Sussex Village tells Cuadrilla to Frack Off
Join the ongoing resistance at Balcombe
Attempts by Cuadrilla Resources to begin exploratory drilling for gas at Balcombe, West Sussex on a temporary licence that expires in September have met with strong resistance by locals and environmental activists from around the country who have come together for The Great Gas Gala. The start of drilling, for which Caudrilla has a very small window, has been significantly delayed by the action in spite of excessive and repressive policing, a camp has sprung up, support by locals for direct action is reported to be over 80% and the resistance continues. Planned events at the camp include a 'meet the locals' tea party on Sun 4 August, a day of artistic resistance on Sat 10 August and a 'Gas Gala' on Sun 18 August.
On the newswires: Whose streets? Cuadrilla's streets! | No Names, No Frack Drill | Frack Free Somerset in Solidarity with Balcombe blockaders | Ongoing blockade of Fracking Site | Resistance Call-Out for Balcombe | Meanwhile, in Scotland
Other links: Frack Off: Extreme Energy Action Network | Background story to Balcombe Fracking Resistance | The Great Gas Gala | Frack Free Balcombe | Balcombe camp events listing
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SchNEWS: Battle of Bexhill
Update! A week of direct action against Bexhill link road.
“We were caught out and a lot of damage has been done – but people have been amazing and now we've have a set of established tree defences and work has stopped for the day at least. We really need support and all the usual wish-list stuff, tools, tarps, ropes etc. So come and give us a Christmas visit” - Combe Haven Defender
Maps of the planned road (scroll down!) - the camp is at Adams Farm
Anti-road protestors in Bexhill were ambushed by an early start to the tree felling on the controversial Bexhill-Hastings link road this week, but they rallied and a week of constant direct action has put a spanner in the works, with no work reported today (Saturday 22nd). Work wasn't expected to begin until early January but as soon as East Sussex County Council acquired the land (by compulsory purchase) the chainsaw gangs were set to work.
From the newswire: Hastings/|Bexhill anti-road camp needs you! | Help Needed Immediately | Anti-road campaigners high in trees at Bexhill and are prepared to stay | Brighton: Emergency meeting | Second Battle of Hastings: Day One... Protestors 10, Road builders 0 | Protestors Take To Trees To Stop Chainsaws
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Campaigners mobilising to fight 'hundreds of new roads'
Campaigners are hoping to kick-start opposition to 'hundreds of new roads' with actions in Twyford Down and Hastings this weekend.
Government and local councils are planning to spend billions of pounds on dozens of new roads over the next few years, and new 'growth' funds and devolved spending powers for local councils threaten to add hundreds more disastrous projects to this list.
In the 1990s, what was in effect a popular uprising [ 1 | 2 | 3 ] brought Tory plans for ‘the greatest road-building programme since the Romans’ to a screeching halt.
Could this weekend's actions be the beginning of a new upsurge of anti-roads protests?
On the newswire: Local residents camp & rally against Bexhill-Hastings link road | Twyford anniversary action | Stop the Road! Rally & Camp | Parking the car … for good | Bikes alive bike blockade at King's Cross | Video of Bikes Alive! Protest | Climate Rush give cake to Sustrans | 'bikes alive' action at kings x tomorrow | No to Road Building | Tenth anniversary of the siege of Wanstonia M11 link rd | Pics from Arundel 2nd bypass protest march
Links: Combe Haven Defenders | Hastings Alliance | Campaign for Better Transport | Bicycology
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SchNEWS 754: We'll Fight Them on the Beeches
Last week (see SchNEWS 753) we covered the protests against the sell-off of the Forest of Dean. But the implications of the Public Bodies Bill for the Forestry Commission go a lot further than that. Essentially the Tory’s are planning (in time-honoured fashion) to flog off the family silver and privatise forests up and down the country. The sale is intended to raise £2bn - less than half of one years tax avoidance by Vodafone.
Links: www.saveourforests.co.uk | www.facebook.com/Save-Britians-Forests | www.38degrees.org.uk/save-our-forests | www.saveourforests.co.uk/map-of-forests-up-for-sale | www.handsoffourforest.org
Local campaigns we know about: Staffordshire | Exeter | Nottinghamshire | East Anglia | Gloucestershire
In SchNEWS:SchNEWS 753
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SchNEWS 747: Gorle-Blimey!
