Poxy MOX Shocked with Blocks, Locks and Xmas Socks (and gridlock)
Rowan, Irish Indymedia | 21.12.2001 16:42
80 Irish activists delayed workers entering Sellafield on the opening day of the new MOX nuclear reprocessing plant. A lockdown was held at the Main Gate in an attempt to block the movement of trucks carrying radioactive plutonium. Heavy police presence but no arrests were made.
The action began 7.30am pre-dawn thu 20th Dec when our bus neared Sellafield Nuclear reprocessing plant in Cumbria, England with workers' cars lining the long road to the plant. Since we enjoy cold, dark mid-winter air we decided to hop out 2 and a half miles before the gates and walk the distance armed with banners, bongos, xmas antlers, hats and socks, and xmas carols altered with nuclear lyrics, causing a mile long tailback on a road used solely for access to the plant. A police escort appeared and made no attempt to move us off the road or let cars, carrying some of the 11,000 workers, through to the plant. We learnt the name of one cop and cheered him on for getting out of bed that early.
We passed a discharge pipeline leading into the sea from the plant and shouted "Boo - bad pipe", but Sellafield contributes 87% of the collective radiation dose to EC member states and the new MOX facility, which reprocesses plutonium at a much higher temperature than the standard uranium nuclear reaction, will increase pollution levels and create further environmental nightmares for 1000s of years to come. Future generations will curse Blair's name and the uk government which approved the opening of MOX yesterday.
Framed by a red cloudy sunrise, the unmistakable death-starlike spherical reactor loomed in the distance beside a chimney-structure capped by a huge concrete block; this building was closed after the 1957 fire at the then-named Windscale plant. We passed a plaque commemerating those killed as a result. Offically 30 people died; local resident Janine Allis Smith, a member of Cumbrians Opposed to a Radioactive Environment (CORE), told us the real figure is much higher, but "radioactivity does not leave a calling card", and it is difficult to prove the true impact of leaked radiation. Any studies into the link between leukemia clusters in the area and levels of radioactive discharge are quickly suppressed by BNFL. After the Windscale fire the gigantic concrete cap was placed to prevent a major radioactivity leak. The cap remains in place 44 years later and the problem inside is yet to be dealt with.
As we neared the main gates, more cop vans arrived and some tv camera crews joined us. It was clear that without greater numbers blockading the plant completely would be impossible. Police diverted traffic through the north gate on the other side of the plant but let a small number of workers walk through the main gate, where we made our music, our songs, our chants and our demands heard as loud as possible. Hailing from all corners of Ireland we hounded the main entrance for most of the first day of MOX reprocessing, though any movement of traffic, including vehicles carrying plutonium which could be used by anyone with "2nd year undergraduate" knowledge (greenpeace) to make nuclear weapons, was diverted through the North gate.
Gluaiseacht, the Irish environmental group brought a strong contingent and were joined by John Gormley of the Green party and Fine Gael Senator Fergus O'Dowd. Much interviewing began amid dancing and more radioactive xmas carols. Greenpeace uk were not present, pending their court action against the opening of MOX, but they did part-fund the trip with £1000, which was wisely spent on buckfast. Oh, and on travel and food.
We then needed to discuss the lockdown, but with cops everywhere we huddled and as gaelige talked about using plastic and metal pipes in a 10-person lockdown at the main gate. This time it would have to be a symbolic lockdown; with more people we can block all the gates and prevent plutonium trucks from entering. Sellafield takes nuclear waste from some of the uk's 50-odd nuclear power plants but also from Germany, Switzerland, Japan, Netherlands and Australia. The only other major reprocessing plant in operation is in La Hague, France. Sellafield truly is the toilet of the nuclear industry. Meanwhile any eavesdropping cops trying to decipher our language were distracted by Sheila, from the professional cop distraction unit, who used riot cop roleplaying ('bad protestor...') and loud train noises to pull them in the opposite direction. As we crowded round the car containing the equipment, Pete from Galway went over to a man in an anorak who had been filming us all day from a distance. Pete asked the man was he a police officer and the anorak replied 'No, I just have an interest in filming protests.' Pete then reminded the anorak that if he was a police officer he was obliged to admit it. The anorak then replied, 'well actually I am a police officer'. Pete then reminded the plain clothed officer that we were entitled not only to his name and dept. but also copies of the tapes. The officer replied, 'yes, that is correct', and offered his details. Of course it made little difference due to the ever present police van with a gigantic 'Police CCTV unit' sign written on it, 'closed circuit' meaning it's relayed live back to hq, from where orders are dispensed.
