London – Page 27 – Earth First!

Photographers turn out in solidarity against new “terror law”.

Reposted: 16.02.2009: everyone knows Indymedia’s a copper’s favourite read, but after a couple of hundred snappers turned up outside the yard this morning they’ll be queuing up today to see whose mug’s on the wire.

Because snuck in today under the usual cover of the war against terror came Section 76 of the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008.

This criminalises anyone ‘eliciting, publishing or communicating information on members of the armed forces, intelligence services and police officers which is “likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism”.

But given the police’s regular and blatant misuse of other laws such as Section 44 of the existing Terrorism Act and Section 1 of PACE, photographers feel it’s a racing certainty that it’ll get used to suppress evidence the police don’t want used against them.

“I can see it now”, wrote photographer Marc Vallee in Thursday’s Guardian ( http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/feb/11/police-terrorism-photography-liberty-central) “If you don’t stop taking pictures of me hitting this protester on the head, I’m going to nick you under section 76 of the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008.”

At least three legal cases are currently pending relating to such police over-exuberance at last year’s Climate Camp in Kingsnorth, Kent. Almost two thousand cops from 26 forces assembled at a cost of over 6 million quid and – having first harassed and delayed the press – chose to lay in on a regular basis on campers with steel batons.

Sadly for them these attacks were nevertheless filmed and photographed and this evidence stands ready to disprove the lies they make in justification for that behaviour. Imagine how much easier life will be for them in future if those newsgatherers can be taken away from the scene under threat of a ten year stretch.

High up behind the mirrored windows of New Scotland Yard the Forward Intelligence Team will have been at work photographing the photographers for their records.

And they’ll have noticed something new – as well as the usual twenty or so photographers they always target for “reporting the news the wrong way” there were a couple of hundred new faces: working news photographers who’ve had it up to the back teeth with being pushed around illegally on threat (and sometimes the reality) of arrest.

It’s no longer just an activist minority that sees through this sham of repression presented almost as a health and safety issue (keeping us safe from the bad men). Political police intrusion is becoming ever more invasive, is affecting all our lives and fucking up the freedoms we’re supposed to believe are (were?) our right.

This new law is just one more subtle tool in the armoury of public repression and this extraordinary turnout by what is normally an apathetic and politically careless bunch of photographers sends a clear signal that the worm is finally turning.

Demonstrators target Graff Diamonds in Solidarity with Kahlahari Bushmen (11.2.09)

Survival’s campaign targeting Graff Diamonds over its involvement in a diamond mine planned on the land of Kalahari Bushmen in Botswana has stepped up a gear.

Survival’s campaign targeting Graff Diamonds over its involvement in a diamond mine planned on the land of Kalahari Bushmen in Botswana has stepped up a gear. Thirty protesters gathered on the 11.2.09 outside Graff’s flagship London store holding placards saying ‘Boycott Graff’ and ‘Botswana diamonds: Bushmen despair’.

The store is based in the fashion epicentre of London surrounded by shops from Yves San Lauren, Chanel etc. The diamond industries main product is high image and thus has shown itself to be sometimes more susceptible to pressure than other resource sectors such as mining and oil. Previous pickets by Survival International and public shaming of fashion houses and top models resulted in De Beers pulling out of the planned diamond mining in the Kalahari.

There are 100,000 Bushmen in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Angola. They are the indigenous people of southern Africa, and have lived there for tens of thousands of years.

In the middle of Botswana lies the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, a reserve created both to protect the traditional territory of the 5,000 Gana, Gwi and Tsila Bushmen (and their neighbours the Bakgalagadi), and the wildlife and ecosystem of which are a part.

In the early 1980s, diamonds were discovered in the reserve. Soon after, government ministers went into the reserve to tell the Bushmen living there that they would have to leave because of the diamond finds.

In three big clearances, in 1997, 2002 and 2005, virtually all the Bushmen were forced out. Their homes were dismantled, their school and health post were closed, their water supply was destroyed and the people were threatened and trucked away.