Over 3,000 anti-nuclear protesters took part in the blockading of a shipment of nuclear waste into north-western Germany this week. After activists and local communities spent four days blocking them at every turn, the toxic containers finally arrived at their Gorleben destination on Tuesday (2nd).
On the Newswire: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
In SchNEWS: 2008 | 2001 | 1998 | 1996 |
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SchNEWS 739: Tesco Check-Out
In fantastic victory for the local community, Tesco have withdrawn their involvement from the Lewes Road Community Garden development plans.
On the Newswire:1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
In SchNEWS: 738 | 732 | 729 | 727 | 680
Links: www.lewesroadcommunitygarden.org
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SchNEWS 731 - GM: Against the Grain
This week sees GM firmly back in the spotlight. On Wednesday the EU took a huge step in pushing forward the genetic modification agenda by copping out of regulation and putting the decision on whether to GM grow or not back into the hands of national governments. The European Commission approved changes to the rules which may break the deadlock that has prevented any significant cultivation of GM crops in Europe. What does this mean for GM production in the UK and other nation-states? And where does this leave the resistance movement?
On the Newswire: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
In SchNEWS: 622 | 583 | 346 | 319
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SchNEWS 726: Slick Publicity
In response to America's largest ever environmental disaster, Tony Hayward, CEO of BP, said, “I'd like my life back.” He seemed to have forgotten about the 11 workers who died on BP's Deepwater Horizon oil rig when it exploded 40 miles off the Louisiana coast, in the Gulf of Mexico, on 20th April 2010.
Links: ragingpelican.wordpress.com
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SchNEWS: Squaring Up To 'Em
This Saturday (15th) people will be protesting at various places around central London to give the new 'stable, national interest' coalition a warm welcome.
SchNEWS gives a round-up of all the events taking place over the weekend to get your action-hungry teeth stuck into.
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SchNEWS 719: Giving the Green Finger
Bristol eco-village set up camp this week with huge support from the local people and activists from all over the country. The off-grid urban community kicked off last Saturday (17th) on a patch of waste land in St.Werburghs previously notorious for fly tipping, arson attacks and hard drug users.
On the Newswire: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
Links: Bristol Eco Village - the Urban Centre for Alternative Technology Facebook Group | Kew Bridge Eco Village! Facebook Group
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SchNEWS: For Pete's Sake
Banged up Sea Shepherd campaigner Pete Bethune is facing a long prison sentence after boarding a Japanese whaling ship during protests in the Southern Ocean in February. Operation Waltzing Matilda was the most successful Sea Shepherd campaign yet against illegal Japanese whaling (see SchNEWS 713), but it wasn't without a cost for Sea Shepherd after their £2 million boat the Ady Gil was rammed and sunk by a whaler on January 6th.
On the Newswire: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
Links: www.seashepherd.org[Full Story ]
SchNEWS: Tit Top
Well blimey. Against all the odds it looks like Titnore Woods has been saved from the developers' evil clutches.
The decision made by Worthing Council's planning committee to reject the development plans for the new housing estate on the ancient woodland site on Monday (15th) had everyone shouting with joy and dancing in the public gallery. The crowd were so beside themselves they even gave the bloody councillors a standing ovation.
Links: Save Titnore Woods | Protect Our Woodland | Titnore Blog
On the Newswire: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7
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Titnore Woods Need You
With the threat of development on Titnore Woods fast approaching now is the time to rise up and resist the destruction of our natural environment by corporate greed.
Campaigners have been camping in Titnore Woods, in resistance against the development, since 2006.
West Durrington Consortium, which consists of Persimmon Homes, Taylor Wimpy and Heron Homes could be given the go ahead to build a 1250 home development and a road in the new year. Previously the consortium had planned to build 875 homes. The project is estimated to cost over 3 billion pounds to build and take 6 years to complete which is utter madness when Worthing is reported to have over 1000 empty buildings! If the development goes ahead West Durrington will no longer home a semi- ancient woodland with its rich diversity in rare species, flora and fauna or its surrounding farmland but a massive housing development, road and a giant Tesco.
Links:Protect Our Woodland| Tinore's Blog|The Pork Bolter|Time out at Titnore - By SchMOVIES
Previous Indymedia features about Titnore Woods: [1|2|3|4|5|6|8]
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Once You COP You Just Can't Stop
Going to COP15? Wondering which pair of socks to bring? A space-hopper and a peace flag or a gas-mask and a bag of transit wheel nuts? Ask no longer as SchNEWS brings you our prepare-for-action guide to the week long climate protest in Denmark, a country which professes itself to be a 'key developer of climate solutions'. Let's hope they're right. Read on for yer essential what's-what: border checks, police tactics, and probably most importantly, what will the weather be like?
