Wales – Page 9 – Earth First!

International bike ride links communities in resistance: Merthyr to Mayo cyclist

22.5.2010
Today, a 50-strong international bike ride begins the 400 mile journey from a community resisting Britain’s largest open cast coal mine in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales to County Mayo, Ireland, where local people have spent the last ten years fighting a Shell-led gas development. We aim to offer direct support to these two local campaigns resisting the fossil fuel industry.

30 cyclists from the UK will join the “Madrid to Mayo” cycle ride in Cork, and many others from Ireland are expected to join on route. We will spend ten days traveling up the west coast of Ireland, distributing a specially produced newspaper, “Changing Times”. Events are being held along the way, each night we’re being hosted by different community organisations, and we’ll arrive in Mayo for the Rossport Solidarity Camp June Bank Holiday Weekend Gathering at Glengad.

It’s gonna be a good laugh, but hopefully more than that – the line we are drawing from Merthyr to Mayo is a reminder that none of us can afford to see these places in isolation.

The ride begins today with an event in Merthyr Tydfil where local residents and the solidarity cyclists are sharing stories, ideas, music and food.

“Our communities’ stories are repeated across the globe in the places where fossil fuels are sourced. Large corporations move into areas regardless of the wishes of the affected population; resources are extracted and, whilst the corporations reap vast profits, the local people have to suffer the health and environmental consequences. And, as the fossil fuels are burnt they contribute to climate change, affecting everyone.” – Merthyr resident, Alyson Austin.

Both communities have a long history of resistance, and their efforts have resulted in amazing successes. In Erris, Mayo, the campaign won a sizeable victory in November last year, when Shell’s application for their onshore gas pipeline was effectively refused by the planning authorities; it is unclear when (or if) permission will be granted in the future. In Merthyr Tydfil, campaigners are currently taking out a Group Private Nuisance case against the mining company, Miller Argent. Significant numbers of local people are participating in the legal action which aims to limit the mine’s impact on residents. Climate activists recently did a solidarity action by blockading coal trains headed from the mine to Aberthaw Power Station. In recent months, Mayo has seen string of actions locally, nationally and internationally in solidarity with political prisoners Pat O’Donnell and Niall Harnett (more information on the prisoners and how to write to them, and the campaign in general, on the shell to sea website.)

Please join us on the ride, for the gathering, and in continued resistance against patriarchal white-supremacist capitalist imperialism, and the fight for social and ecological justice!

http://www.merthyrtomayo.org.uk

The new Action Update – full of of action news and analysis

In the new summer edition of the EF! Action Update, read about coal trains blockaded, peat bogs defended, and gas terminals shut down. Find out about the dangers of nanotech, current state of nuclear GM trials in the UK, Tesco uprisings, golf course trashing, tar sands action and much more.

Be inspired by our protest camp feature and the recent Titnore victory. And from across the seas, read about our brothers and sisters struggling against whaling ship sabotage, coal port pirates, riots in Zagreb, mining firm occupations in Bolivia, dam resistance in Brazil and much more.

“We are going to inherit the earth . There is not the slightest doubt about that. We Are not afraid of ruins. We carry a new world, here in our hearts. That world is growing this minute.” – Durruti

To download the latest EF!AU for printing, go to http://www.earthfirst.org.uk/efau/actionupdate_summer10print.pdf

To read the latest EF!AU online, go to http://www.earthfirst.org.uk/efau/actionupdate_summer10.pdf

Coal Action Network website relaunched!

Check out http://coalaction.org.uk/ for the updated and re-vamped Coal Action Network website and detailed coal maps of the UK. It is hoped that this website will be a useful resource to anyone taking action – or thinking of taking action – to protect communities, environments and the climate system from coal projects.

The CAN website will be kept up-to-date with recent news from campaigns and the industry. Have a look at The Coal Maps – mapping coal across the UK, contacts page for campaigns and groups active on coal, useful resources for campaign groups, arguments against new coal, upcoming events and links to information and other issues. You can get in touch to contribute updates and information and sign up to the CAN email list.

Through this website we aim to help link community struggles and arm ourselves with the information we need to resist new open cast coal mines and coal-fired power stations.

Ffos-y-Fran Coal Train Blockade – Action Report (and ‘Pictures’)

An action report as promised.
All cameras were seized by police – instead sketches have been drawn to document the action.

A group of individuals who met through the Rising Tide network and were inspired to take direct action against the route causes of climate change. They maintain an 8-hour blockade of coal trains carrying fuel from Ffos-y-Fran open-cast coal mine to Aberthaw power station.

An aerial view of the mine, the protest groups and the police response

ACTION

On 26th April 2010 in the early afternoon a group of individuals made their presence known to staff and security at Ffos-y-Fran open-cast coal mine in Merthyr Tydfil. Having ensured their presence around the tracks was known and no trains would be leaving until they were removed, they proceeded to lock themselves to the train track using chains and super glue. This single track is used to transport train-loads of mined coal to Aberthaw power station, and the first and only train for the day was due to leave soon after. Legal observers and support were present.