So we decided to have the symbolic lockdown. 10 people joined hands inside 3 or 4 foot long pipes, and circularly moved over to the front gate. At this stage, after much dancing with, singing with and some serious flirting with, the police were more amused than threatened (i think someone got the phone number of a married cop while in the lockdown?). Lots more singing followed, then everyone crowded into the lock circle while someone rearranged a 20 mph sign into the CND peace sign with a spray can and added 'NOMOX'. The police looked on and did nothing... a lesson in the advantages of non-violence - we appeased the police all day long and they would have had every right to arrest someone for graffiting, but they chose not to, although someone talking to the cops was told the sign needed to be changed to a 10mph anyway. After the lockdown Sheila attacked the gate and made it at least a fifth of the way up, then asked a cop for a leg up. When we played football and kicked the ball at the cops, they actually kicked it back.
In November a Norwegian group held their own protest at Sellafield... Janine Allis Smith brought us to the site of a statue called Neptune's Eye the Norwegians erected on the beach, a reminder that Norway will not overlook the damage done to its marine life and coastline by Sellafield: the eye stares at a another pipe constantly leaking among other chemicals, technetium-99, which contaminates fish, shellfish and seaweed and gets into the food chain as far away as Norway - imagine what its doing to the east cost of Ireland.
On the way home we stopped in a small village a few miles away and crowded into a pub for food, pints, music, and the 6pm Itv regional news. The top item was of course MOX and you can imagine the cheers as we saw ourselves playing football at Sellafield's main gate.
Throughout the day the entire protest remained non-violent - a well deserved ideological box in the jaw for those who claim violence is necessary for media attention. We featured:
on TV3 wed night just for leaving to go to Sellafield
Irish Times thursday
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/front/2001/1220/fro3.htm
The Star thursday
various Irish radio programs thu morning
local paper News and Star thu morning
Top item rte 6pm news thu
Top item Itv regional 6pm news thu
bbc news thu
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/england/newsid_1720000/1720896.stm
Irish Independent friday
Irish Times friday
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ireland/2001/1221/hom3.htm
+ probly loads others
more info Sellafield:
http://www.stopsellafield.com
http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/contentlookup.cfm?SitekeyParam=D-E&CFID=26887&CFTOKEN=72201037
C O P Y L E F T
This document is entirely COPYLEFT and may be copied, printed, published etc for anything, for whatever purpose, without my or anyone else's permission. This statement overrides any and all statements by copyrighters.
We passed a discharge pipeline leading into the sea from the plant and shouted "Boo - bad pipe", but Sellafield contributes 87% of the collective radiation dose to EC member states and the new MOX facility, which reprocesses plutonium at a much higher temperature than the standard uranium nuclear reaction, will increase pollution levels and create further environmental nightmares for 1000s of years to come. Future generations will curse Blair's name and the uk government which approved the opening of MOX yesterday.
Framed by a red cloudy sunrise, the unmistakable death-starlike spherical reactor loomed in the distance beside a chimney-structure capped by a huge concrete block; this building was closed after the 1957 fire at the then-named Windscale plant. We passed a plaque commemerating those killed as a result. Offically 30 people died; local resident Janine Allis Smith, a member of Cumbrians Opposed to a Radioactive Environment (CORE), told us the real figure is much higher, but "radioactivity does not leave a calling card", and it is difficult to prove the true impact of leaked radiation. Any studies into the link between leukemia clusters in the area and levels of radioactive discharge are quickly suppressed by BNFL. After the Windscale fire the gigantic concrete cap was placed to prevent a major radioactivity leak. The cap remains in place 44 years later and the problem inside is yet to be dealt with.
As we neared the main gates, more cop vans arrived and some tv camera crews joined us. It was clear that without greater numbers blockading the plant completely would be impossible. Police diverted traffic through the north gate on the other side of the plant but let a small number of workers walk through the main gate, where we made our music, our songs, our chants and our demands heard as loud as possible. Hailing from all corners of Ireland we hounded the main entrance for most of the first day of MOX reprocessing, though any movement of traffic, including vehicles carrying plutonium which could be used by anyone with "2nd year undergraduate" knowledge (greenpeace) to make nuclear weapons, was diverted through the North gate.
