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SDL and BNP: Smashed out of Glasgow!

22.9.10

A last minute mobilisation of anti-fascists on Sunday saw off both the BNP and the Scottish Defence League, who both attempted to hold separate public activity in Glasgow city centre.

22.9.10

A last minute mobilisation of anti-fascists on Sunday saw off both the BNP and the Scottish Defence League, who both attempted to hold separate public activity in Glasgow city centre.

With fears that the SDL were attempting a ‘flash-mob’ style protest, in the vein of what the EDL organised in Oldham last weekend, SAFA activists were already keeping an eye on the city centre, when they came across the BNP setting up a stall around 1pm.

SAFA activists – plus people from left-wing stalls elsewhere in the city centre – were able to quickly mobilise to confront the BNP. Around 1.45pm, a large number of anti-fascists descended on the stall, which was kicked over and the contents of it torn up or seized. With a large crowd now gathered around, the BNP were left standing beside the ruins of their stall as up to 100 onlookers and anti-fascists chanted at them. The police showed up around 15 minutes later and attempted to gain control of the situation, but in the end were forced to remove the BNP members for their own safety.

Meanwhile, the SDL were beginning to gather in The Goose pub on Union Street. They indicated that they would heading to George Square at 5.30pm, for an assembly at the Cenotaph – their full intentions were unclear. By the time the 15 SDL supporters showed up, around 100 anti-fascists and local youth were gathered in the square. A brief confrontation ensued, with one SDL supporter arrested, alongside a 14 year old, who allegedly threw a punch in the direction of the SDL.

The SDL were denied the use of the Cenotaph, and the police were again forced to step in to remove the fascists from our streets.

All in all, a hugely successful day of direct action against fascism – let’s hope they got the message and don’t return any time soon.

Two emails re US evidence Cherney Bari bomb

Darryl Cherney and Judi Bari were both members of the IWW at the time.

http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_16025546

SAN FRANCISCO — The survivor of an Oakland car bombing reopened a 20-year-old case Wednesday when he asked a federal judge to bar the FBI from destroying bomb fragments he argued could contain evidence.

Darryl Cherney and Judi Bari were both members of the IWW at the time.

http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_16025546

Authorities this week said they exhausted all leads and notified the lawyers that evidence from the bombing would be destroyed. Judge James Larsen ordered the FBI to preserve the evidence until the court decides how to resolve the issue.

The Earth First activist, Darryl Cherney, claimed the FBI still has two sets of bomb remnants that could contain DNA evidence, as well as a hand-lettered sign and duct tape. The evidence could lead authorities to the identity of the person who planted a bomb in Cherney’s car, which exploded in Oakland two decades ago.

Lawyers for Cherney filed the motion Wednesday before U.S. District Judge James Larsen.

Cherney won a $4.4 million lawsuit against the FBI and Oakland police for civil rights violations committed against him and fellow Earth First organizer Judi Bari related to the bombing.

The two were on their way to a Save the Redwoods Festival in Santa Cruz when the bomb exploded May 24, 1990.

The blast ripped through the floorboard, seriously injuring Bari. Cherney suffered minor injuries.

Oakland police and the FBI claimed the couple made the bomb. They said the bomb exploded accidentally and arrested Cherney and Bari on felony explosive charges. The FBI later admitted the bomb was not in the back seat as agents previously stated but that it was placed under the driver’s seat, according to a KGO Radio report.

Also, the nails in the bomb did not match others found in other parts of the car.

The charges against Bari and Cherney were later dropped by the Alameda County district attorney, who cited insufficient evidence to proceed further. Bari died of cancer in 1997.

Both charged that the FBI and Oakland police never conducted a thorough investigation, targeting only Bari and Cherney as suspects. A federal jury awarded $4.4 million to Cherney and Bari’s estate in 2002. Jury members said their civil rights were violated when the FBI and Oakland police arrested them and illegally searched their homes.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/09/08/BANR1FAM6L.DTL

(09-08) 16:54 PDT SAN FRANCISCO — It’s an infamous case that never seems to go away, even after millions of dollars have been paid out in civil settlements and police say the trail has gone cold.

The case is the 1990 bombing in Oakland of Earth First environmental activists Judi Bari and Darryl Cherney, who were nearly killed when a nail-studded explosive device blew up in their car.

Nobody was ever charged with the attack, and now, two decades later, the FBI wants to destroy the last bits of evidence it has been storing ever since the investigation dribbled dry – remnants of the bomb and one like it that blew up in a North Bay town a few days earlier.