They now live in resettlement camps outside the reserve. Rarely able to hunt, and arrested and beaten when they do, they are dependent on government handouts. They are now gripped by alcoholism, boredom, depression, and illnesses such as TB and HIV/AIDS.

Unless they can return to their ancestral lands, their unique societies and way of life will be destroyed, and many of them will die.

Although the Bushmen won the right in court to go back to their lands in 2006, the government has done everything it can to make their return impossible. It has:

Banned them from using their water borehole,
Refused to issue a single permit to hunt on their land (despite Botswana’s High Court ruling in December that its refusal to issue permits was unlawful),
Arrested more than 50 Bushmen for hunting to feed their families,
Banned them from taking their small herds of goats back to the reserve.

Its policy is clearly to intimidate and frighten the Bushmen into staying in the resettlement camps, and making the lives of those who have gone back to their ancestral land impossible.

More information on the Kalahari Bushmen can be found on their own website : www.iwant2gohome.org or the website of Survival International (which is updated more often): www.survival-international.org/tribes/bushmen

spike social centre eviction in progress – London

12.2.2009 9am
the spike surplus scheme of 39b consort road, peckham, London is being eveicted as we speak. bailiffs, cops, pcsos and “community wardens” are on site.

after a ten year project in the building which has been in community use for 150 years, the property division of soutwark council have decided to end the project. though they promised to give notice to clear the projects equipment before eviction, southwark council gave instructions to get a special court order so as not to give any notice at all.

Jeremy pilgrim of the southwark council lead the police operation, visiting the project for the first time this morning after many previous invites to visit the community centre.

people have been told to liase with bailiffs in order to collect the thousands of pounds worth of equipment still there.

www.spikesurplus.org

www.myspace.com/spikesurplus

Earth First! tree planting weekend in Pennines Fri 13th-Sun 15th March

The annual and occasionally hedonistic opportunity to plant thousands of native trees on a ecologically degraded hillside is happening in March. Organised by Earth First!

The annual and occasionally hedonistic opportunity to plant thousands of native trees on a ecologically degraded hillside is happening in March. Organised by Earth First! activists in collaboration with Calderdale community group Treesponsibility we will be based in Hebden Bridge in Calderdale. If you fancy a weekend of hard but satisfying work planting native woodland combined with good food and socialising put the weekend of the 13-15th March in your diary.

Earth First! tree planting weekend…

Date: Friday 13th – Sunday 15th March

Venue: We will be staying in a camping barn with comfy beds and heating. Bring a sleeping bag.

Transport: Get yourself to Hebden Bridge train station for a pick up at 6pm or 8pm on the 13th. Pickups are available by arrangement at other times if you e-mail in advance.

Food: All food will be cooked collectively and will be vegan.

Cost: £25 for the weekend. This includes all food and accomodation. You’ll have to supply you own beer. We will be visiting the famous Blue Pig public house on the Saturday night.

Need more info? Contact: treesponsibility@yahoo.co.uk or call 07983743894

Climate Camp hits the City of London on April Fools Day, the eve of the G20 leaders’ London Summit. Join us!

Climate camp 2009 /// Stopping carbon markets /// Because nature doesn’t do bailouts.

First the city traders speculated with our homes, jobs and money – with disastrous results. Now they are speculating with our climate and the very future of life on earth – and once again our governments are cheering them on.

By creating a brain-bending system of carbon pollution licenses, fossil fuel companies and trading firms have found a way to keep on churning out global warming gases and to reap huge windfall profits at the same time.
Meanwhile, the UK government is justifying a third runway at Heathrow and a coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth by saying that these new “carbon trading” schemes will magically make all their emissions vanish.

They are handing control of our climate over to the same people and systems that caused the financial collapse. All the workable and fair alternatives aren’t getting a look-in

We need to stop this foolishness.

We’ve camped against the Heathrow runway, we’ve camped against the Kingsnorth coal power station. Now its time to camp against the over-arching problem: absolute faith in unfettered markets and endless economic growth. On April 1st the G20 leaders arrive in London. At a time of climate crisis their response to the market meltdown is emergency loans to car manufacturers, increased spending to encourage consumption, and bailouts for the very people who got us into this mess – just the thing that will make the climate crisis worse.

