
Oxford Circus meeting point map: http://tinyurl.com/OCnw-SVmap

MASS ACTION CALL OUT

Shutting down a petrol station for 5 hours on a sunny Saturday afternoon was so much fun we’re going to do it again. Shell’s Hell – in the tar sands and beyond – is next in the firing line.

Party 1 had Samba, twin sound systems, a live Ceilidh band, face-painting, free cakes and 200 people. Party 2 will be bigger and better, with activists joining us from Brighton, Oxford and beyond.
See here for a video of Party at the Pumps Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=An6-tdxd12M

And for all you cyclists out there, there will be a special Party at the Pumps Critical Mass making its way to the party. Meet 1PM at Marble Arch (under the arch).

Get ready for sunshine, music, and dancing on the forecourt!

Why target Shell?

Party at the Pumps Part 2 is taking place just three days before Shell’s AGM, where the company will come under fire from shareholders over its plans in the Canadian tar sands; and a week before the Merthyr to Mayo solidarity bike ride, which will link two communities in Wales and Ireland resisting fossil fuel extraction.

Party at the Pumps is in solidarity with communities around the world who are resisting Shell’s destruction of lives and livelihoods, poisoning of lands and waters, and fuelling of climate chaos. In Northern Canada, Shell’s tar sands projects are ignoring First Nations treaty rights, causing rare forms of cancer and killing wildlife (http://www.ienearth.org/tarsands.html). In Rossport, Ireland, a dangerous onshore pipeline and massive refinery are transforming an area of outstanding natural beauty into an environmental disaster zone with serious public health and safety implications (http://www.rossportsolidaritycamp.org). And in Nigeria, where Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight Ogoni colleagues were hung by the Nigerian state for campaigning against Shell’s devastation of the Niger Delta, resistance to Shell and Big Oil continues (http://www.remembersarowiwa.com).

These struggles may be happening in distant places, but they are driven from Shell HQ. On May 15th, we bring the resistance to the heart of London.

This action is jointly called by London Rising Tide/London Tar Sands Network and Climate Camp London.
http://www.no-tar-sands.org
http://www.risingtide.org.uk
http://www.climatecamp.org.uk/london

BP + TAR SANDS = CLIMATE CRIME – Thu 15 Apr 10

Dateline: BP Shareholders Annual General Meeting, ExCel Conference Centre, London, Thu 15 Apr 10 – At the apex of the ‘BP Fortnight of Shame’, at the entrance to the BP AGM, climate chaos and human rights activists persuade BP shareholders to vote for the FairPensions anti-Tar-Sands motion. Mobilised by the UK Tar Sands Network, Rising Tide and Climate Camp, we let BP shareholders know, in no uncertain terms, that BP + TAR SANDS = CLIMATE CRIME.

Vidz at YouTube
• ‘BP + TAR SANDS = CLIMATE CRIME’ – 1, 2, 3, etc.
» LINKs to follow shortly, once editing and uploading is complete

TWO WEEKS OF INTENSE COLLECTIVE BP BRAND-TRASHING
Organised in solidarity with our indigenous First Nations sisters and brothers at the sharp end of the Canadian Tar Sands climate crime atrocity, the ‘BP Fortnight of Shame’ began on Fossil Fools Day, Thu 01 Apr 10, with widespread direct action pranks, including London Rising Tide delivering a ‘Back to Black’ Corpoate ID rebranding package to BP’s global headquarters in St. James Square – see, eg:
• ‘BP Goes Back to Black’
» video, 2:38 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNLzN3zld7o

Then on Sat 10 Apr 10, the London direct action component of an International Day of Action on Canadian Tar Sands saw 200+ people mount an “illegal” occcupation of the Shepherd’s Bush BP petrol station for a samba-&-ceillidh-powered ‘Party at the Pumps’ – see, eg:
• ‘BP hit by nationwide protests over plans to Enter the Tar Sands’
» video, 5:14 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=An6-tdxd12M
» pix-&-vidz-led action report – http://london.indymedia.org.uk/articles/4613

The fortnight’s culminating protest occured alongside the Colombia Solidarity Campaign, demanding “BP MUST RECOGNISE ITS RESPONSIBILITY TO CASANARE WORKERS, COMMUNITIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT”, on the west plaza entance to the ExCel Conference Centre, as vote-casting investors arrived for the BP shareholders Annual General Meeting. First Nations Tar Sands campaigners Clayton Thomas-Muller and George Poitras from the Indigennous Environmental Network of North America were on hand, giving interviews to journalists and videographers, before going into the BP AGM at for the 11:30 start.
For more on the international anti-Tar Sands actions, check out:
• ‘Anti-Tar Sands Protests Gather Momentum’
» IMC UK Feature article – http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/04/449169.html

MAKING A KILLING IN COLOMBIA, AGAIN AND AGAIN
Bruno Federico of COSPACC (Corporación Social para la Asesoría y la Capacitación Comunitaria) spoke in his native Italian, ably translated by Claire Hall of Espacio Bristol-Colombia, of the mass murder of social movements opposed to BP’s exploits in Casanare, eastern Colombia, where BP has been operating for twenty years.