Not so fast, says Cherney, 54, who has never given up trying to solve the case himself.

Saying in court briefs that the evidence “provides the last best hope for learning who bombed Judi Bari,” Cherney and his lawyers were in federal court Wednesday in San Francisco to try to force the FBI to turn the evidence over to them so they can run DNA and other tests on it.

They managed to get U.S. Magistrate Judge James Larson to order the evidence preserved for 30 days while he decides its fate, but the judge indicated the clock is ticking fast – and not in Cherney’s favor.
Maintaining interest

“Frankly, I think it would behoove your side to talk to someone in the attorney general’s office to see if they can get interested in this,” Larson told Cherney’s attorney, Dennis Cunningham, referring to the U.S. attorney general’s office.

The idea would be for federal authorities – or anyone involved in investigating the bombing two decades ago – to reopen the case, or at least indicate enough interest to want to hang on to the FBI’s evidence.

Failing that, the judge seemed inclined to let the agency go ahead and destroy the pieces of the explosives. He did say, however, that he would do more research and consult with those who previously dealt with the issue in court before he makes his decision.
‘Hard to accept’

That gave Cherney’s backers hope, and they said Wednesday they would be checking with investigators and prosecutors to see if anyone wants to take possession of the bomb bits.

“There’s no reason they can’t keep these two boxes,” Cunningham said. “It’s hard to accept that these things have no more use when the bomber or bombers have never been found.”

At issue are the remnants of the bomb that blew up in Bari’s car on May 24, 1990, on Park Boulevard, and of a similar device that partially exploded in Cloverdale on May 9. The Cloverdale bomb exploded at the Louisiana-Pacific Corp. mill, causing minimal damage, and was accompanied by a cardboard sign reading, “LP screws mill workers.”

Both bombs are presumed to have been made by the same person – someone who sent a letter to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, signing it as “the Lord’s Avenger” and giving details that law enforcement said only the bomber would know. The evidence is being kept in two boxes in an FBI storage room in San Francisco.
Fingerprints sought

“We need to be able to look at these bomb parts, do DNA testing on them, use them to try to find out who bombed us,” Cherney, who lives in Garberville (Humboldt County), said after the hearing. By trying to destroy the parts, he said, “the FBI is running cover for the bomber.”

He said he also wants copies of two fingerprints lifted from evidence in the case that investigators said never yielded a solid lead.

The likelihood that another agency will want to take over the evidence or reopen the case seems slim. Representatives of the Oakland Police Department and FBI said they consider the case closed, as did Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Sher when he argued on the FBI’s behalf Wednesday in court.

“We see no reason for this evidence to be retained,” Sher said after the hearing. “The investigation is done.”

The FBI, he added, doesn’t routinely hand over evidence to private citizens, especially not bombs.

Cherney and Bari were injured when the bomb, located on the floor behind the driver’s seat of her Subaru station wagon, exploded as the two were headed to a rally to begin a campaign of protests to protect old-growth forests, called Redwood Summer.

Investigators promptly branded the two as eco-terrorists, and Cherney and Bari were soon arrested on suspicion of having cobbled up the bomb themselves. But prosecutors dropped the case weeks later.
Successful civil lawsuit

The pair filed a civil lawsuit against the FBI and the Oakland Police Department for false arrest and slander. Although Bari died of cancer in 1997, Cherney pursued the case until he won a $4 million settlement in 2004 from the agencies. He split the money with Bari’s estate.

“I want to make it clear,” said Cherney, who is still with Earth First. “We are going to get those bomb components. If they’re done, hand them over.”

E-mail Kevin Fagan at kfagan@sfchronicle.com.

People Unite in Opposition to Scottish Coal’s Open Cast Plans in Midlothian

22/08/2010
Yesterday around 185 people gathered in Cousland, Midlothian, to show their united opposition to Scottish Coal’s plans to mine 2 million tonnes of coal from the 154-hectare site at Airfield Farm – the size of Edinburgh’s old and new towns combined – just 500 metres from the village. Many villagers and their families came to the Village Hall and were met by 20 cyclists who cycled from Climate Camp in Gogar and a further 60 from the Climate Camp and beyond who came to show their support for the campaign.