Don’t let them get away with it: join our camp in the Square Mile! Gather at noon, April 1st, at the European Climate Exchange, Hasilwood House, 62 Bishopsgate, EC2N 4AW. Bring a pop-up tent, sleeping bag, wind turbine, mobile cinema, action plans and ideas…let’s imagine another world.

Don’t let the financial and fossil fools make the rules!

for updates, details on back-up plans, and moreinformation, visit us again at http://www.climatecamp.org.uk/g20

To get involved, come to our planning meeting on Saturday February 14th in London (arrive at the library houuse, 52 Knatchbull, at 1 pm for a 1:30 start) or come to the gathering on March the 6th/7th in Nottingham.

Email g20 [@] climatecamp.org.uk for more information.

Join the announcements list, the facebook page and event.

Please post this link, paste this text, and otherwise spread the word!

Help celebrate Fossil Fools Day and Financial Fools Day

Call out for solidarity anti-nuke actions on 26th April (Chernobyl Day)

A call out for common actions against the construction of a new nuclear power station

Present-day Belarus is a post soviet country, on which territory a regime, police state in form and neoliberal in essence, fortified its position. For already 14 years the country is run by one and the same person Alexander Lukashenko, a populist at the beginning of his governing and openly pursuing antisocial reforms now. The freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly is not about our country. These basic values as well as the political opposition are suppressed. Peaceful gatherings dispersions, political trials, preventive detentions all this has become a norm of political practice in Belarus.

A few years ago the ruling top started to consider another venturesome project the construction of a nuclear power station (NPS). Lukashenko took a decision regardless of the public wishes and common sense. The decision was made with the active support of the international nuclear lobby. The construction is to be undertaken by a Russian corporation Rosatom. It is to be held in a seismically active zone, in a dozen kilometers away from Lake Naroch the largest lake in Belarus, which is ecologically unique for our country and is a tourists and holiday-makers attraction. On the construction will be spent $4 billion, which otherwise could be outlaid for alternative energy means development.

But the above-listed points pale before the fact that Belarus shared 70% of radioactive contamination after Chernobyl nuclear accident. But the government and the president are absolutely not concerned about that. They want to create a delayed-action bomb in the country, where one third of the territory is unfit for farming and berries/mushrooms gathering.

We, Antinuclear resistance, an anarchy group, come out against nuclear power engineering on the whole and against the NPS construction specifically in Belarus. A part of political forces in Belarus, including opposition, supported the NPS construction. Unlike them we do not believe in NPS safety irrespective of the political regime, within which it is functioning and being constructed. Our activity is based upon non-authoritarian principles, we do not cooperate with any political parties on a regular base, but with ecological organizations and grassroots initiatives.

On 26 April, the anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear accident, an annual demonstration Charnobylski Shlah (The Chernobyl Path) takes place in commemoration of the accident and the people who fell the immediate and lingering victims of it. Starting with the year of 1996 anarchists take part in the demo with ecological and antinuclear slogans. But nowadays the demonstration, instead of just mourning and commemorative event, is
gaining a protest mood: in the country, where dozens of thousands people have died as a result of the nuclear accident aftermaths and hundreds of thousands have acquired accident-caused illnesses or become handicapped, a new NPS is to be constructed! And that is done according to the common regulations of an authoritarian police state not asking the peoples opinion, but just confronting them with the fact.

On 26 April we will again take a most active part in the Charnobylski Shlah (The Chernobyl Path), well try to pass along to everyone our clear antinuclear position, will inform as many people as possible of the approaching danger. But now it is not enough! As an instrument of struggle against the state lawlessness we rely on the international support. We urge anarchists, environmentalists, antiauthoritarians of the world to carry out solidarity actions on 26 April 2009. We call for a decentralized day of action of any form, which could help people learn something about our problem and stop the impudent authority and their sponsors from IAEA.

If you already take actions on 26 April on your local problems concerning nuclear power engineering, please put on your list the demand for abolition of the NSP construction in Belarus. You are also welcome to participate in The Chernobyl Path in Minsk and other actions in Belarus.