“During that time, 2600 people have been disappeared, 6500 people have been killed by paramilitary groups, right wing armed groups that have institutional links to the Colombian government.
More recently there has been 100 documented cases of direct state assassinations of civilians. Community leaders were forced to flee and social organisations that challenged BP’s practices were exterminated.
There has also been severe environmental damage caused by the extraction; water contamination, water depletion, landslides from seismic exploration. There has been very little challenge to BP’s environmental impact due to the communities being unable to organise.
However communities and workers are currently mobilising and have presented a list of demands to BP around five key themes:
– labour issues,
– social investment,
– human rights,
– public good
– and environment.
More info – http://www.espacio.org.uk/bp/CasanareMission2007Report.pdf
[source: ‘Oil, Violence and Social Movements in Colombia’ – http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/04/449208.html ]

HOLDING BP TO ACCOUNT FOR CLIMATE CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES
The UK-based FairPensions ethical investment campaign had tabled Special Resolution 25, a deliberately softly worded proposal aimed at garnering the widest possible support from shareholders, to which Clayton, George and other Tar Sands campaigners spoke:

“Special Resolution
That in order to address our concerns for the long term success of the Company arising from the risks associated with the Sunrise SAGD Project, we as shareholders of the Company direct that the Audit Committee or a Risk Committee of the Board commissions and reviews a report setting out the assumptions made by the Company in deciding to proceed with the Sunrise Project regarding future carbon prices, oil price volatility, demand for oil, anticipated regulation of greenhouse gas emissions and legal and reputational risks arising from local environmental damage and impairment of traditional livelihoods. The findings of the report and review should be reported to investors in the Business Review section of the Company’s Annual Report presented to the Annual General Meeting in 2011.”
[source: ‘Oil sands [sic] resolution and response’ – http://www.bp.com/liveassets/bp_internet/globalbp/globalbp_uk_english/set_branch/set_investors/STAGING/local_assets/downloads/pdf/IC_AGM_oil_sands_resolution.pdf ]

In an attempt to marginalise any criticism of the “right” of the BP Board of Directors to commit what ever climate crimes they deem to be a profitable “investment”, Special Resolution 25 was shunted to the arse-end of the agenda, to be rushed past at the hurry-up so that the shareholders could adjourn for their free lunch, courtesy of the BP bosses.

By miracles of modern communications technology, we were able to listen in on the proceedings of the debate inside the BP AGM on the sound system (see pic B7 above). So in the debate around the FairPensions Special Resolution, we got to hear the impassioned pleas from George, Clayton and others to BP to account for the financial and ecological risks, the environmental damage (local and global), the health damage to downstream First Nations communities, and the human rights violations that BP’s Tar Sands encroachments would entail– and to the polite, bland, evasive, corporate greenwash reply supplied on behalf of the BP Board. But we did hear from a person supporting the Special Resolution of and article in Wednesday’s Financial Times:

“BP has until now not had a presence in the vast resources of Canada’s oil sands, which are second only to Saudi Arabia in terms of proven reserves. It is now working on the proposed $2.4bn (£1.5bn) Sunrise project, split equally with Canada’s Husky Energy, and expects to make the final investment decision by early next year.”
[source: ‘BP to press on with Canada oil sands plan’, by Ed Crooks and Fiona Harvey, at FT.com (free registration required), on 14 April 2010 23:27 – http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6828b3de-4813-11df-b998-00144feab49a.html ]

So in fact, as the questioner put in, BP had already POSTPONED their final investment decision for a FOURTH time, until 2011 – I wonder if all the pressure piled on them by our ‘BP Fortnight of Shame’ might have influenced them so to do?

As I was preparing to leave for home, we got word on an iPhone from FairPensions of the voting percentages on the their Special Resolution:
In favour: 06%
Absentions: 09%
Against: 85% (ie: voting as directed to do so by the BP Board of Directors)

WE WILL SHUT THEM DOWN
This is, of course, merely a single battle in the long-running war over the Tar Sands atrocity, in a struggle for the future life-bearing capacity of our small blue jewel of a home world, which pits the climate criminal oil corporations against people and planet. BP bosses thought they could get away with applying their corporate “Silent Running” tactic (adopted by analogy from the military submaniner’s tactic of that name) to their desire to mire BP in Tar Sands shit, whereby executives would gain big bonuses if they suceeded in keeping their corporation’s climate criminal activities OUT of the public domain, unscrutinised by jounalists, and under everybody’s radar. Thanks to the initiative shown by our First Nations sisters and brothers like Clayton and George, plus Susan and Ariel Deranger (see, eg: ‘From Athabasca to Copenhagen’, video, 3:49 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2vfa6qwKgw ), our campaigning direct action depth charges have blown them to the surface for all to see.

