Last December government minister Ed Miliband said that 'popular mobilisation' was needed to create the pressure to reduce carbon emissions. He linked it to previous campaigns that had involved direct action.
"When you think about all the big historic movements, from the suffragettes, to anti-apartheid, to sexual equality in the 1960s, all the big political movements had popular mobilisation"
It sounds great doesn't it? And, when climate activists are essentially only asking for what science demands and what the government claims to want too, what could be the problem?
Someone should pass that thought on to other branches of government and state apparatus, as they appear to think differently on the issue.
"When you think about all the big historic movements, from the suffragettes, to anti-apartheid, to sexual equality in the 1960s, all the big political movements had popular mobilisation"
It sounds great doesn't it? And, when climate activists are essentially only asking for what science demands and what the government claims to want too, what could be the problem?
Someone should pass that thought on to other branches of government and state apparatus, as they appear to think differently on the issue.
The Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (formerly the Department of Trade and Industry) got police information about the climate camp activists last summer and passed it on to Eon, owners of the Kingsnorth power station that was the target of the protest.
Once again we see the murky political role of the police come to the surface.
When people stopped a coal train going into Drax power station last June, they were arrested and their homes were raided. Video of one of the raids shows the police seizing copies of New Statesman and publicity material from War On Want. That isn't relevant to the case, it's just fishing to build up an idea of activists political beliefs.
Last week 114 people were arrested in Nottingham under 'suspicion of conspiracy to commit aggravated trespass', widely reported as a climate change action to invade the site of Ratcliffe on Soar coal power station.
'Suspicion' and 'conspiracy' give us two steps before we reach any actual deed of any kind. If this were a bomb plot there's a case for such jumpy pre-emptive action, but aggravated trespass is a minor offence with no risking of anyone's safety, let alone life.
Even if they shut down the power station, it would not cause blackouts as the power supply is on a grid system. Indeed, when an activist did shut down Kingsnorth, there was no problem.
Nobody can show climate activists as likely to beat up security guards or take technicians hostage. If their plan was the one reported by police (and evidence of anything worse would surely have been mentioned) then there was no serious threat to property, and no threat to people whatsoever.
Arresting such a huge number of people smacks of a wide trawler-net strategy, too. And lo, despite the need to deploy 200 officers and arrest people before they've done anything, none of them were charged with anything at all. Not one. However, it was reported that many were given onerous bail conditions to stay away from sites that climate activists would want to protest at.
What a smart move. Breach of bail is a crime in itself, and those who break it tend to get remanded in prison. As the summer's climate camps and similar events appear on the horizon, what better way to take the wind out of their sails than making over a hundred activists stay away on pain of indefinite imprisonment?
Then, when the protests are over at the end of the year, the police can just drop the bail conditions. No charges required, let alone a crime.
Just like the attacks on peaceful protests, this is a way for the police to make people back off. Reports say many of the Nottingham 114 had their houses raided and possessions taken away. Just like a baton to the head, this will discourage people from joining in. It is political policing. It cannot be justified to smash down your door (and bill you for the board-up), search your house and seize your computer because they suspect you of planning a crime that - even if they secure a conviction - would be unlikely to incur a prison sentence.
If you have ever discussed standing in front of a bulldozer or similar action, you too are guilty of conspiracy to commit aggravated trespass. Better go and hand yourself in before they come and smash your door down.
Once again we see the murky political role of the police come to the surface.
When people stopped a coal train going into Drax power station last June, they were arrested and their homes were raided. Video of one of the raids shows the police seizing copies of New Statesman and publicity material from War On Want. That isn't relevant to the case, it's just fishing to build up an idea of activists political beliefs.
Last week 114 people were arrested in Nottingham under 'suspicion of conspiracy to commit aggravated trespass', widely reported as a climate change action to invade the site of Ratcliffe on Soar coal power station.
'Suspicion' and 'conspiracy' give us two steps before we reach any actual deed of any kind. If this were a bomb plot there's a case for such jumpy pre-emptive action, but aggravated trespass is a minor offence with no risking of anyone's safety, let alone life.
Even if they shut down the power station, it would not cause blackouts as the power supply is on a grid system. Indeed, when an activist did shut down Kingsnorth, there was no problem.
Nobody can show climate activists as likely to beat up security guards or take technicians hostage. If their plan was the one reported by police (and evidence of anything worse would surely have been mentioned) then there was no serious threat to property, and no threat to people whatsoever.
Arresting such a huge number of people smacks of a wide trawler-net strategy, too. And lo, despite the need to deploy 200 officers and arrest people before they've done anything, none of them were charged with anything at all. Not one. However, it was reported that many were given onerous bail conditions to stay away from sites that climate activists would want to protest at.
What a smart move. Breach of bail is a crime in itself, and those who break it tend to get remanded in prison. As the summer's climate camps and similar events appear on the horizon, what better way to take the wind out of their sails than making over a hundred activists stay away on pain of indefinite imprisonment?
Then, when the protests are over at the end of the year, the police can just drop the bail conditions. No charges required, let alone a crime.
Just like the attacks on peaceful protests, this is a way for the police to make people back off. Reports say many of the Nottingham 114 had their houses raided and possessions taken away. Just like a baton to the head, this will discourage people from joining in. It is political policing. It cannot be justified to smash down your door (and bill you for the board-up), search your house and seize your computer because they suspect you of planning a crime that - even if they secure a conviction - would be unlikely to incur a prison sentence.
If you have ever discussed standing in front of a bulldozer or similar action, you too are guilty of conspiracy to commit aggravated trespass. Better go and hand yourself in before they come and smash your door down.
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Mass hand in
22.04.2009 13:50
Conspiracy to ride my pushbike on pavement. Arrest me officer!
1984
Brilliant idea!
24.04.2009 07:26
Lynn sawyer