Together we will be able to stand up for the right for life on a clean and ecologically safe planet!

If you have any intention to make solidarity actions with the Belarussian antinuclear movement or participate in the demonstration in Belarus please contact us:

antiatombel@riseup.net

Spread out the call out through any accessible for you information channels

belarus anarchists
http://belarus.avtonom.org

Climate Rush gets chained to Parliament

28 january 2009

28 january 2009
As I write this blog our MPs are debating the subject of the third runway in the Commons. Although any decision made will not be binding it is possible that there will be a labour revolt over the current decision to go ahead when a vote is held at 7pm this evening. A not insignificant amount of MPs are seriously annoyed with our government’s collusion with BAA, with two MPs deciding to resign over the issue this morning.

Climate Rush were outside the gates of Parliament to show what they think of our farcical democracy at 10.30am this morning, cunningly bearing chains under large coats. It was an easy stroll over to the railings and a leisurely padlocking ensued before any police even took any notice. Eight women and two men dressed in assorted Edwardian-style gear unfurled their lovingly stencilled aprons bearing the immortal DEEDS NOT WORDS, and proceeded to smile for the attendant press.

After about an hour the police decided to move everyone else off the area with a bit of force, before then making a u-turn and letting everyone back in. They threatened arrest several times, for protesting in a SOCPA area (you have to apply to protest anywhere near Parliament) without a permit, and then for refusals to unchain. This was much to the amusement of the pro-cannabis lobby over the way in the square, who heckled us through their megaphone. I think they may take tips from us in the future. Tourists stopped to have their photos taken. Suffragettes drank tea from a flask and ate turkish delight.

Eventually, the boltcutters arrived, and the police chopped through the chains. But still no arrests, in fact they appeared desperate to avoid any arrests, clearly dreading the extra publicity over our demonstration of true democracy in action – orders seemed to change rapidly from whomever was passing them down from on high. After all the Suffragettes had been freed a group huddle ensued to decide on whether to further attempt arrest, but it was decided that this might prove nearly impossible given that it had already proved so difficult, and instead we went off for a cup of tea and a plate of chips in the Methodist Church Hall cafe.

I’d like to think that something sensible might occur in government today, like our elected politicians realising that building a third runway is not compatible with cutting 80% of our CO2 emissions, as already agreed. Alas I fear not….
Join the fun with Climate Rush if you’d like to voice your opinion on this matter on a future date.

climaterush.co.uk

More photos at http://www.ameliasmagazine.com/amelias_blog/2009/01/climate_rush_gets_chained_to_p.php

E.On Ref Off!

On Saturday 24th January a group of London Climate Camp activists turned up at Stamford Bridge dressed as football referees to show E.ON the red card.

On Saturday 24th January a group of London Climate Camp activists turned up at Stamford Bridge dressed as football referees to show E.ON the red card. Over 40,000 Chelsea and Ipswich fans arriving for the game heard us blowing the whistle on E.ON’s dirty FA Cup sponsorship money, and thousands of them were personally handed an “E.ON F.OFF” red card explaining how the company is making foul profits from the climate crisis. It was all good fun and reactions were pretty positive – E.ON themselves would have paid tens of thousands to get the opposite publicity for their brand!

Activists take action “In Defence of Ancient Forests”

26.01.2009
Today, protesters climbed trees and hung banners in front of the Australian High Commission in London to raise awareness of the continued logging of Australia’s old growth and high conservation value forests. An emergency report compiled by environmental and protest groups in Tasmania was delivered detailing the devastation of public forests at the hands of woodchip company Gunns Ltd. The company propose more than 10km of logging roads to access 12 logging ‘coupes’ all of which contain irreplaceable ecosystems and some of the tallest trees on the planet.

Last Monday, concerned members of the British public delivered a petition with 936 names to the embassy asking for an immediate halt to logging old growth forest in Tasmania.
The protest is motivated by the eviction of the long standing protest camp in the Upper Florentine valley in Tasmania. To date 30 protesters and community members acting in the defence of the protest camp have been arrested.