So now you know of the sigle most destructive industrial climate criminal atocity on Earth, we invite you to find out more via the links below, then to make the most important transition of all: from concerned citizen to active climate chaos campaigner. Because the greater our number, the stronger our forces, and the more quickly we can score the telling victory required for the future of our human civilisation and our precious ecosphere: SHUT DOWN THE TAR SANDS!

LINKS
» Climate Camp UK – http://www.climatecamp.org.uk
» Columbia Solidarity Campaign – http://www.colombiasolidarity.org.uk
» COSPACC: Corporación Social para la Asesoría y la Capacitación Comunitaria – no website found
» Espacio Bristol-Colombia – http://www.espacio.org.uk
» FairPensions – http://www.fairpensions.org.uk/tarsands/action
» Indigenous Environmental Network – http://www.ienearth.org/tarsands.html
» Rising Tide UK – http://www.risingtide.org.uk
» Support the Beaver Lake Cree – http://www.co-operativecampaigns.co.uk/toxicfuels/beavercreenation.php
• UK Tar Sands Network:
» website – http://www.no-tar-sands.org
» blog – http://www.tarsandsinfocus.wordpress.com

Footnotes

More photos at https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/04/449231.html?c=on#comments

All these photos and video clips are ‘CopyLeft’
This means you are free to copy and distribute any of my photos and videos you find here, under the following license:
• Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License
» http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
» Accreditation: tim.dalinian.jones@gmail.com

NB: These pix are edited and downsized versions (up to 800x800px, 0.64Mpx, typically 100-900 KB) for onscreen display. If you would like the free, edited, full-sized versions (up to 3072x2304px, 7.1Mpx, typically 1-2 MB) for print, poster, placard, banner, etc, please email your request to tim.dalinian.jones [at] gmail.com quoting the picture title(s) you’d like.

Upcoming action dates & activist gatherings, 2010 – updated

scroll down for latest dates…

8-10 October 2010
Earth First! tree planting weekend – Treesponsibility

10 October 2010
Glasgow airport shut-down action

12 October 2010

scroll down for latest dates…

8-10 October 2010
Earth First! tree planting weekend – Treesponsibility

10 October 2010
Glasgow airport shut-down action

12 October 2010
Global Minga for Mother Earth

12-16 October 2010
Direct Action for Climate Justice, CJA call-out

13 October 2010
It’s Hammertime! – Smash EDO

16 October 2010
Crude Awakening – big oil day of action in London City

23-24 October 2010
Stop Nuclear Power Network UK Gathering, Bristol

10-12 December 2010
Earth First! tree planting weekend – Treesponsibility

=========

Old dates from this calendar:

2010

15-17 January 2010
Peace News Winter Gathering, Nottingham

23-26 January 2010
Mainshill Pre-Eviction Gathering

5-7 February 2010
EF! Winter Moot, North East England

12-14 February 2010
UK Rossport Solidarity Gathering, Nottingham

19-21 February 2010
Camp for Climate Action national ‘where next?’ gathering, Bristol – regional ones happening over January & February (details here)

26-28 February 2010
No Borders Winter Gathering, Nottingham

14 March 2010
UK Tar Sands Campaign Gathering, York

11am till 6pm (Vegan lunch by donation)
With BP’s AGM just 1 month away, and 2 weeks of actions planned for 1st to 15th April, come and connect with other UK-based Tar Sands campaigners, share ideas and create actions. We’ll be looking at strategies and actions for targeting Shell, BP and the Royal Bank of Scotland – Britain’s Dirty Threesome on Tar Sands investment.

We’re meeting in Derwent College, York University, room D/056 – from the station or city centre, take bus number 4 to the very last stop, walk back about 50 meters, and the road entrance to the college is signed on the left. D/056 is accessed from the outside, beyond the dining hall and ponds.

1 April 2010
Fossil Fools Day

1-4 April 2010
The Huntington Lane Fossil Fools weekend convergence

1-15 April 2010
BP Fortnight of Shame
including London Mass Action

17-18 April 2010
Social Centres in a Time of Crisis, Leeds
A weekend of workshops, discussions and socialising for everyone with an interest in radical autonomous social centres

22-23 April 2010
anti-aviation 48 hours of sticker-whacking, subvertising, adbusting pandemonium

23-26 April 2010
Anti-nuclear Camp, Suffolk – see latest EF!AU for details

6-10 May 2010
Activist Tat training week: putting up marquees, erecting and mending flat pack toilets, as well as technical and theoretical (power, plumbing etc) skillsharing

15 May 2010
Party at the Pumps 2

21 May-5 June 2010
Merthyr to Rossport solidarity bike ride – Climate Chains

5-8 June 2010
Rossport Solidarity Camp Gathering, Ireland

11-19 June 2010
World Naked Bike Ride – 11 June: Manchester, Southampton; 12 June, Cardiff, Edinburgh, London; 13 June: Brighton, Bristol; 19 June, Sheffield, York

18-21 June 2010
Outdoor Skillshare, Scotland

19 June 2010
National Gathering of the Stop Nuclear Power Network, London

25 June-31 August 2010
Ecotopia Biketour, from Critical Mass, Towards Car Free Cities Conference, to the French & German climate camps and much in between.

