UK Ecology Feature Archive
Mar 28: Solidarity South Pacific Films and Talks
23-03-2004 13:45
Against the Death Culture, Rebellion Grows!
An afternoon of films, talks and discussion on the struggles taking place in West Papua, Bouganville and other areas in the Pacific.
Sunday 28th March at the Wrangthorne Community Hall, St Augustine's Church, Leeds- 4.30 pm onwards. Accesible venue, kids welcome.
Films:
- Hell in the Pacific
- The Coconut Revolution
- Freedom for West Papua
Blackwood Tree Camps Evicted - Campaign Continues
23-03-2004 09:10
Early in the morning on Tuesday 23rd March, around 70 Police, Bailiffs and specialist climbers and tunnellers began evicting the tree camps at Blackwood in South Wales - where locals have been campaigning against a new road for over a decade [Pics]. Around 10 people were arrested as they resisted in the trees, on walkways, in nets and in a tunnel, some after breaching cordons. At Camp Kerry, one brave activist still remained at the end of the day, and was able to climb down without being arrested. Most of the trees were destroyed, but campaigners say they will continue to resist.
See Report and Pictures | 1 | 2
Also see collected reports (and pics): Bristol | UK
Evictions continued throughout Wednesday as Bailiffs cut people out of lock-ons and most of the remaining trees were destroyed. Some campaigners remain camped on private land next to the road route and are determined to continue opposing the road scheme. See Report | 2 | 3
Meanwhile in London an attempted eviction was also taking place in Kentish Town. At mid morning bailiffs arrived at several flats that have been home to a group of squatters for some months. Some of the occupiers took to the roof, whilst a crowd of around 100 people gathered in the road in front of the building.
Protest at BP Tangguh Gas 'Greenwash' Meeting
19-03-2004 00:00
Despite Met Police and BP security, London Rising Tide held aloft their banner, which read 'NGOs fuel climate chaos'. Prior to the meeting inside London Rising Tide had distributed and circulated information about the Baku Ceyhan pipeline and about Tangguh to all invitees.
According to an ironic BP report, the development, tapping Asia's largest untapped natural gas fields cites some of the following environmental impacts: Gas emissions including sulphur dioxide, carbon dioxide, waste from gas drilling including mercury and contaminated activated carbon, placing a higher burden on local ecosystem, interfering with local fishing, shrimping and ecology of the Bay. The local communities remain poorly informed of such enterprises that affect them and their future. Chief NGOs collaborating with BP on Tangguh appeared to be the World Wildlife Fund and Conservation International.
Read full report and background
Also see: London Rising Tide | Burning Planet | Report by Down to Earth
Tenth anniversary of Operation Roadblock against the M11 link road.
18-03-2004 22:56
Read more on this event and pictures
Oxford activists help stop work at Blackwood
17-03-2004 15:11
This is a road which will run through what was once a beautiful wood - now a lot of it has been trashed. Among those set to benefit are arms companies and MoD contractors.
Meanwhile, in Oxford, on Sunday 21st, Oxford Indymedia and undercurrents will be having another of their regular film screenings - 'a road to ruin' - about the resistance to the Newbury bypass.
[ full report | latest blackwood UK IMC feature | Corporate Watch | roadalert ]
Lies, hypocracy and new labour in Lanarkshire
05-03-2004 17:23
Protest Camps News Roundup
01-03-2004 00:00
The feared illegal eviction did not take place on Monday 8th, however increased numbers of bailiffs, police, and contractors have been cutting down the larger trees. Work was recently stopped on Saturday 7th, while on Friday afternoon Costain sub contractors (Walters) drove a tractor through a human chain of activists who were preventing logs from leaving a field (read report).
A High Court reprieve from eviction was granted on 4th March - the case will go back to court the week of March 22nd, however Costain and sub-contractors continue to illegally destroy protected species habitat. The word is that a team of 36 chainsaws will be deployed soon, while rumors say the team of bailiffs at Blackwood are earmarked to later move on to evict Nine Ladies protest camp. Also see Destruction Pictures | Bristol Indymedia Feature reports | Sub-contractor details | CorporateWatch on Blackwood.
Sherwood Campaign: 10th March: Council requests that Bellway reconsider development plans!. They have asked them to come back in one weeks time to propose a timescale for new proposals.