“We have gained support from the Rt Hon Norman Baker MP, who is in the process of tabling an early day motion in Parliament expressing concern about the extent of logging in the Upper Florentine valley in Tasmania” said forest campaigner Phil Neale.

In July, following a meeting in Quebec, The World Heritage Committee requested the State Party to consider an “extension of the property to include appropriate areas of tall eucalypt forest”, once more highlighting this issue as being an international concern.
This request has reiterated international concerns with the continued destruction of Tasmania’s ancient forests.

“We are calling on Prime Minister Rudd and Premier Bartlett to heed the advice of the IUCN now and place an immediate moratorium on logging in the globally significant forests of the Styx, Weld and Upper Florentine” – Ula Majewski spokesperson for grass roots campaign group ‘Still Wild, Still Threatened’.

There where unnecessary amounts of police in the area but no arrests.

For more information visit www.huon.org and www.stillwildstillthreatened.org

CLIMATE ACTION NEWS SHEET 85, December/January 2008/2009

————————-
UPCOMING/ONGOING EVENTS AND ACTIONS:
————————-

1. Camp for Climate Action Gathering, 31.01.09-01.02.09
2. Earth First! Winter Moot, 6-8.02.09
3. Mobilising for the COP, 13-15.03.09
4. Do It Yourself! Course, 22-27.03.09
5. Fossil Fools Day 2009, 01.04.09
6. Coal Caravan, April 2009

————————-
UPCOMING/ONGOING EVENTS AND ACTIONS:
————————-

—————-
RECENT HAPPENINGS:
—————-
1. Case collapses against E.On blockaders, 14.01.09
2. Heathrow’s third runway gets the go-ahead and activists respond, January 2009
3. Plane Stupid shut down Stansted Airport, 08-12.08
4. 48 hours of action against E.on and new coal, 28-29.11.08
5. Scottish coal rail terminal shut down, 15.12.08
6. E.ON forced to abandon recruitment tour, November 2008
7. Kelsterback Forest Occupation (Frankfurt Airport), ongoing

————————-
UPCOMING EVENTS AND ACTIONS:
————————-

1) Camp for Climate Action New Year Gathering, 31.01.09 – 01.02.09
2008 saw the biggest Climate Camp to date and the most incredible array of direct action against climate change on record. But what does 2009 hold in store? Regardless of whether you’ve been to a climate camp, all are welcome to come along to this exciting weekend gathering. We will be asking ourselves whether there should be another big summer event and, if so, what it should be. Already there have been many possibilities raised, ranging from another rural camp to a singular day of action. Other ideas include an urban convergence or a climate caravan. The gathering will also provide a forum to talk http://climatecamp.org.uk/?q=node/468

2) Earth First! Winter Moot, 6-8.02.09
The Earth First! Winter Moot is a weekend to reflect on where we are as a radical ecologist movement and on where we are going. The moot will be about discussing strategy, strengthening the EF! network, security and communications, and action planning. A session is also reserved for discussing a UK mobilisation for the UN climate conference in Copenhagen late 2009. The moot will be held in Brighton (t.b.c.). Please check the website nearer to the time for further details and email any items you would like to add an item to the agenda to moot2009 at earthfirst.org.uk.
http://earthfirst.org.uk/actionreports/node/21557

3) Mobilising for the COP, 13-15.03.09
The UN Climate Conference of Parties number 15 is set to take place in Copenhagen on the 30th of November 2009, and it will be the biggest climate summit ever to have taken place. More than 12,000 delegates – business leaders, politicians, diplomats and lobbyists – are going to be discussing an international treaty to replace the failed Kyoto Protocol.

Tens of thousands of activists and protesters will be making their way to Copenhagen for this major event. In September 2008 people from more than 23 countries met in Copenhagen and agreed on a Call to Action, calling for people to start mobilizing and to carry out actions locally as well as coming to Copenhagen for mass actions.
Another international planning meeting will take place in March (13th-15th) 2009 where the concepts and strategy for action will be discussed. http://climateaction09.org/

4) Do It Yourself! 22-27.03.09
A course exploring tools for empowerment and grassroots social change, at the Findhorn Foundation

Can we manage our own lives and communities at the grassroots rather than retreating into fear, blame and stereotypes or looking to others to solve the problems? Many people believe that the answers to the big questions lie in community empowerment, bottom up organising. This course provides a chance to become confident using a range of techniques designed to this end and to clarify our visions for the potential of these approaches. We will also put aside time to deal with the emotions and doubts raised and include a range of short films and contemporary case studies.