The protest started in the Village Hall, with people gathering for a speech and welcome by CAAOC Chairperson Dougie McKenzie. The group then marched through the village the short distance to the proposed open cast site, set in Midlothian’s beautiful countryside, and through the right of way to the centre of the open cast area. Community members explained the extent of the boundaries of the site and the devastation that would be caused by it.

Fiona Reed, of Coal Action Scotland, speaking to the congregated crowd, said: “We’ve come here today to continue our long term commitment to support and stand in solidarity with this community and their struggle against open cast coal. Across Scotland communities are blighted by companies like Scottish Coal, whether its the health impacts, economic degradation or the destruction of their local environment they suffer. Together we are stronger!”

Dougie McKenzie, chair of the campaigning group, Communities Against Airfield Open Cast (CAAOC), said, “We are delighted that Coal Action Scotland is supporting our campaign. Local people have real concerns not only about the impact this mine will have on local businesses, but also on our safety, particularly that of our children – the area surrounding the village of Cousland is riddled with old limestone mine workings, and we have serious concerns about the impact blasting will have on the already unstable ground. Already this year we believe there have been 2 land collapses into old mine workings in the fields around Airfield, and a few years previously a 15-year old boy narrowly escaped death when the ground in the local playing field collapsed beneath him .”

“We hope this rural protest march will raise awareness of our campaign and will encourage more people to object to Scottish Coal’s application. We suspect that there will be many people in Edinburgh unaware of this proposed blot on the beautiful landscape so close to the city.”

Drill huggers stop Shell’s drilling work in Rossport, Ireland

13.8.10

13.8.10
Yesterday people from the local community of Pullathomas and Rossport and Solidarity campers lead by the rousing sound of a visiting bagpiper and drummer, returned to one of Shell’s drilling rigs, gaining access at low tide across the exposed sand bars of Sruwaddacon bay. On arriving at the rig a number of people surrounded the drill casing and danced around it before forming a tight huddle to prevent any further work occurring. Meanwhile others held a large banner and occupied the area while children played in the sand.

I-RMS security guards asked the drill huggers to leave the area “for their own safety”, an offer that was politely refused. Around an hour later Gardi arrived and observed while super intendant Diskin had a private chat with I-RMS chief Jim Farrell.

Bizarrely after 30 minutes or so all the Gards left leaving I-RMS in charge of policing the protesters, despite their shocking record of violence towards the local community.

People spent the afternoon occupying the area while chatting, singing, playing music and football.

Around 5 o’clock in the evening when most people had left, with no warning I-RMS men jumped on protesters and forcefully removing them, themselves surrounding the drill. The protesters attempted to reach the drill again but were repeatedly “repelled” by security, at this point the drill started to operate again while protesters and security were close to it. For the next 30 minutes this battle continued in obvious breach of safety regulations putting both workers and protesters at risk.

The day demonstrated yet again that Shell have total disregard not only for environment and local community but also for their own employees.

for more info

www.shelltosea.com, www.rossportsolidaritycamp.org

Trashing, dashing, bashing, mashing: the new EF! Action Update

So what have you been up to the last few months? Just hanging around?
Maybe you’ve been part of human wheel-clamping aeroplanes, climbing up scaffolding tripods inconveniently placed in the road, smashing machines at open-cast mines, playing nuked-dead in the street, kayaking against borehole drill rigs in Ireland, burning mobile phone masts, resisting Tesco, camping against trashing of woodland, with some success at Titnore (& other protest camp updates), or getting in on BP’s act, spilling oil in public places.

Or have you been on holiday, taking part in indigenous blockades against logging, dams and mining, spilunking against high speed trains, slashing tuna cages, blockading Monsanto HQ, trashing GM fields, and more?

Maybe you’re in need of a break. But if you’re not, and are just champing at the bit, the return of AUntie MIffy’s problem page might help, addressing what to do if there’s no local group near you. There’s an article about the beginnings of EF! in this country, looking forwards to the next 20 years, to help inspire. If you need support to get things going where you live, do get in touch. And if all that’s not enough, here’s a quotation, from Paul Watson, the Sea Shepherd captain:

“Future generations will not have the chance and those that came before us did not have the vision nor the knowledge. It is up to us — you and I.”

Print version
Other issues and extra info

Earth First! Summer Gathering set-up plans announced

We can now announce that set-up will begin from around 2pm on Saturday, 31 July. Marquees, tools and construction materials will be arriving on site from Saturday morning so there will be plenty to do. You will be able to camp on the site from Saturday and there will be skeleton facilities (water, basic kitchen) from that time.