It took a long time for police to make the lengthy journey from the nearest police station, however they sent their friendly neighbourhood helicopter on plenty of pointless gas-guzzling jaunts around the area. Once the police properly arrived they immediately arrested the four support people, placed them in handcuffs and made them wait beside the track while a cutting team arrived to remove the group who had locked on to the rails. Despite the handcuffs, the support team continued to provide food and water to the lock-on team. Later the police also arrested the legal observer who was clearly on the other side of the fence and not on the track. After approximately 4 and a half hours of lengthy response times and a paper-chain of police bureaucracy that group was removed and arrested.

The first group locked on complete with washing-line banner

As this group of people were being led off the train tracks they informed the police of some incredibly irritating news. A second group had been hiding just round the corner and were as they spoke emerging and locking onto the tracks with heavy duty lock-on tubes. Clearly too exhausted from their hard work operating bolt croppers to take a quick stroll down the line to check this out, the helicopter took to the skies once more. One quick swoop confirmed what it had failed to notice on its many swoops earlier – four protesters with a legal observer and support, cheerfully waving from the train track before, now finally sure their presence had been noted, calmly taking their places on roll mats and rugs and locking on inside two lock-on tubes placed in convenient gaps under the railway line. By this point it was 5.00pm.

A network rail engineer ran a couple of hundred metres down the tracks to check upon the new group. The police drove. Again on arrival they immediately arrested the legal observer and support, who were cheerfully reading a novel to those locked. Despite failing to produce on demand a Risk Assessment of the cutting operation (but plenty of whinging about how dangerous it is) it took the cops until 8pm to cut open the tubes – one of which was multi-layered, and the other of which had a very thick metal layer. A special groan was reserved for when they realised the protesters had not just chained but also superglued their hands together inside the tubes and had to send for some industrial glue remover.

The second group flagging down the chopper before locking on

All arrested were taken to Ystrad Mynach Police Station. This included four people who were enjoying a nice day out in the beautiful surrounding countryside, who the police arrested out of some kind of belief that they were in some way involved. In total 18 were arrested and spent 24 hours in the cells. It is believed that no coal left Ffos-y-Fran that day.

The second group in position

CONSEQUENCES

It appears that legal observers and support roles were originally arrested on suspicion of conspiracy, however they were subsequently charged with the same charge as those who had locked on. All 18 were eventually charged with “Unlawful Act With Intent To Obstruct The Railways” contrary to section 35 of the Malicious Damage Act 1861. This rather quaint law designed to protect the interests of private landowners over 150 years ago carries a rather less quaint maximum sentence of life in prison. However the protesters have stated that they are not anticipating anything approaching that kind of sentence as the law is obviously out of date and ample safety measures were taken to ensure there would be no danger to the train, the train driver, the police or the protesters.

All were bailed to return to Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates Court at 10am on 10th May 2010. All were bailed “not to be upon or allow yourself to be upon any property owned, leased or rented by British rail network”. They were allowed to travel home by train that day however any future train trips had to be cleared by arresting officers. Those who gave fixed addresses were bailed to reside at those addresses. Those who did not give fixed addresses were bailed to reside at contact addresses, despite making it clear they did not have any permission to live there and had no connection with those addresses other than being able to receive post from those addresses. Some were also bailed to sign in regularly at local police stations. One of those arrested was bailed to reside in Cornwall but sign in daily at Bath Police Station without the use of trains!

CLIMATE PROTESTERS FACE LIFE SENTENCES AFTER COAL TRAIN BLOCKADE

On Monday 26th April, people involved in the Rising Tide Network
literally put their necks on the line by blockading the railtrack which
carries coal from the controversial open-cast mine at Ffos-y-Fran in
Merthyr Tydfil to Aberthaw Power Station. It took the combined efforts
of British Rail Police and South Wales Police over 8 hours to remove the
last of the protesters at 8.10pm on Monday evening.

18 People from Bristol and Bath are due in court on 10th May, charged
under the Malicious Damages Act of 1861, a law to protect the interests
of 19th Century rail owners. If convicted they face anything up to a
life sentence in prison. The 18 People, who are part of the Rising Tide
(UK) Network were held for over 24 hours, and were only allowed to phone
out after 11.00 am yesterday (Tuesday). The house of one of those
involved was raided by 8 police officers who spent 3 hours searching
their home.

Kim Green from Rising Tide (UK) said:

“We are protesting the continued extraction and burning of fossil fuels
in the face of a global climate emergency. The failure of the Copenhagen
climate talks to deal with this huge problem, and the obvious policy
inadequacy the three main UK parties contesting the general election to
take the necessary action to tackle the problem has highlighted the need
for the people to take grass-roots direct action.”

Kim Green continues:

“This action is also in support of the local people of Merthyr Tydfil
whose campaign ‘Residents Against Ffos-y-Fran’ has been fighting the
mine for over six years. The mine causes noise pollution for up to 16
hours a day, dust and dirt are carried into the town by the wind, and it
turns the rain black.”