6-12 July 2010
Anti-Industrial Land Defence Action Camp, Catalonia
Go only if you can speak Catalan or Spanish – http://acampadaderesistencies.blogspot.com

14-22 July 2010
Nordic climate action camp, Southern Sweden

22 July-1 August 2010
French Camp Action Climat, near Le Havre

22 July-2 August 2010
Swiss climate camp Fr / De

23-27 July 2010
Peace News Summer Camp, Oxfordshire

29 July-4 August 2010
Belgian Climate Camp, near Liege

4-9 August 2010
EF! Summer Gathering, Derbyshire

12-16 August 2010
Irish Climate Camp, County Tyrone

13-17 August 2010
Climate Camp Cymru

21-24 August 2010
Climate Camp targets RBS in Edinburgh: Action Days

21-29 August 2010
German Klimacamp, near Erkelenz

27-30 August 2010
National Animal Rights Gathering, near Northampton

27-29 August 2010
Dutch Earth First! Gathering and CJA meeting – Groen Front!

BlueNG Superglued in Protest Against Agrofuels

14.4.10
Last night, Agrofuel company Blue NG had their head offices visited by activists and all of the doors superglued shut. This action was in protest at Blue NG’s involvement in plans to build an agrofuel power plant.

Blue NG are up to their necks in recent plans to build biofuel-powered plants in london. Despite their greenwash, it is well documented that this plant will contribute to global warming, food shortages, and respiratory diseases in the area around it.

With an important planning meeting regarding the plant happening today, anti-agrofuel activists decided to get their point across by visiting the company’s head office during the night, jamming all the locks with superglue, and leaving a brief communique explaining their motives.

Activist Tat training week

There will be a free AT Co-op training week in Nottingham, from Thursday 6th of May to Monday 10th of May 2010.

This will include putting up marquees, erecting and mending the flat pack toilets and painting them for beauty and durability, as well as all the technical and theoretical (power, plumbing etc) skillsharing that launched the site crews of the No Borders Camp in Calais, and the Camp for Climate Action in Blackheath in 2009.

We would like to see 50 new people there. We can cope with 70 if they are
considerate and co-operative.

You can come for the whole week or just a couple of days. We’ll share the cost of excellent vegan food, and bring sleeping bags for the friendliest floors in Forest Fields, Nottingham. E-mail jed2f4[at]yahoo.co.uk if you’re coming.

======

Do you have equipment? Spaces activist groups can use? Skills you would like to share with others? ATC are currently doing an audit of grassroots movements to see what materials we have and what we have to offer each other. Please take part in our questionnaire, and help us create a strong network where we share skills and materials.

The AT Cooperative (commonly known as ‘activist tat collective’) is a group of people who have come together to provide equipment, transport and training for grassroots movements. The aims of the group are as follows:

1. To source and provide equipment for events to grassroots campaigns at below commercial rates, by using existing resources and purchasing new materials.

2. To train people up in essential skills for putting on outdoor events.

3. To be a point of contact for individuals and groups seeking who are happy for others to use their equipment or who want to pass on their skills.

In all this, ATC aims to be as professional as possible, maintaining and storing equipment responsibly and ensuring that it is returned or replaced. This will reduce waste and free up valuable time for actual campaigning!

There is a lot more information on our website, so please read on.

http://www.atcoop.org.uk

BP hit by tar sands protests in London, Brighton, Oxford and Cambridge

Saturday April 10th
BP hit by tar sands protests in London, Brighton, Oxford and Cambridge

Oil company targeted by nationwide protests in advance of crucial AGM vote

Protesters demand BP pulls out of “the most destructive project on Earth” – the Canadian tar sands

Saturday April 10th
BP hit by tar sands protests in London, Brighton, Oxford and Cambridge

Oil company targeted by nationwide protests in advance of crucial AGM vote

Protesters demand BP pulls out of “the most destructive project on Earth” – the Canadian tar sands

For photos, see http://www.flickr.com/photos/no-tar-sands and http://www.no-tar-sands.org. Brief reports of the London and Oxford actions can be seen at http://www.demotix.com/news/297925/bp-party-pumps and http://www.demotix.com/news/298075/bp-tar-sands-protest-oxford.

Today, oil giant BP was struck by multiple protests over its controversial plans to extract oil from the Canadian tar sands (1). Hundreds of climate activists in London, Brighton, Oxford and Cambridge (2) targeted the company with simultaneous demonstrations and street parties, including forecourt invasions which closed three BP petrol stations in London and Brighton (3), (4).