The main aims of the course are to share with participants tools, knowledges, and initiatives which can be used to empower themselves and their communities, and inspire positive social change, based on co-operation and solidarity. The course will draw on the book DO IT YOUSELF – A Handbook for Changing Our World edited by TRAPESE (see handbookforchange.org) Email for more info: trapese@riseup.net

5) Fossil Fools Day 2009, 01.04.09
Just in case you missed the news – Fossil Fools Day is back! On April 1st, join the global day of resistance and pull a prank that packs a punch. Call-out now available on the website, so help spread the word. If you would like leaflets and/or posters send us an email and we’ll post you some – info@risingtide.org.uk
www.risingtide.org.uk/fossilfoolsday2009

6) Coal Caravan, 17.04.09 – 04.05.09
The fabulous climate caravan lives on. This time we will be the COAL CARAVAN, walking and cycling between the sites for proposed open cast mines and new power stations in the Midlands, Yorkshire and North East. On our route we’ll be talking to local people, organising bicycled power films and events, holding public discussions and displays, and linking groups from different areas to help strengthen isolated campaigns.

Precise details of the route are to be confirmed, but put the dates in your diary now! Meet up Friday 17th April (W. Midlands), to start our journey on Saturday 18th. The Caravan will end two and a half weeks later with a grand finale on Bank Holiday Monday (4th May).
The caravan itself will not involve direct action (although we may offer training, if local groups so request).
http://earthfirst.org.uk/actionreports/node/21915
/caravan@climatecamp.org.uk.

7) Earth Activist Training, 11-26.07.09
Learn the skills to transform a piece of land, a community, and our political and economic systems. Spend two weeks in rural Devon learning: Nature and wilderness awareness, Diversity in ecosystems and social movements, Solutions that exist: alternative energy; organic farming; natural building; bioremediation & restoration, Soil and woodland ecology and much, much more …

On completion participants will receive a permaculture design certificate. The course will be held at Landmatters Permaculture Cooperative in Devon. Costs: £200 – £650 sliding scale according to income. http://www.landmatters.org.uk / earthactivisttraining@riseup.net

8) Nonviolence for a Change Training, 2009
Turning the Tide will offer monthly workshops in nonviolent methods and strategies for social change. You can participate as a member of the year-group (committing to all eleven sessions) or only come to those workshops which interest you.
http://www.turning-the-tide.org

—————-
RECENT HAPPENINGS:
—————-

1) Case collapses against E.On blockaders, 14.01.09
Two environmentalists, arrested following a blockade of E.On’s Nottingham offices on Fossil Fools Day 2008, had the case against them dismissed on Wednesday 14th January. The case collapsed after it emerged that the prosecution had offered no evidence to support the charge of aggravated trespass. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) were found to have been negligent in their administration of the case and were ordered to pay the defence’s costs.
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/01/419126.html

2) Heathrow’s third runway gets the go-ahead and activists respond,
January 2009
Both Heathrow and Manchester airports were targeted Monday 12th January with the domestic departure lounges of both airports simultaneously occupied by protesters. In London over 500 people defied airport bylaws by staging a sit-down dinner, forcing airport operator BAA to close 18 check-in desks. In Manchester police used powers under Section 14 of the Public Order Act to contain up to 100 protesters on the ground floor of Terminal 3, with one arrest.

Meanwhile, Greenpeace revealed that a plot of land within the proposed expansion site had been purchased in an attempt to delay the construction.

When the announcement came on Thursday 15th, ‘climate suffragettes’ smashed the windows of the Department of Transport (http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/01/418697.html) and on Saturday 17th Jan, 500 flash mobbed at Heathrows terminal 5.

