Climate Rush: Celebration of Community Resistance
Peter Marshall | 10.09.2009 11:51 | Climate Chaos | Social Struggles
Coffee in church before the walk
Getting ready for the Celebration
Working on the Song
Radley Lakes
Merthyr Common under Attack by Argent
Rossport
A message from Cathy McCormack (read by a colleague)
Vestas Blades and Green Jobs
NoTRAG and BAA Heathrow
John McDOnnell and John Stewart
There the other Climate Rushers were preparing for the afternoon's 'Celebration of Community Resistance' in which activists from around the country came to give short presentations on their campaigns. The presentations were interactive, with a volunteer representing the 'climate villains' involved, visual backdrops for each campaign and a song with a verse for each protest written during the morning by the Climate Rushers.
We heard first hand accounts of the battle to save the remaining Radley Lakes from dumping of pulverized ash from Didcot power station, the campaign against the opencast mining only a few yards from housing on Merthyr Common at Merthyr Tydfil (renamed Fos-y-Fran by the mining company, the opposition in County Mayo to the high pressure gas pipeline at Rossport, The IMF/World Bank's forcing the privatisation of water supplies around the world. Two ex-workers from Vestas talked about their fight to preserve green jobs and finally Geraldine from NoTRAG talked about the campaign against the third runway at Heathrow - and Tamsin Omond amused us all in a rather active role as the villain.
What was common to many of these accounts was the evidence of corruption and illegal activities by the companies and governments involved attempting to maximise profit at the expense of the planet. With a few exceptions, the mainstream press has failed to investigate or expose scandals and in some cases is owned or controlled by those who have a financial interest or rely on advertising income from companies that are exploiting the planet.
Among those in the audience, together with local residents were the local MP, John McDonnell and climate activist and transport campaigner John Stewart, Chair of HACAN ClearSkies.
The Climate Rushers tour continues with events at Haddenham and Aylesbury (8-10 Sept), Oxford (12-13th), Stroud (18-19th), Bristol (21st), Taunton (24th), Exeter (26-7th) before ending at Totnes on 30th Sept.
More pictures from the Climate Rush on Saturday on My London Diary:
Climate Rush on the Run

Celebration of Community Resistance

Peter Marshall
e-mail:
petermarshall@cix.co.uk
Homepage:
http://mylondondiary.co.uk
Comments
Hide the following 9 comments
cake and bunting
10.09.2009 12:20
...
Change the Record
10.09.2009 15:10
dissenter
OFF THE RICH NO LEADERS
10.09.2009 16:20
Sick to bits of seeing this person, true you cant help where you been born but might be good if she asked Baronet Grand-papa to give the fucking land back.
Stop playing the media game, one Swampy was enough
Ivor
Ivor Point
nice work
11.09.2009 13:31
AR
Concerns, but still supportive
11.09.2009 15:23
I've got concerns about Climate Rush, but AR says, all action is good action.
See Camper and Animal libber on ...
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Farnborough Airport
11.09.2009 16:09
Very inspiring!
The 'suffragettes' would have been made very welcome had they detoured to Farnborough.
TAG Aviation having only recently got planning consent for a doubling of weekend and bank holiday flights, has now applied to double its existing movements at Farnborough Airport.
Farnborough Airport is an exclusive business airport, a key component of globalisation, average passenger occupancy 2.5 passengers per flight.
Keith
purile comments
11.09.2009 16:11
They are out doing something, highlighting a real issue.
Keith
Climate Rush on the Run
11.09.2009 17:17
Keith
So nice to see a camp site that doesn't have dozens
13.09.2009 04:56
yourlocalroadsweeper