Activists hailed the day as a major success, stating that the protests would send a strong message to BP and its investors. Sheila Laughlin of the UK Tar Sands Network said:

“Today, we did exactly what we set out to do – we hit BP’s profits by shutting down their petrol stations, and we hit their brand by informing thousands of people about their destructive tar sands plans. Nearly everyone we spoke to was shocked and outraged by the horrific climate, ecological and human impacts of tar sands extraction. If BP want to completely alienate the UK public, they’re going about it in exactly the right way.”

Meanwhile, a shareholder resolution questioning BP’s role in the tar sands, which is due to be discussed and voted on at their AGM later this week (5), continues to attract interest from shareholders, with a number of major investment funds stating their support for the anti-tar sands resolution in the last few days (6).

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1) Tar sands are a type of oily soil, which requires large amounts of energy, water, and industrial processing to extract and transform into crude oil. Tar sands extraction in Alberta, Canada is already the world’s largest industrial project, requiring the removal of vast areas of ancient forest and consuming enough natural gas per day to heat 3.2 million Canadian homes. The extraction process emits 3 to 5 times as much carbon dioxide as conventional oil drilling, the lakes of toxic waste it produces are so large they are visible from space, and the pollution from the project is harming the health of the Indigenous people who live in its shadow.
See http://www.ec.gc.ca/pdb/ghg/inventory_report/2006_report/som-sum_eng.cfm and http://www.ienearth.org/cits.html

BP was the only major oil company not to be in the tar sands, until in 2007 it purchased a stake in the ‘Sunrise Project’, an extraction project that could produce 200,000 barrels of tar sands oil per day. Earlier this year it announced its potential involvement in two other, similar developments, although a final decision as to whether or not to go ahead with them has yet to be made. Over the last six months, an unprecedented coalition of UK climate activists, NGOs and Indigenous Canadian activists has come together to stop BP’s plans.

2) The April 10th day of action was supported by the UK Tar Sands Network ( http://www.no-tar-sands.org), Rising Tide UK ( http://risingtide.org.uk), the Camp for Climate Action ( http://www.climatecamp.org.uk) and the Indigenous Environmental Network ( http://www.ienearth.org)

3) A brief summary of each of the actions:

London: Around 150 people invaded BP’s Shepherd’s Bush petrol station at around 2pm today. They hung banners off the roof, climbed on the pumps and held a ceilidh in the forecourt. The station remained closed for the rest of the afternoon. There was a heavy police presence, but no arrests.

Oxford: About 25 people from the Thames Valley Climate Action group reconstructed the Canadian tar sands on Oxford’s central shopping parade, including a pipeline and “toxic” tailings pond complete with toy ducks. They used a cycle-powered sound system to entertain and inform thousands of shoppers with music and speeches, while activists dressed as Canada and BP got friendly with each other by the pipeline. Around 5,000 anti-BP leaflets were distributed, and video messages were collected from the public to send to BP’s AGM.

Brighton: Activists successfully invaded and shut down two separate BP petrol stations. Photos can be seen at http://www.flickr.com/photos/wdmbrightonandhove

Cambridge: Local activists from the Cambridge Tar Sands Network led an unconventional tour group through the city today. They took in the sights of RBS Branches, a Superdrug Location, and University Facilities funded by BP, all of which have links to the Canadian Tar Sands. The event drew the attention of many members of the public, who took photos, requested more information, or even joined the tour. The event was hailed as a successful public expose of Cambridge’s dark tar-sand-stained underbelly.

4) This day of action fell near the end of a full two weeks of action against BP and the tar sands, dubbed the “BP Fortnight of Shame”. Other actions since April 1st have included:

• 22,000 “rebranded” BP logos were delivered to BP HQ – video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNLzN3zld7o
• A BP petrol station was blockaded in Plymouth, with protesters chaining themselves to petrol pumps. The station was closed for an hour and a half, and there were two arrests: http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news/Greens-protest-closes-petrol-station/article-1992261-detail/article.html
• A demonstration by Youth Against Climate Change in St. Albans, targeting RBS, who are one of BP’s key funders in the tar sands: http://www.stalbansreview.co.uk/news/6646160.St_Albans_demo_targets__RBS/
• RBS cash machines were rendered temporarily out of order by Brighton Against Tar Sands (BATS): http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/04/448446.html
• A walking tree from Alberta, Canada, turned up at BP HQ (and other key London locations) to complain about tar sands deforestation – video here: http://vimeo.com/10630598
• “Free money” stained with oil was given out at a Natwest (owned by RBS) branch in Norwich: http://felixinnorwich.wordpress.com/2010/04/01/fossil-fools-day-in-norwich-tar-sand-protest-at-natwest/

5) BP’s Annual General Meeting will take place at 11.30am on April 15th 2010 at the Excel Centre, London. Campaigners will be speaking to shareholders outside the meeting, and challenging BP inside the meeting. See http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/apr/04/bp-investors-row-tar-sands

6) See http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/epic/bpdot/7568809/US-and-Australian-funds-join-BP-rebellion-on-oil-sands.html and http://nachhaltiger.de/index.php/2010/04/10/apg-may-vote-against-bp-shell-on-tar-sands/

UK Tar Sands Network
tarsandsinfocus@googlemail.com
http://www.no-tar-sands.org

Earth First! Summer Gathering, 4th – 9th Aug 2010, Derbyshire – location & programme announced/set-up plans & call-out

Ecological Direct Action without Compromise

5 days of workshops, skill sharing and planning action, plus low-impact living without leaders.