We also have a mobile number for setup which is 07766 947852. This will be on-site from Saturday lunchtime, and may well get answered in the few days beforehand but please don’t try ringing until then – e-mail will remain the main contact point until nearer the time – summergathering -{at}- earthfirst.org.uk

What we need to know:

*Please can you let us know when you are coming? – this helps us plan foods, facilities and what jobs to do when.

*It is also helpful if you can let us know if you have any particular skills or interests with respect to set-up – we might need drivers, so if you are over 25, hold a clean licence, are confident driving a 3.5 tonne Luton AND can bring along both parts of your driving licence please let us know.

*Similarly if you are arriving in a vehicle and could potentially provide lifts, transport equipment en route or run errands from site once you arrive please let us know. In this case it is very helpful if you are able/willing to supply us with a contact phone number.

How to get there

As you maybe aware that we do not announce the exact site of the gathering until one week before the main event, this means directions will be available on the website http://www.earthfirstgathering.org.uk/ from Wednesday, 27 July. We realise this will be short notice for people arriving on the Saturday, however to make things easier we will e-mail directions to set-up crew on that day (that still 4 days to check a map!).

The nearest train station is Derby if you want to pre-book train tickets, you will also need to take a local bus service from Derby (these are frequent). We are aiming to have a vehicle on site that can assist if people have difficulties between Derby and the site, so hopefully everyone will be able to get there okay.

There may be a very small number of lifts available from the Nottingham area across the weekend of Saturday 31st July/Sunday first of August. There may also be lifts from the Leeds area first thing on 31 July. Let us know if this may be of interest to you.

What to bring

*Everything you need to the gathering, tent sleeping bags etc. and especially a torch

*It may be wise to come a bit more self-sufficient in food and snacks than you would need to for the main gathering – we will have a basic kitchen but Veggies and the tuck shop are not arriving until Wednesday

*If you are able to bring any tools, especially for basic carpentry, these are often useful

Big thanks for offering to help out

Do get in touch if you have any questions

Love & rage

The EF! Gathering crew

summer camps in the UK & Merthyr coal train action sentencing – solidarity demo

The next month and a half are busy times if you like camping and politics! Peace News, EF! gathering, Welsh & UK climate camps….

The Peace News Summer Camp is almost upon us in sunny Oxfordshire, “an inclusive, democratically-run five-day experience-in-miniature of the kind of world we are trying to bring about”. This year, feminism joins our standing themes of peace and justice.
http://peacenewscamp.info/

The EF! Summer Gathering is of course in early August in the beautiful Peak District. “5 days of workshops, skill sharing and planning action, plus low- impact living without leaders. Meet and share skills with others who care. Plan actions and campaigns. Have fun. We’ve got over 80 workshops, planning, strategy and ‘Where Next’ sessions planned, get in touch if you want to offer a workshop! ”
A tonne of varied and amazing workshops and training sessions, full details at http://www.earthfirstgathering.org.uk/2010/front.html

And the Welsh Climate Camp is in mid-August (see callout below), “a basic ‘lite’ action-focused camp in South Wales; with its attention fixed firmly on coal. This will be linked to a sister-site /info-shop in Cardiff which will act as a point of contact before and during the camp. Workshops will be mostly limited to action-based training and information although there will be space to hear from community campaigns and open discussion forums throughout the camp.”
http://climatecampcymru.org/?page_id=1000

The UK Camp for Climate Action is heading north to Edinburgh at the end of August, “Our sustainable and collectively organised basecamp will give you the chance to learn, train up, and meet like minded individuals. Exciting action plans are currently in the plotting stages, so watch this space.”
http://www.climatecamp.org.uk/actions/edinburgh-2010

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Open cast is trashing the south Wales landscape
It’s time to take action
Climate Camp Cymru
13 – 17 August

A momentum is building. Last year we camped next to Ffos y Fran – one of the largest opencast mines in Europe – for a week of workshops and sustainable living. This summer we’re going back to basics with a light action-based camp, targeting coal somewhere in south Wales.

Our current economic system is based on an addiction to fossil fuels and on maximising profit at the expense of people and the environment. Fossil fuel corporations cannot be allowed to progress unchecked. We need green jobs for Wales, not dirty destruction.

