LATEST NEWS - 3 hour lock on shuts down machine inside Drax

This news just in as those responsible have finally been released after about 28 hours in police custody...

Yesterday during the day of mass action against Drax, three people managed to enter Drax despite the presence of police from eight forces and lock on to a slag processing machine which was then switched off for three hours.

The three protesters had met each other for the first time at the Camp for Climate Action and with six others, made their way to Drax down the river from Selby in the early hours. They evaded police with dogs, secrity with dogs, helicopters etc and scalled three fences. They initially locked on to a lighting tower but after about an hour and a half they decided to find something more disruptive.

They found the slag processing plant and climbed to the top over a conveyor belt then locked on. The police shut the machine down and it remained inoperable for about three hours until the three protesters were finally taken away by police.

The three are now back at the camp after a 28 hour detention. Personal accounts to follow...

Indymedia video interview will the uploaded later.

reports

Additions

Audio Interview of the Activists

01.09.2006 19:23

Listen to the Audio Interview here. - mp3 4.3M

Click at the link to hear some of those that participated in this action. They describe the action itself, they talk about how inspiring it was for them to succeed in the lock on even though the vast amount of police and security guards patrolling the Drax perimeter fence. They also explain their arrest, and describe the 28 hours they spent in police cells.

IMC Climate Camp

Comments

Hide the following 6 comments

And that matters because.....

02.09.2006 14:05

Your actions are not big or clever, drax looks a dangerous site (hence the fencing)
i support peacefull protests but not ones that endanger life, which is what i believe these protests are to help preserve life. when i drove past your site i notices campfires does that not emit smoke the very thing your trying to stop. i think you did your cause no favors. and i and a lot of my locals i lived with for 50yrs around these parts DO not want to see anything like this again YOUR NOT WELCOME

jean

i think camp was bloody marvellous

02.09.2006 16:41

i live about 8 miles away from drax and have often wondered how far the emissions go up before the particles cool and start to descend, especially when the wind is blow from the south west and my home is right under the smoke stack trail (not the cooling tower steam). Climate change is real, we've got to deal with it. Having a go at the protestors is like shooting the messenger...

local

Bla Bla

04.09.2006 13:06

Off you go again talking complete rubbish, Jean don’t worry your correct Drax is a dangerous site but the activists were in no danger. Out of the two bucket wheel machines Drax has in operation they managed to choose the one that was fully isolated and already out of service they caused no disruption what so ever. I know your pushing for media attention and you want somone to believe in your cause but stop with all the propaganda and lies.... It's tired just like me.

More Camp Propaganda

sorry Jean

04.09.2006 15:48

But many of the locals I spoke to, either in Selby or the ones that actually came in and visited our site, were very welcoming and we were told many times that we were welcome back next year.

disruption and danger

06.09.2006 17:42

Two questions for the sceptics: 1. If the activists were in no danger , why did the police turn the machine off? 2. How does having a load of police standing around for hours doing nothing not count as disruption on a day when they were clearly needed elsewhere, particularly in view of the laughable (but welcome) lack security early that morning? I guess that some people will put themselves in danger to prevent or draw attention to a greater danger and they should be applauded for that.

Sarah Nexter

Any independent verification of this?

06.09.2006 22:01

Just wondering if there is anything to back up what these three activists are saying? Like any video footage or stills of their actions, rather than just them talking about what it, or any confirmation from the police or Drax? Thanks.

Mr G
Homepage: http://barlbymassive.co.uk/blog/