Meet people, learn skills, take action.

For latest details, see http://www.earthfirstgathering.org.uk/
Set-up plans & call-out
Location
Programme

Ecological Direct Action without Compromise

5 days of workshops, skill sharing and planning action, plus low-impact living without leaders.

Meet people, learn skills, take action.

For latest details, see http://www.earthfirstgathering.org.uk/
Set-up plans & call-out
Location
Programme
Want to do something to stop our planet from getting trashed?

EF! is about direct action to halt the destruction of the Earth. It’s about doing it yourself rather than relying on leaders, governments or industry. Direct action is at the heart of it, whether you’re standing in front of a bulldozer, shutting down an open-cast mine or ripping up a field of GM crops.

We’re a loose network of people, groups and campaigns coming together for ecological direct action.

Join us for 5 days of workshops, networking and planning actions, run without leaders by everyone who comes along. The gathering is also a practical example of low-impact eco-living and non-hierarchical organising.

What’s happening?
Over 80 workshops, discussions, planning, strategy and ‘where next’ sessions:

*Share and learn skills for kick-ass actions on land and water.
Small boat handling and blockading using kayaks / Blockading – tripods, lock-ons/ Fences / Climbing skills / Action reconnaissance / Security for Activists / Strategy and tactics / How to research corporations /

*Network current campaigns against ecological destruction
Open-cast mining / Genetic engineering / Agrofuels / Saving Iceland / Climate actions / Pipeline resistance in Rossport / Anti-nuclear / Airport expansion/ Tar Sands

*Think about eco-centric ethics and alternative ways of organising
Deep green ethics / Anarchist economics / Anarchist history / Radical Politics / Working without leaders/ Consensus decision-making

*Practical skills for ecological restoration and sustainable living.
Introduction to Ecology / Restoration ecology / Flora and Fauna identification / Vegan Cake making / Power from solar and wind / wild food / Squatting / Bike maintenance

As well as international campaigns round-up, networking and planning for future actions.

Cost and practical things
£20-30 according to what you can afford.
The gathering is in Derbyshire, the exact location will be announced the week before. More info on our website.

Find out more and join in!

Email us if you can offer a workshop, want to help out with the gathering or if you would like posters and leaflets to distribute.

We have now a stack of freshly printed posters advertising the gathering. If you’d like to send you some to stick up in your area or to take to events, festivals and the like, please email us. Alternatively you can also download the files and print your own. They are fairly large files! EF! gathering poster (A4)

We are now looking for people to run workshops and discussions at the gathering. Please contact us if you can offer something. Have a look at our programme page to see the kind of thing we’re looking for.

http://www.earthfirst.org.uk, summergathering _ NOSPAM _ @ _ NOSPAM earthfirst.org.uk

Fossil Fools Day round-up

In the UK –

BP ad campaign hoax kicks off the Fortnight of Shame

In the UK –

BP ad campaign hoax kicks off the Fortnight of Shame

BP today had to halt the launch of a multi-million pound ‘Back to Black’ ad campaign. That’s right, BP’s award-winning ‘beyond petroleum’ brand took a hit today when a, previously unknown, PR agency delivered 22,000 revamped BP logos and a new sign to the company’s headquarters in St. James’ Square.The ad agency misinterpreted the brief to come up with a new logo that took account of BP’s decision to invest in the Canadian tar sands, and launched the multi-million pound ‘Back to Black’ campaign.

… What day is it? April Fools Day, a day for pranks both silly and serious.
So here’s what really happened:

Posing as representatives of a PR company, climate campaigners played a Fossil Fools Day prank on BP today by delivering 22,000 new logos – one for every BP logo in the UK – to the company’s HQ.

The campaigners, from London Rising Tide and the UK Tar Sands Network, piled boxes of ‘Back to Black’ logos on BP’s doorstep and d-locked a matching sign onto the building in protest at the company’s reversal of its decision to stay out of Canada’s controversial tar sands.

BP’s ‘beyond petroleum’ brand was never more than a slick charade and BP’s plans to move into the tar sands reveal the company’s true colours. We visited BP today to present a logo that’s more fitting for a company about to invest in the most destructive project on the planet.

Today marks the start of the BP Tar Sans Fortnight of Shame, which will see actions taking place up and down the country, all with a common message. Extraction in the Canadian tar sands is fuelling climate chaos and trampling indigenous rights, and we won’t let BP go into the tar sands without a fight.

