Costain use violence at Blackwood
B is for Boris | 07.03.2004 11:54
Costain subcontractors drive through human chain of activists on Friday.
Blackwood police investigating.
Blackwood police investigating.
On Friday afternoon Costain sub contractors (Walters) drove a tractor through a human chain of activists who were preventing logs from leaving a field.
No one was seriously hurt in the incident despite activists falling under the wheels and undercarriage. The machinery was stopped by on looking Walters’ management who despite ordering the tractor to drive through us, screamed at the driver to stop as activists disappeared under the machinery.
This is the latest in a spate of violence by Costain as they get increasingly frustrated at the delays caused by the campaigners...
However it was the first incident caught on film, two video cameras recorded the incident.
Copies of the footage are now in the hands of Blackwood police who are investigating.
A spokesman for Costain told the South Wales Argus "We maintain the protesters were throwing themselves in front of the vehicle - the machine did not hit them"
Yesterday works were completely halted by protestors when they climbed onto machinery (diggers and chippers) after breaking through security lines. Police were called to the scene but no arrests were made. Costain made no comment on the events.
No one was seriously hurt in the incident despite activists falling under the wheels and undercarriage. The machinery was stopped by on looking Walters’ management who despite ordering the tractor to drive through us, screamed at the driver to stop as activists disappeared under the machinery.
This is the latest in a spate of violence by Costain as they get increasingly frustrated at the delays caused by the campaigners...
However it was the first incident caught on film, two video cameras recorded the incident.
Copies of the footage are now in the hands of Blackwood police who are investigating.
A spokesman for Costain told the South Wales Argus "We maintain the protesters were throwing themselves in front of the vehicle - the machine did not hit them"
Yesterday works were completely halted by protestors when they climbed onto machinery (diggers and chippers) after breaking through security lines. Police were called to the scene but no arrests were made. Costain made no comment on the events.
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Argus article
07.03.2004 12:06
Blackwood
wrong url above
08.03.2004 12:07
WORK on a controversial £55million bypass between Blackwood and Oakdale Business Park was halted for a day after environmental protesters climbed onto machinery.
Three `eco-warriors' climbed onto a 15-foot-high wood chipper at St David's Wood while workers from Costains - the contractors who are working on the Private Initiative Scheme - were having a tea break at 9am on Saturday.
The contractors called police after the protesters refused to climb down from the basket of the chipper.
After a tense stand-off, the protesters agreed to come down as long as the contractors halted work for the day - to which they agreed.
Mark Lynas, an environmental journalist from Oxford, who took part in the protest, said: "It has been a complete victory for us, and hopefully with more people arriving on the site it will get more and more difficult for them.
"We still believe it is possible for the woods to be saved, even though there has already been a lot of destruction."
Sergeant Rod Tomsa, from Blackwood police, said: "It was agreed that work would finish. It was about 11.10am and the contractors were due to finish at 12pm anyway."
infos
tractor incident urls from local newspaper
08.03.2004 13:02
Woods row: Police view film as workers deny aggression
by Lisa Stevens
TERRIFIED protesters claim a tractor deliberately knocked them down as they campaigned against a road development in Blackwood.
Demonstrators Nick and Jilly were part of a human chain in St David's Wood when they claim the incident took place.
But contractors Costain maintain the protesters threw themselves in front of the moving machine.
The episode was captured by a video camera and the tape given to Gwent Police.
Five men and two women were demonstrating at the entrance to the wood yesterday at around 5pm to stop the development of the Sirhowy Enterprise Way. The protesters were trying to stop the tractor moving logs.
Jilly said: "I thought they would stop the tractor and call security to move us, but it just kept on coming. I was petrified. I thought it was going to kill me. I remember falling back and pushing my foot against the tyre of the wheel to try and get away."
No-one was seriously hurt in the incident.
Fellow protester Nick, who also claims he was knocked over, said tensions had reached boiling-point.
He said: "The workmen have become more and more aggressive towards us. There have been a couple of similar incidents, but this is the first one we have captured on film."
The film is now in the hands of detectives and the incident is being investigated.
Sergeant Stuart Mackie, of Blackwood division, confirmed they had been called to the incident.
"The video will be viewed before any action is taken," he said.
Jilly claimed she is a peaceful protester. "I have never been so scared. I don't understand what was going through the driver's head," she said.
A spokesman for contractors Costain said the incident was not their fault.
"We maintain the protesters were throwing themselves in front of the vehicle - the machine did not hit them," he said.
--------------------------------------
First published on Saturday 06 March 2004:
'We were mown down by tractor'
by Lisa Stevens
TERRIFIED protesters claim a tractor deliberately knocked them down as they campaigned against a road development in Blackwood.
Demonstrators Nick and Jilly were part of a human chain in St David's Wood when they claim the incident took place.
But contractors Costain maintain the protesters threw themselves in front of the moving machine.
The episode was captured by a video camera and the tape given to Gwent Police.
Five men and two women were demonstrating at the entrance to the wood yesterday at around 5pm to stop the development of the Sirhowy Enterprise Way. The protesters were trying to stop the tractor moving logs.
Jilly said: "I thought they would stop the tractor and call security to move us, but it just kept on coming. I was petrified. I thought it was going to kill me. I remember falling back and pushing my foot against the tyre of the wheel to try and get away."
No-one was seriously hurt in the incident.
Fellow protester Nick, who also claims he was knocked over, said tensions had reached boiling-point.
He said: "The workmen have become more and more aggressive towards us. There have been a couple of similar incidents, but this is the first one we have captured on film."
The film is now in the hands of detectives and the incident is being investigated.
Sergeant Stuart Mackie, of Blackwood division, confirmed they had been called to the incident.
"The video will be viewed before any action is taken," he said.
Jilly claimed she is a peaceful protester. "I have never been so scared. I don't understand what was going through the driver's head," she said.
A spokesman for contractors Costain said the incident was not their fault. "We maintain the protesters were throwing themselves in front of the vehicle - the machine did not hit them," he said.
reprinted here for reference
pic from bristol imc
08.03.2004 16:32
pic
tractor pictures
15.03.2004 16:26
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RoT