On the 13th we’ll meet in Cardiff and make our way from there to the site.
Things to bring:

> Tent
> Sleeping bag
> Warm clothes and waterproofs
> Plate, bowl, mug and cutlery
> and a bike could be useful too

Burning coal is destroying our climate, while opencast mining damages the earth and the health of local people. We must leave it in the ground.

Join a growing number of ordinary people taking direct action, and exploring alternatives, to stop the madness that is destroying the earth. This August 13th -17th come to Climate Camp Cymru.

www.climatecampcymru.org
info@climatecampcymru.org
07040 909 147

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Heading to Climate Camp Cymru on August 13th? 13 people who blockaded the railway at Ffos y Fran opencast mine in April are being sentenced at Merthyr Crown Court that day at 2pm. Why not drop by around 1pm for a solidarity demo.

update on resistance to High-Speed Railway in the Basque Country

Society has openly given response to the High-Speed Train (HST) in the latter times. We know, and so do they, that we are many people against HST. In Hendaya, there were more than 15.000 people in a recent demonstration against this project. Many referendums were placed and the response against the project was widely supported. There have been also many public appearances and actions all over. But power doesn’t seem to listen and the situation is getting worse day by day. Civil disobedience and direct action are the only means we have left to stop the HSP project, and that’s why four activists took the decision to take part in this action, putting their lives in danger. It’s been three days now since 4 activists decided to go inside a tunnel in the mines in Itsasondo (Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Country). They are actually blocked and chained inside the tunnel with no way to go out by themselves. Even if their situation has gone public, none of the public organizations involved have taken any measures or organized any rescue team. This has put their lives in serious danger. Besides, the explosions and the normal operations in the mines have not been stopped, making this danger even worse. As a result, we are facing a really dangerous scenario, not only because the explosions have not been stopped, but also because public powers are acting with absolute neglect, putting the lives of the activists in real serious risk. How can it be possible that in these times when life is publicly extolled, public powers show so little respect for the lives of those citizens? How can all those who talk so much about “the people’s choice” go on with their project to build the High-Speed Train, after many people and organizations have widely showed their refusal to this infrastucture? For all these reasons we encourage people to join us in the demonstration that will be held tomorrow, 4th of July in Ordizia (Gipuzkoa-Basque Country), 5 o’clock in the afternoon, and also to show their support to the activists in the mine by coming to the support camp in Itsasondo (Gipuzkoa).

2010-07-04
Under the slogan “Till stopping HST, resistance in Itsasondo’s mines” a demonstration left Ordizia yesterday in solidarity with the initiative of four activists whom chained themselves inside a mine on Thursday. At the same time, the demo demanded the cease of works for the High Speed Train. The event linked the towns of Ordizia and Beasain, making two stops in the works of this infrastructure, which particularly affects the valley of Goierri. The attitude of the Regional Home Department and the Basque Railway Network ignoring the presence of the activists inside the mines and continuing with the works has provoked big anger which was noticible during the demonstration. After teh demo, a large group of demonstrators cut the railway rail traffic for at least five minutes after taking over the Beasin RENFE train station (RENFE, the Spainsh railway company is the other companny involved in the project). The rally yesterday was not the only event held in solidarity with activists in recent days. On the evening of Friday, unknown activists cut the water supply for the Mariaratz construction site, where activists are chained. the action aimed also to show their disgust at the attitude of the institutions regarding the 4 chained activists and to disrupt in the same way the construction of this infrastructure. Remain underground Meanwhile, the four activists, who are now into their fifth day chained to concrete-filled drums without the option of leaving on his own feet, noticed their health deteriorating because of the harsh consequences of the mines, mainly high dampness and wetness. Yesterday morning a walk happened too with the aim of communicating with the activists, who said that they were “very tired and weak.” They were affected by the high humidity inside the mines where they are. There were no search Haitzuluetako Aurkariak (activist group) announced the exact location where the chain activists were last Saturday, in order to force a new search. The regional police claimed to have no record of the presence of these activists in the area. Therefore, the support group isisted for the search to be repeated. Apparently the Ertzaintza did not enter the area during all day yesterday. The action started on Thursday morning, but the explosions for the construction of the HST tunnel did not stop. There were constant blasting on Thursday and Friday and even the chained activists felt detachments of walls and ceiling inside the mine. According to the location they gave on Saturday, the activists would be in the 4th mining zone within the Ordizia-Itsasondo construction site, a few meters from the core of the explosions.