If you want to get involved then come along to the BP Tar Sands: Party at the Pumps on Saturday 10th April, meet 1pm, Oxford Circus – more info at: www.risingtide.org.uk

tarsandsinfocus@googlemail.com
http://www.tarsandsinfocus.wordpress.com

Video

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Rising Tide disrupt Shell in Bristol

Activists from Bristol and Bath Rising Tide visited the Shell garage in Muller Road, Eastville at 8.30am yesterday to highlight the repression experienced by communities in County Mayo, Ireland who are trying to stop Shell building an onshore high pressure pipeline and gas refinery.

The community in Erris, County Mayo has seen continued harassment and intimidation by Gardai and Shell security, as well as the unlawful arrest and targeted jailing of key campaigners. In February fisherman Pat O’Donnell was sentenced to 7 months in jail for convictions of “breach of the peace” and of “obstructing a Garda”. The community has been fighting this project for over a decade. Construction of the gas refinery has resulted in the pollution of the local drinking water. Untreated waste chemicals from the refinery, including lead, mercury, arsenic and radon would be pumped into Broadhaven Bay despite it being a designated Special Area of Conservation. 1

The action was part of Fossil Fools Day, a global day of creative action against corporations who contribute to and profit from climate change. 2

Rachel Keevil from Rising Tide, chasing another activist with a large section of pipe, said “Shell are climate criminals. The gas pipeline in County Mayo will damage the environment and threaten the health and livelihoods of local people; all for the profit of Shell. It’s a pipeline to disaster.”

This street theatre was clearly a ridiculous representation of very serious events but opened up a space for talking with the public about the issues, many of whom took genuine interest, some saying they were inspired to write to Pat in prison.

Notes
1 http://www.shelltosea.com/node/21
2 http://risingtide.org.uk/node/336

Bristol and Bath Rising Tide
bristol@risingtide.org.uk
http://risingtide.org.uk/bristol

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Eon switch on to community renewables

PRESS RELEASE 01-04-2010

GREEN ENERGY GIFT FOR MEDWAY

German energy giant EON have announced that they are shelving controversial plans for a massive expansion of coal and gas
electricity generation in the Medway region. The surprising news emerged today as Eon contractors broke ground at the offices of Medway Council on Dock Road, Chatham, and started installing wind turbines and solar panels.

Eon media relations officer, Joe King announced, “We realise that continued investment in fossil fuels is a dangerous distraction from the urgent need to develop truly sustainable technologies so we’ve abandoned our dated plans to continue burning gas and coal. This wind farm for Medway council is just the beginning, we’re also offering all our customers heavily discounted shares in future community wind farm schemes, so they’ll actually co-own the systems that provide their power”.

In a leaflet passed out to passers by, Eon admitted that until now, only a trivial amount of their investments had gone into renewables but promised that would now change. Acknowledging the urgent need to drastically cut emissions in order to curb global warming and avoid disastrous climatic tipping points, the company promised they’d abandon their plans to turn Medway into a CO2 pumping hub, end further investment into fossil fuels, and instead commit to truly sustainable energy such as wind and sun.

However, a local activist Bennie Factor, expressed disbelieve, “This is a joke! All this renewable energy rhetoric represent nothing more than cyclical greenwash from these energy giants. Sadly, the reality is that they are still committed to business as usual, damning us all to continued greenhouse gas emissions and catastrophic climate change.”

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The FOSSIL FOOLS FARCE … is here!

Rising Tide-Plymouth & Art Not Oil-Plymouth took the Plymouth city centre streets to bring you the big “Fossil Fools Farce”, to remind us there are facts and names behind the Climate drama.

Today, on “Fossil Fools Day”, we bring you:

*The BIG OIL evil clown – Oil industry is the responsibility of the ‘taxpayer supported’ global expansion into the far reaches of the planet. Unless further exploration to find and exploit more oil and other fossil fuels is stopped, and instead accelerate the transfer of investment into renewable energy, the planet’s climate will not be able to withstand. Apart of massive CO2 emissions, the oil industry has been responsible for massive scale deforestation, local mortal diseases in oil field areas, ecological disasters, overriding indigenous rights and more human rights violations. All in the name of their profit.

Currently BP & Shell are investing in the tragic TAR SANDS project in Canada, which is the dirtiest and most expensive oil in terms of extraction and emissions that will lead us inevitably to runaway Climate Chaos -at a time when global oil resources are running out!

*The Crazy AVIATOR – In terms of damage to the climate, flying is ten times worse than taking the train. It’s responsible for 13% of the UK’s impact on the climate and it’s the fastest growing source of emissions in this country; between 1990 and 2050, emissions from aviation are set to quadruple, which scientists say could wipe out all other emissions savings we make in every other sector! The main cause of this massive growth in the UK is the proliferation of short haul routes – often unnecessary domestic ones.