The process by which Miller-Argent were able to get the go ahead to
exploit this resource at the social cost of both the local and global
community failed to take into consideration the social-environmental
impact of such projects, highlighting the democratic deficit in the
planning process. The newly formed quango “The Planning Commission” will
only make these things worse, being able to ignore any consideration in
favour of profit.

Miller Argent have been quick to pressure their small workforce into
mobilising against local concerns – but their apparent concern for their
workers is betrayed by the fact that they are actually looking to sell
the mine as there is only half the quantity of high quality coal as they
initially believed. They are in fact making a loss on the project.

On the potential life sentence, a spokesperson for the 18 said:

“We would not anticipate facing any such penalty as we took great care
to ensure the safety of all taking part and had made certain that the
coal train would not leave the loading area before the line was blocked.”

“This was a carefully planned action: hence it’s success. However, we
admit that it was a drastic course of action but even this barely
matches the climate crisis we will face if much more radical measures
are not taken now.”

All 18 have been bailed to appear at Merthyr Tydfill Magistrates Court
on 10th May at 10.00 am.

*** Aberthaw Power Station is the biggest polluter in Wales. In 2006 it
released 7.4. million tonnes of Co2. It is Projected to run until 2025
with NO PLANS to fit carbon capture storage (CCS) technology. 40% of the
coal for the power station is supplied by Ffos-Y-Fran. It was targeted
by Bristol & Cardiff Rising Tide in 2008.

*** Miller Argent own and run Ffos-Y-Fran. Argent are in turn owned by
the BT Pensions Group. Both of these organisations make much of their
ethical and sustainable practices. But in this case they seem to be
placing profits over and above any element of social responsibility.

People Needed to Stop the Slaughter – Save the Welsh Badgers

The Welsh Assembly Government is planning to slaughter thousands of badgers, in South West Wales,over the next five years as part of their “plan” to eradicate bovine TB. This despite all the evidence from previous culls that badgers do not contribute to the spread of the disease.

Get directly involved in stopping the Welsh Assembly Government’s illegal and immoral slaughter of Welsh badgers.

The five year slaughter, costing millions to the tax payer, is nothing more than a sop to the dairy farming industry which refuses to accept that its own bad practices and poor husbandry are causing the spread of the disease and is looking for a scapegoat.

If this cull is deemed a success it may well be rolled out to the rest of the UK so it is important we act now to stop the wholesale slaughter of this harmless, native animal.

Please contact us at: savethewelshbadger@googlemail.com if you wish to get directly involved in stopping the cull.

For more information on the cull please see:
http://www.badger-killers.co.uk/
http://www.pembrokeshireagainstthecull.org.uk/
http://www.animalaid.org.uk/h/n/CAMPAIGNS/wildlife//2283/

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!

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

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

Plane Stupid issues 48hr subvertising challenge

It’s that time of year when every airline starts aggressively advertising for your business. Well, we’ve had enough. Plane Stupid is inviting all of you to take part in its very own subvertising competition. From Thursday 22nd April – Friday 23rd April, we’ll be launching 48 hours of sticker-whacking, subvertising, adbusting pandemonium.

The aviation industry spends millions every year telling us that we’re no good to anyone unless we keep flying with them. So it’s time to hit back! Like tobacco adverts, aviation advertising needs to become a thing of the past. But until then, let’s subvertise. Any poster, advert or billboard is fair game.

Whether you’re a first time activist looking for an easy way-in, or an old timer looking for some light relief………it’s time to take to the streets and reclaim some public space. Taking part is easy:

1. You can download a choice of designs from our Flickr site, or use your design skills to make your own.
2. Print them out on standard, non divided, A4 sticker paper (available from most printers and stationers).
3. Then find your nearest aviation advertisement.
4. Stick ’em up punk!
5. Take photographs, set up a new temporary email address in an internet cafe (under a pseudonym) and email your images to info@planestupid.com.

The group who stickers the most adverts in the 48 hour period wins. Wins what? Prizes! We got the bumper crop of 5 spray cans, Culture Jam by Kalle Lasn, Do It Yourself, A handbook for changing our world, by the Trapese Collective and Scribbleboy by Philip Ridley to give away.

Of course don’t feel limited to individual stickers, think big! You can write your own message on large stretches of blank wall paper to cover whole bill boards. Make up some wall paper paste, get a paint roller, a stick it up. If necessary – attach the roller to a broom handle for those hard to reach places. Helpfully, there’s some great how-to guides on t’internet.

One last point. Please be respectful about where you sticker. Corporate nasties are fine…..but the local old people’s homes may not appreciate your art on their walls!

Use your head, and remember to dress well for the occasion – caps and scarves are the in thing this subvertising season. Some officers of the law may be convinced that subvertising is borderline illegal, so take a friend as lookout, keep an eye open for CCTV and don’t get caught.