For all the details, pictures, videos and more visit –
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/01/418105.html

3) Plane Stupid shut down Stansted Airport, 08-12.08
50 activists from Plane Stupid shut down Stansted Airport by camping on the runway and surrounding themselves with fortified security fencing. Plane Stupid announced ‘We are genuinely grateful for the level of support from people who have agreed with us that desperate times call for desperate measures. We have used this action to ask for everyone to ‘please, do something’. We hope that all those that have expressed support for today’s action will now think about what they are going to do to ensure the survival of our planet and people on it’.
http://www.planestupid.com/?q=content/plane-stupid-shuts-stansted-airport

4) 48 hours of action against E.on and new coal, 28-29.11.08
The 48 hours of action was a great first shot across the bows. E.On were rattled, local and national media took an interest, resources were gathered and are now ready to go, a new website is now up and running (http://www.e-onf-off.org.uk/), a list of targets has been compiled and E.on know that if they try to build a new coal fired power station at Kingsnorth then they will face a barrage of direct action – both towards their daily operations and their supply chain. E.on be warned. Actions took place in: London, Brighton, Bristol, Norwich, Coventry, Nottingham & Coventry and at Kingsnorth itself. http://risingtide.org.uk/node/309

Plus, ‘Green Banksy’ invades Kingsnorth during the 48 hours: An
unidentified group allegedly penetrated Kingsnorth security and switched off almost 500 megawatts of generating capacity, cutting almost 2% off the nation’s power supply for about four hours.
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/12/414463.html

5) Scottish coal rail terminal shut down, 15.12.08
30 campaigners from Coal Action Scotland together with local residents peacefully blockaded the entrance to the Scottish Coal-operated Ravenstruther coal rail terminal in South Lanarkshire for 8 hours. The protestors were acting to oppose the five open cast coal mines that deliver coal to the rail terminal and in resistance to the thirteen new open cast coal mines due to open in Scotland. Protestors erected and scaled a 15ft scaffolding tripod, blocking trucks from entering the terminal. Others locked themselves by their necks to a conveyor belt and a bulldozer, preventing coal stockpiles from being loaded onto trains. An
estimated 6,380 tonnes of coal were stopped from being transported from the coal mines to power stations, preventing the equivalent to 11,675.4 tonnes of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere.
http://coalactionedinburgh.wordpress.com/

6) E.ON forced to abandon recruitment tour, November 2008
Anti-coal protests at graduate careers fairs around the UK forced E.ON to cancel its recruitment tour. The energy company, which is planning to build a new coal power station at Kingsnorth, Kent, saw seventeen of its careers events disrupted. This was a co-ordinated national effort from students involved in People & Planet, the Coal Action Network, and the Camp for Climate Action. Leaflets, banners, fancy dress, conversations with attendees and eye-catching stunts were used to embarrass E.ON and dissuade graduates from joining the company. The Royal Bank of Scotland, one of E.ON’s main financial backers, were also targeted at the fairs over their role in providing loans to build the proposed new power station.
http://leaveitintheground.org.uk/?p=185

7) Kelsterback Forest Occupation (Frankfurt Airport), ongoing Resist Frankfurt Airport Expansion – defend the forest camp. After Heathrow, Frankfurt is the largest airport in Europe. Fraport (the company running the airport) and the German government are trying to build a new runway, to massively increase flights. To build the new runway, Fraport need to clear 250,000 m2 of protected forest. For seven months, activists have been squatting the forest, building tree platforms and floating rafts to resist attempts to chop down the forest. January 2009 is bringing threat of eviction – and they need all the help they can get.
http://waldbesetzung.blogsport.de/english-information/ or
http://waldbesetzung.blogsport.de/photos/

—————–
Rising Tide UK,
c/o 62 Fieldgate Street,
London E1 1ES
www.risingtide.org.uk
www.artnotoil.org.uk
www.fossilfoolsday.org
Tel: 07708 794665

See also the Camp for Climate Action (www.climatecamp.org.uk), Network for
Climate Action (www.networkforclimateaction.org.uk) and Climate Indymedia
(www.climateimc.org)

———-

Please send anything you’d like included in this news sheet to:
newssheet@risingtide.org.uk

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