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Dawn raid on Climate Camp

mini mouse | 04.08.2008 12:00 | Climate Chaos

"Police on site, get up London, move it now!" was today's 5.15 alarm call. Clothes still wet from last night's downpour, London neighbourhood, now a couple of hundred strong was up and running for the top gate.

Dawn dash for the gate

Vans pulling up all the time

Police attack peaceful campers

Blocking the van

Two mmore join in

Police used a baton to gain access

Medics attend to a victim of police violence

Emergency meeting to decide on response

Dogs in the field

Why we're here...

Police know we're right - just can't make the final step...

Following Thursday's raid, when police entered the site with vehicles, searched all the tents and removed vital building materials, the top gate had been blocked by several camp vans. A helicopter had flown overhead yesterday demanding they be moved (for why, they're in a field?) but with the wind and the rotor noise nobody could really understand what they were saying.

By the time camp was mobilised London's food wagon had already been towed away, but a red van - which had already had the windows smashed by police to gain entry was occupied and mounted. Three people lay under the wheels preventing its removal whilst campers pushed back the police lines. Police thrashed out with batons, several were injured and six arrested, three of them temporarily.

After an hour long stand off the muppet cops were replaced by riot cops and a waiting game began. The field to our left included their dog unit. Every so often they'd bring in a new squad and campers would react to defend a new flank.

But in the quiet moments, people started to speak about why they were in that field. Have you got kids, they asked the police? You must know why we're here - even the Sun explains climate change to its readers.

Some from Hull told stories of being flooded out last year. That's Climate Change they said.

Kingsnorth - the reason we're here, explained a second - has budgets for a flood wall, anticipating the rising seas we'll Kent will experience as a result of this stupidity.

A third man, lame in one leg was here because of his new grandchild. He was frightened he said, when the police started hitting out, but not as frightened as he would be if we didn't do something about climate change. Standing here in a field, shortly after dawn, facing hundreds of cops, he felt finally empowered.

And the police themselves. As one particularly emotive speaker pointed out, they were making eye contact, they were not unmoved by the message, not immune - they and their families - to an impending disaster.

Dozens of people told a similar story after their searches yesterday. We just doing our job, they said in the golf club car park.

But actually, to be honest, most of support what you're doing. Well done the lot of you.

mini mouse

Comments

Display the following 26 comments

How empowering can the climate camp possibly be? — ronja rose
Non violence protects the state — Ivor Point
Fight back — Riot raver
Cheers — animal rights folk
moon23 — moon23
"We're just doing our job." — Steve
Confused as ever — Paul Hussey
Moon23 — Ivor Point
Being passive = a truncheon in the face — Riot raver
history? — whatever
Empowerment & criticism — Seepo
Infinitely more empowering than sitting infront of a computer criticising others — Bex
Dear Sepo — Ivor point
Too true Bex — A
Remember last year? — Pete
What the police want — Me
WHY DON'T.... — T
PS — T
Galoway, fake protesters and the Daily Mail — riotact
Seems the full spectrum of techniques gets discussed in the one concise article — Edward Abbey
Solidarity either way — Offsite, out of process
Middle Class ??? — Worker
Police Agitator? — T
A good discussion — Seepo
movement of movements — classy
who has the best tactics? — tickle

UK Indymedia

Dawn raid on Climate Camp

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