See www.schnews.org.uk or click 'full article'
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New Coal Digs In
Climate Rush tackled more climate criminals last week when the UK coal industry got together for their annual 'coal awards'. In a protest timed to coincide with the UK Coal hosted awards, around 15 climate activists paid a visit to their Doncaster headquarters, dressed in Edwardian style complete with red sashes with the words 'No New Coal' written across them. A banner reading 'Leave it in the Ground' was suspended across the entrance.
In London, the dirty coal pushers shied away from confrontation with the modern day climate suffregette movement, abandoning their booking at the plush Landmark Hotel and scuttling off to Lords cricket grounds instead. At the hotel, around a hundred activists rushed inside through a fire exit and began an alternative awards ceremony to highlight the ecological damage that the coal industry is inflicting on the environment. After being ejected from the hotel, a couple more attempts were made to gain entry and one arrest was made before the alternate awards continued outside. The Landmark hotel management were less than happy about the righteous fury brought down on them by the climate criminals promised not to accept bookings from such damaging industries again.
Coal represent 50% of the electricity production in the UK and its greatest contribution to CO2 emissions so the coal industry has seen increasing attention from activists in the UK (and beyond). Last month activists and local resident disrupted work at the Rosewell open-cast coal mine in Midlothian, operated by Scottish Coal , and another protest stopped work at UK Coal owned Shipley open cast coal mine in Derbyshire. In the US capitol on Monday, 2,500 protesters blockaded the gates of a coal fired power plant for almost five hours.
Campaigns : Climate Rush | Coal Action Edinburgh | No New Coal | Capitol Climate Action | Coal Caravan
Newswire reports : Coal Rush 1 | 2 | 3 | Doncaster 1 2 | Rosewell | Shipley | USA 1 2
Previous Climate Rush actions : 'climate suffragettes' smash gov windows | chained to parliament | Heathrow 1 2 | Manchester 1 2 | Parliament 1 2
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Climate Camp - Quick Links
Latest news: SMS text alerts | IMC UK Climate Camp 2008 topic | up-to-date timeline
Coverage: Climate Camp Radio | VisionOnTV daily news shows | Envirospeak uploads and ongoing discussion.
Links: Camp for Climate Action website | Network for Climate Action | Days of Climate Action
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Activists Take Over Incinerator Site
'Stop Incineration Now!' protestors demonstrated their in the early hours of the 21st July fury now after on the highly controversial incinerator plant had begun. Activists took over the site of the proposed new incinerator plant in Newhaven. They entered the premises under the cover of darkness last night in an organised attempt at non-violent direct action, after resistance through democratic means failed them. Several protestors formed a barricade by superglue-ing themselves to the road in an attempt to prevent vehicle access, whilst on the site itself, other members of the group 'locked-on' to machinery in order to halt further activity. They claim to be exercising their democratic right to protest non-violently in a last-ditch attempt to promote their concerns about the consequences of incinerators on public health and safety.
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Against expansion in Eastleigh
As part of the June 10th European Day of Action against airport expansions a group of concerned residents and local campaigners staged a demonstration at Eastleigh Airport (Southampton). The call out for protests is an attempt to raise issues such as night flights and loss of runway alternation which could increase flight numbers and the resulting impacts such as noise blighting local communities and increased carbon emissions/climate change at a time when aviation is already the fastest growing emitter of carbon dioxide despite the need to reduce emissions to tackle climate change. Demonstrations and rallies were also held in eight other countries, voicing similar concern about airport expansion across Europe.