Gluaiseacht, the Irish environmental group brought a strong contingent and were joined by John Gormley of the Green party and Fine Gael Senator Fergus O'Dowd. Much interviewing began amid dancing and more radioactive xmas carols. Greenpeace uk were not present, pending their court action against the opening of MOX, but they did part-fund the trip with £1000, which was wisely spent on buckfast. Oh, and on travel and food.
We then needed to discuss the lockdown, but with cops everywhere we huddled and as gaelige talked about using plastic and metal pipes in a 10-person lockdown at the main gate. This time it would have to be a symbolic lockdown; with more people we can block all the gates and prevent plutonium trucks from entering. Sellafield takes nuclear waste from some of the uk's 50-odd nuclear power plants but also from Germany, Switzerland, Japan, Netherlands and Australia. The only other major reprocessing plant in operation is in La Hague, France. Sellafield truly is the toilet of the nuclear industry. Meanwhile any eavesdropping cops trying to decipher our language were distracted by Sheila, from the professional cop distraction unit, who used riot cop roleplaying ('bad protestor...') and loud train noises to pull them in the opposite direction. As we crowded round the car containing the equipment, Pete from Galway went over to a man in an anorak who had been filming us all day from a distance. Pete asked the man was he a police officer and the anorak replied 'No, I just have an interest in filming protests.' Pete then reminded the anorak that if he was a police officer he was obliged to admit it. The anorak then replied, 'well actually I am a police officer'. Pete then reminded the plain clothed officer that we were entitled not only to his name and dept. but also copies of the tapes. The officer replied, 'yes, that is correct', and offered his details. Of course it made little difference due to the ever present police van with a gigantic 'Police CCTV unit' sign written on it, 'closed circuit' meaning it's relayed live back to hq, from where orders are dispensed.
So we decided to have the symbolic lockdown. 10 people joined hands inside 3 or 4 foot long pipes, and circularly moved over to the front gate. At this stage, after much dancing with, singing with and some serious flirting with, the police were more amused than threatened (i think someone got the phone number of a married cop while in the lockdown?). Lots more singing followed, then everyone crowded into the lock circle while someone rearranged a 20 mph sign into the CND peace sign with a spray can and added 'NOMOX'. The police looked on and did nothing... a lesson in the advantages of non-violence - we appeased the police all day long and they would have had every right to arrest someone for graffiting, but they chose not to, although someone talking to the cops was told the sign needed to be changed to a 10mph anyway. After the lockdown Sheila attacked the gate and made it at least a fifth of the way up, then asked a cop for a leg up. When we played football and kicked the ball at the cops, they actually kicked it back.
In November a Norwegian group held their own protest at Sellafield... Janine Allis Smith brought us to the site of a statue called Neptune's Eye the Norwegians erected on the beach, a reminder that Norway will not overlook the damage done to its marine life and coastline by Sellafield: the eye stares at a another pipe constantly leaking among other chemicals, technetium-99, which contaminates fish, shellfish and seaweed and gets into the food chain as far away as Norway - imagine what its doing to the east cost of Ireland.
On the way home we stopped in a small village a few miles away and crowded into a pub for food, pints, music, and the 6pm Itv regional news. The top item was of course MOX and you can imagine the cheers as we saw ourselves playing football at Sellafield's main gate.
Throughout the day the entire protest remained non-violent - a well deserved ideological box in the jaw for those who claim violence is necessary for media attention. We featured:
on TV3 wed night just for leaving to go to Sellafield
Irish Times thursday
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/front/2001/1220/fro3.htm The Star thursday
various Irish radio programs thu morning
local paper News and Star thu morning
Top item rte 6pm news thu
Top item Itv regional 6pm news thu
bbc news thu
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/england/newsid_1720000/1720896.stm Irish Independent friday
Irish Times friday
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ireland/2001/1221/hom3.htm + probly loads others
more info Sellafield:
http://www.stopsellafield.com http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/contentlookup.cfm?SitekeyParam=D-E&CFID=26887&CFTOKEN=72201037 C O P Y L E F T
This document is entirely COPYLEFT and may be copied, printed, published etc for anything, for whatever purpose, without my or anyone else's permission. This statement overrides any and all statements by copyrighters.
Rowan, Irish Indymedia
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