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Hartlepool Nuclear Power Station Blockaded in Climate Action

breaking news | 29.08.2006 07:34 | Climate Camp 2006 | Analysis | Climate Chaos

The gates to Hartlepool Nuclear Power Station are currently being blockaded by a group of seven climate change campaigners.

This morning at 8am seven people blocked the entrance to the nuclear plant by locking themselves together across the gate with steel arm tubes.

A banner outside the gates reads "No More" (with the o's being nuclear symbols) - in reference to the Governments plans for a new generation of nuclear power stations.

Hartlepool nuclear power station was due to be decomissioned, however under the governement plans it's suggested that existing nuclear sites will be used for building more nuclear stations (as well as other locations).

One of the campaigners speaking from the blockade said they were taking this direct action to highlight the fact that the nuclear route is not a solution to climate change.

It is also reported that the back entrance to the power station has also been blocked, and that the workers arriving for shift change are unable to drive into the nuclear plant.

There are several police vehicles in attendance and armed police officers on the scene, but the situation is calm and the blockaders are confident they can maintain the blockade for some time.

Pictures and video to come later.

breaking news

Additions

back gate d-locked shut by two people

29.08.2006 07:40

An update from the blockade says that two people have d-locked themselves to the back gate of the nuclear power plant as well.

In all there are around 18 people present including those supporting the people who have locked themselves together.

More later.

imc reports


09.15 update - blockades still in place

29.08.2006 08:28

0915: The blockades of the front and back gates are still in place.

Local media have arrived and have been taking pictures, while people from BBC radio have also just arrived.

Those blockading the nuclear power station have been asked to move, but they said they will remain in place, even if they have to be cut out of the lock-ons by specialist police teams. Therefore one assume this shut down of the power station gates will continue for some hours...

One of the people locked-on said: "We're blockading Hartlepool Nuclear Power Station because we are opposed to the building of nuclear power stations. Hartlepool was to be decomissioned but now with the governments plans there will be a new power station here which means more contamination, more nuclear waste for the next generations to deal with and putting more lives at risk".

Hartlepool nuclear power station is one of the relatively newer generations of advanced gas-cooled reactors (AGR) . It's located next to a large chemical plant. Next to it are two ships full of toxic waste. The irony is that all of this is then surrounded by SSSIs.

imc reports


10:00 update - all still in place

29.08.2006 09:15

10am : the Reclaim Power lock-on blockade at Hartlepool nuclear power station is still in place, people are in high spirits and the weather is good.

Quite a bit more corporate media now at the location, including TV crews and radio (ITN, Tyneside news etc).

The first official from the nuclear power station has come out to speak to people. Apparently a 'training manager' from British Energy.

He brought with him a hostess trolly with tea and biscuits and had been serving rerfreshments to the protestors and supporters. Apparently he spoke first with the supporters, and then those locking on, but used almost word for word the same banter.

Someone from BNFL has said there isn't yet a press statement, but that they will be setting up a field centre for media enquiries and will issue a statement later today. A phone number for press enquiries will also be released.

At the blockade a police helicopter is now hovering noisily overhead and an unidentified security guard is videoing all present at the scene.

imc reports


Update on the blockade

29.08.2006 14:07

Update: 1.28
It has been raining at the blockade, but peoples' spirits are still high. A press representative from British Energy has spoken to the assembed corporate media saying - they agree with the concerns of climate change and they wanted to stress that the protesters had been perfectly amicable and friendly. They then stated that the plant was still running, and was completly safe.

Update: 2.30
The blockade is now 6 hours in and it has begun to rain heavily. The blockade is still in place however one protester had been arressted for aggrevated tresspass when unlocking to use the toilet.

Update: 2.32
A person on the scene says that it looks like the police are arresting several people, for the moment it is unclear whether the arrests are amonsgt the supporters, people locking on or both. More information to follow.

Update


No word from the blockade for almost two hours...

29.08.2006 15:22

As of the last contact with a reporter at the scene of the blockade there has been no further update.

update


Latest from the Protest

29.08.2006 18:07


I was at the scene doing pictures for the local paper, all activists have now been cut from their blockade and have been arrested

Dan Phillips
mail e-mail: dan.phillips@hotmail.com


Arrested while reporting

30.08.2006 10:44

I am a freelance journalist and film maker and was arrested seconds after phoning in the last report from the scene at around 2.30pm. I was arrested on suspicion of aggravated tresspass despite having been given permission to enter the area as a journalist. I was held for 11 hours and my recording equipement, phone and footage taken as evidence. My solicitor managed to secure the return of my recoring equipement but not the footage or my phone. I have been bailed to return to the police station in one month.

l


They can't keep the footage

30.08.2006 13:52

Even if the cops have arrested someone for aggravated trespass its against civil law (trespass to goods) for them to seize your footage and retain it. They know that so I find it strange that they have released the equipment as the law applies to all your possessions. Even if they don't believe that you're an independent journalist the law applies the same to everyone in this instance. Which is why I found it strange that later on in the day a 60 metre 'exclusion zone' was created but only applied to me and a Tyne Tees cameraman and not every other joe.

Dan Phillips
mail e-mail: dan.phillips@hotmail.com


Comments

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bbc news online report about nuclear power station blockade

29.08.2006 10:27

Protesters target nuclear plant
Tuesday, 29 August 2006, 09:32 GMT
BBC
 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tees/5294620.stm

Protestors have chained themselves to the gates of Hartlepool nuclear power station on Teesside.

A group of 20 green activists from Reclaim Power arrived at the British Energy-owned complex early on Tuesday.

Nine members chained themselves to gates at the front and rear of the advanced gas reactor (AGR) station.

They are angry at the UK government's plans to build more nuclear power stations. Cleveland Police said the protest appeared to be peaceful.

A spokesman for British Energy said officers from the Civil Nuclear Constabulary and the company's own security staff were liaising with Cleveland Police.

He said the safety of staff and the protesters was the main concern.

Nuclear waste

Darren Locke from Reclaim Power said: "Nuclear power is not a solution to climate change.

"Whilst it may be true that nuclear power results in fewer greenhouse gas emissions than burning fossil fuels, nuclear power produces deadly waste which remains radioactive for thousands of years.

"We have no way to get rid of it. The nuclear industry has had almost 50 years to find a solution to the nuclear waste problem and has failed to do so."

Reclaim Power claims to be a network of green campaigners made up from other environmental organisations, including Greenpeace, Friends of the earth and the Camp for Climate Action.

Power generation began at Hartlepool in 1983. It is due to be decommissioned in 2014.

Fossil fuels

Earlier this year the government said nuclear power could make a "significant contribution" to Britain's future energy needs.

Industry secretary Alistair Darling said nuclear power needed to be part of the mix of energy supply for the UK over the next 40 years.

Today's protest is part of a series of demonstrations, including the Camp for Climate Action at Drax, highlighting the UK's reliance on fossil fuels.

The Reclaim Power group want to close Drax - claiming it is the UK's largest single emitter of carbon dioxide. The culmination of the event will be on Thursday when they predict thousands of people will converge on the power station in an attempt to shut it down.

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