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Southampton Seed Swap
Building on the success of the Seedy Sunday event in Brighton(1), a similar event is being organised for Southampton. Southampton's very own Seedy Saturday is happening next Saturday (4th March) at the Edmund Kell Hall. Bringing together home growers from all over the region to swap seeds and advice. The event is organised by Active Arts Community a not-for-profit group that aims to promote healthy living and ecologically sustainable lifestyles through the arts. The seed swap event is an extension of the other more arty based work though it complements well the ethos behind the group.[Full Story | 1 addition ]
Runway to Ruin
The Government is proposing the biggest single programme of airport expansion this country has ever seen. In its Aviation White Paper, published at the end of 2003, it came up with plans for at least five more runways by 2030. There could be new runways at Heathrow, Stansted, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow and possibly Gatwick. The White Paper makes clear that even without expansion at existing airports there will be an increase in air traffic. That expansion in air traffic volume will occur even at those airports not targetted for immediate expansion. In the South Coast there are plans to expand many of the local airports, with larger terminals and more runways.[Full Story ]
Police threat to woodland protest
SUSSEX Police have mounted what looks like a politically motivated campaign against protesters fighting the 875-home housing development and road widening at Titnore Woods, Durrington.[Full Story | 5 comments ]
New protests as bulldozers threaten ancient Sussex woodland
MAJOR conflict is fast approaching in a fraught battle to save a piece of ancient woodland in West Sussex from a massive housebuilding and road widening scheme.
The planning application to build 875 homes and fell 275 trees at Titnore Lane, West Durrington, was approved by Tory-run Worthing Borough Council at a meeting on June 10, at which police were called to evict protesters from the stage. And with the Government Office for the South East announcing on August 1 that there would be no public enquiry, battle lines are now being formed for a new stage in the long-running conflict.
To kick this off, an outdoor public meeting is being staged close to Titnore Lane on Sunday September 4. This is at 2pm in Northbrook Park, between Titnore Lane and Romany Road. It is a short walk from Goring railway station on the main South Coast line between Brighton and Portsmouth.
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Critical Mass in Southampton
In solidarity with everyone protesting against the G8 and global poverty, as well as to highlight a positive step people can take towards reducing global pollution and climate change (go by bike!) roughly 35 cyclists set off from Hoglands Park in central Southampton- also the meeting point for the Make Poverty History demo which, unlike our little outing made the local TV news...
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Protect Our Woodland - Titnore Woods
POLICE were called to a council meeting in Worthing on Friday June 10 after protesters stormed the stage.The borough council's planning committee was discussing highly controversial plans to build 900 homes and widen a road through woodland in Titnore Lane, Durrington, Worthing.
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Environmental Rock in Southampton
On Saturday 30th April, Environmental Rock 2005 saw a return of the popular all-day environmental awareness and entertainment event at The Hobbit pub in Bevois Valley, Southampton. Around five hundred local residents and students flocked to the venue to listen to bands and acoustic acts, sample the organic food and drink, as well as taking the opportunity to speak to local and national environmentalists about what can be done to reduce our impact on the planet.
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Protests At G8 Ministerial Meetings
Derby G8 Protests Go Ahead Amidst Massive Policing Operation
March 17th: Despite extraordinary measures approved by the Home Secretary to Ban all Marches in Derby [see pics of orders] and set up exclusion zones, the Derby G8 protests went ahead. A Critical Mass bicycle protest took place in the morning with around 40 people taking part - police arrested 12 cyclists [see pics], who were released on bail that night, however their bicycles have been kept 'as evidence'. Later amidst a militarised Derby with riot police [pics] stationed across the city, and several police surveillance units filming protestors, around 100 people gathered in the Town Square to protest against the G8.
See: Breaking News Reports from Derby M17 Protests
Pics: Bush + Blair Pied + General Photos
Pics: G8: Derby M17 Picture Collection
Pics: Derby Photo Report PtII
Friends of the Earth Interview at Derby M17
In the run up to the this summer's July G8 Summit in Gleneagles (Scotland), ministers from the eight more powerul economies have been holding 'mini-summits' around the country.
14-15th March: Coinciding with the International Energy and Environment Ministers' Roundtable meeting in London (see DEFRA link) a Climate Change Noise Protest was held on Tuesday 15th. Amidst heavy police security there were two arrests - including one person who was filming and whose film was seized. See Reports 1 | 2 | 3 and Pictures.
11th March: While the Employment Ministers of the G8 nations were meeting in London, activists staged a protest outside the Department of Trade and Industry and other locations [see report and pics 1 | 2 | 3]. Also see www.nodeal.org.uk for background and press release.
On Monday an Alternative Summit for Climate Justice called Moving Beyond the Greenwash was also held in London.
Other planned G8 Ministerial meetings include the G8 Finance Ministers in London (June 10-11th), the G8 Justice & Interior Ministers in Sheffield (June 16-17th), and the G8 Pre-Summit Foreign Ministers meeting in London (23rd June). For more protests and events follow the 'read more' link...
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