A day later (5/07/2010) the Basque police, the Ertzaintza, have evicted the four anti TAV activists who have been locked-on in the Itsasondo mines. The first two are currently (17:30) on their way to the station to give evidence, after going to the health centre for a check-up. The last two have since been evicted from the mines. Throughout the afternoon about a 100 people have been gathering at the mouth of the mine to show solidarity with the activists. They have been charged with “public disorder, resistance and disobedience to authority.”

On 6th July, despite the TAV trucks having security escorts, we sat in front of the vehicles. The truck driver was very aggressive, grabbing us by the throat and threatening us. He drove at us, so we got out of the way before being hit. He tried to attack with a club, but the security guards restrained him! We denounce this aggression and will continue to resist from the Leginetxe squatted workers’ cottages.

There will be a protest action camp against the TAV from 26th July to 1st August.

Tesco targeted in Beeston, Nottingham

30.6.2010
In the early hours of Tuesday morning, the gates of a construction site of Tesco supermarket in the Beston area of Nottingham were d-locked shut and graffiti was sprayed on the boards surrounding the site saying ‘TESCO – FUCK OFF’ and ‘EVERY LITTLE HURTS – FUCK OFF TESCO’

The more we allow our food supply to be controlled by corporations, or to be administered by the logics of capitalism, the more we surrender our autonomy.

Tesco is just one cog in a capitalist machine that is based on exploitation and oppression, and is ruining our ecology and environment.

Solidarity with all those in active resistance against corporate power.

We broke open Breaky Bottom!

14.06.2010
A bunch of walkers from as far away as Dorset and the Chilterns walked the forbidden Access Land site of Breaky Bottom farm and vineyard, near Rodmell, East Sussex, on Saturday.

And they said “two fingers to the selfish landowner who wishes to remove a right of access that has taken 130 years to secure”.

14.06.2010
A bunch of walkers from as far away as Dorset and the Chilterns walked the forbidden Access Land site of Breaky Bottom farm and vineyard, near Rodmell, East Sussex, on Saturday.

And they said “two fingers to the selfish landowner who wishes to remove a right of access that has taken 130 years to secure”.

They had with them Kate Ashbrook, Gen. Sec. of the Open Spaces Society and doughty fighter against Nicholas Hoogstraten’s footpath stopping antics, and Marion Shoard, the author whose books highlighting the destruction of the countryside and the inequities of landownership have turned around the politics of the countryside in the last generation. Sixty walkers and their children, with folk from the Ramblers Association, *Red Rope, and The Land Is Ours, watched as we symbolically fenced the steep slope of a tiny chalk pit which the landowner has been using as his excuse for excluding the public from this statutory Access Land site. We decorated the new fence with our ribbons, banners and placards.

Despite owning ‘the most fenced farm on the entire South Downs’, with every tiny paddock and vine row fenced or hedged, this landowner so far refuses to fence this chalk pit because its presence as a safety hazard constitutes the excuse he needs to secure a Restriction Order forbidding us access to this ancient flowery pasture.

Kate Ashbrook in her speech said: “It is outrageous that we are banned from this lovely site. The Access Land on the Downs is pitifully sparse in any case. Breaky Bottom is the entry point to a delightful but very under-used part of the Downs, and is only a short distance from the South Downs Way.

All the landowner needed to do was to put about 70 metres of fencing[v]around the quarry to comply with the requirements for making
Access Land safe for the public”.

Marion Shoard called for “a right of respectful access everywhere in the countryside, as already exists in Scotland[vi].”
Dave Bangs, of Action For Access, said “The landowner wants his right to privacy, even though he already lives in one of the remotest and most under-visited parts of the South Downs. Yet what about the rights to enjoy the countryside and nature which all those millions of us cooped up in our cities, towns and villages need for our health and recreation ? Wealth and land ownership should not be what determines our right to enjoy the countryside.”

Our campaign is determined to return and return again to Breaky Bottom until we see Lewes District Council and Natural England secure the permanent fencing of this little chalk pit and the consequent re-opening of this site to public access.

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The campaign for the right to roam has been going since the 1880-90s and the first Parliamentary Bill was put forward by James Bryce in 1884. In 2000 the CROW Act (Countryside and Rights of Way Act) was passed, which gave walkers a limited right of access over ‘mountain, moor, heath, down and common’. In practice the amount of Access Land on the South Downs increased by only 2 %. Breaky Bottom was one of the ‘precious fragments’ of old Downland which was given this statutory right of access.

Action for Access
action4access@googlemail.com