In Plymouth we have Air South West ( owned by Sutton Harbour group – who also manage Plymouth airport!) publicising aggressively domestic flights between Plymouth-London and Newquay. Their ‘cheap’ price offers don’t tell you what we’ll all have to pay afterwards – the REAL price behind it: a planet that will never stop warming up. Besides, trains to Cornwall aren’t expensive! – and it’s a great landscape.

Fossil fuels are the main source of Greenhouse Gas emissions. However last December in Copenhagen the politicians sold us out to the fossilfools, corporate lobbyists and big banks. Now we’re left with “green capitalism,” a deeply unjust carbon market and continued assaults on our communities and ecosystems.

The stakes couldn’t be higher: destabilisation of the global climate, local communities destroyed by dirty energy extraction and combustion, devastating freak storms, droughts, floods, the list goes on …

If we’re going to stop climate chaos, the only real solution is to keep fossil fuels in the ground.

Join the positive characters of this drama and change the script of our future!

Join the inspiring WIND FAIRY, playing and trusting clean energy; the committed CYCLIST, who claims the future with pedal power! and
the down to earth PERMACULTURE, who respects the land, grows their own food and sows the seeds into our chance to be healthy and economically independent communities!

We can be the problem ..or the solution. That is our stance today.

NOTES:

-Join ‘Transition-Plymouth’ grassroots local initiative for a sustainable Plymouth!
Email: plymouthtransition@nature-mail.com or phone: 01752 222152

– Get the facts on Tar Sands: http://www.tarsandswatch.org/

– Stop supporting unethical fossil banks like RBS & Barclay’s. Switch yourself to an ethical one: the Co-operative or Triodos, or see:
http://www.vegansociety.com/Lifestyle-And-Nutrition/Finance/Ethical-Banking.aspx

– More alternatives: http://risingtide.org.uk/resources/positivesolutions

Rising Tide-Plymouth takes creative non-violent direct action and provides popular education to confront the root causes of Climate
Change.

www.risingtide.org.uk
www.artnotoil.org.uk

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Brighton – RBS out of order over Tar Sands

Royal Bank of Scotland cashpoints have fallen prey to an April fools prank in protest at RBS’s investments in Canadian tar sands. The cashpoints were disabled by local activist group Brighton Against Tar Sands (BATS) with signs which read ‘Investing in tar sands is OUT OF ORDER’. The signs were fixed to half a dozen cashpoints in Brighton and Lewes in the early hours of Thursday (1st April) morning.

The practical joke had a serious message. Tar sands oil extraction in Alberta, Canada is the single largest industrial CO2 emitter on the planet and has been responsible for destroying an area of ancient forest the size of England.

It is also home to First Nation tribes who have lived off the land for millennia. Due to the pollution they now have high rates of cancer and are losing their ancient hunting grounds.

BATS spokesperson Dan Stars said: “RBS is out of order. Tar sands is likely to be responsible for runaway climate change if the exploitation continues unchecked. It is wholly irresponsible for the bank to invest in what amounts to tarmageddon.”
http://http://www.flickr.com/photos/wdm/4327600119

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Back in the USA –

Colorado activists pulled an elaborate prank on Xcel Energy today, April Fool’s Day, announcing that the utility company pledged to switch to 100 percent renewable electricity statewide by phasing out not just coal plants, but natural gas as well. More

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Protesters boasting signs that read “Break America’s Oil Addiction” and “Coal is Dirty” crowd around Bank of America in downtown Asheville shouting and chanting slogans like: “What do we want? No Coal! When do we want it? NOW.” More

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An activist was arrested this afternoon at the Waterloo Branch of RBC Bank. Mark Corbiere was charged with mischief for hanging a banner reading “Boycott RBC” and “Stop the Tar Sands” from the roof of the branch, located in uptown Waterloo. More
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Pepco announces plan to shift all power facilities to wind and solar energy, may cancel planned rate hikes Pepco notifies its customers that it wishes “to serve the energy needs of our customers for generations to come – Washington DC. More

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Late last night volunteers with Portland Rising Tide blasted the city with over 3,000 fake newspaper covers wrapping the Willamette Week. With content including an interview with Bigfoot about pipeline plans. More

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Philadelphia environmentalists told morning commuters not to be “fossil fooled” by PNC Bank – a bank that calls itself “A Green Bank with Eco-Friendly Service”. PNC Bank has direct and indirect connections to mountaintop removal coal mining. More

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Blame Canada

In the spirit of April Fools day, 13 Cities in Canada have pulled creative pranks on fossil fuel industry supporters, or “Fossil Fools,” pleasantly confusing security guards, police, and the general public. More

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It’s not Down Under – New Zealand/

Camp for Climate Action Auckland has visited the offices of OMFinancial to present them with this year’s Fossil Fools day award for helping New Zealand’s biggest polluters cheat their way out of dealing with climate change. More

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Beware what happens in The Netherlands

Shell Apologises for Human Rights Violations in Niger Delta, The Hague. More

Fossil Fools Day 2010