8th March: There are strong indications that an eviction is probably imminent, with the authorities scheduling the necessary preparatory meetings in the next days. On 25th February, Rob, a young lad in his early twenties, lost his footing on a walkway almost 50ft up when he slipped on an icy platform , he suffered multiple injuries, but has recovered well.
At Ossary Road in London, the last area of land being squatted against Asda/Walmart, has been served court papers, with an eviction expected on 11th March. This comes after one and a half years of campaigning and resistance against 6 evictions.
The Bilston Glen Protest Site has recently held an open day, while activists at Nine Ladies anti-quarry protest site are continuing their campaign and expect results of an appeal at the end of the month (see latest pics and report).
Also see Protest Site FAQ | Protest Camp List | Road Alert | How to counter common motoring myths
Landmark Low-impact Roundhouse Ordered To Be Demolished
28-02-2004 16:45
Sherwood Forest, Protestor Seriously Injured in Fall
27-02-2004 23:30
Rob, a young lad in his early twenties, lost his footing on a walkway almost 50 feet up when he slipped on an icy platform, plummeting to the ground. He has suffered multiple injuries, broken bones and organ damage. He is in the Critical Care Unit at Kings Mill Centre for Healthcare Services.
For more information on the Sherwood Protest, see also Eviction Alert!: Sherwood Tree Camp.
Tenth anniversary of the siege of Wanstonia M11 link rd
17-02-2004 00:40
Read more on this event and pictures
Download [video] of Wanstead Eviction (MPEG 2.8M 1 Min 11 Secs)
See also Road Alert post (flyers, links to M11 gallery and video)
Democracy? It's a Gas!
15-02-2004 12:52
American company Canatxx Gas Storage have submitted an application to Lancashire County Council to store two million tonnes of gas at extremely high pressures under the Wyre Estuary. In a Kafkaesque twist, Wyre Borough Councillors find that they cannot represent the views of the population who elected them.
The plan is to store the gas in caverns in the salt deposits, pumping water down bore holes to dissolve the salt and discharging it into the Irish sea 2.3 km off Rossall school. The gas will be stored in up to twenty caverns each of which will be the size of the London Eye.
According to Thornton Action Group the area is a designated SSSI and damage would be caused to the salt marsh habitat and the bird life on the mud flats. Local councillors have been told by the council they must voice no open support or objection to the proposal prior to the application hearing by Lancashire County Council in March.
Full Story | Thornton Action Group | Wyre Borough Councillors Gagged | Canatxx Scandal
Eviction Alert!: Sherwood Tree Camp
11-02-2004 03:25
Bellway Homes are attempting to destroy a group of ancient trees and a natural meadowland to build what campaigners say is an unnecessary road junction. The area is supposedly guarded by a Tree Protection Order as it possesses a 300 year old beech tree, yet the council are refusing to take any action against the developers.
Local campaigners and residents at Mansfield Woodhouse's tree houses' and tunnels were visited by the Sherriff on Tuesday 10th February and informed that an eviction of the protest camp would be taking place imminently.
Welsh Bailiffs came on site with a warrant conducting a health and safety review of the site. They said they would be returning imminently with a professional tunnel team and climbers.
Campaigners hope they can delay the destruction long enough for action to be taken in the courts. On Saturday the small numbers present were boosted by a call for support which mobilised enough people to foil what they say was an illegal eviction attempt (report). The campaigers say they desparately need more people in site to help build defences, and to stay over night so numbers are at a maximum when the bailiffs move in. It seems likely it will happen very soon.
Updates here | Photo Gallery | Old Campaign Site | Travel directions | Road Alert
Blackwood: Ancient Woodland Under Threat
07-02-2004 18:00
Five acres of ancient semi-natural woodland are about to be trashed by Caerphilly council in South Wales to make way for a 2 mile long bypass which will provide a new access road to industrial developments at Blackwood in Gwent. A decade-long protest came to a head recently when Caerphilly County Borough Council signed a contract with Sirhowy Enterprise Way to begin work on a £54m bypass despite receiving some 4500 written objections from locals. Compulsory Purchase Orders to acquire the land have now been served and the contractors Costain & Tarmac have begun felling.
On January 29th 100 tress were chopped down but the work was halted by two lone protestors locking on to the bulldozers. A base camp has now been set up amongst the trees, with about 15 people and Section 6 squatting notices in place. More help on site is urgently needed.
REPORTS : 1 (+pics + update) |2 |3 |4 |5 |6 | MAP| FILM (4mb) |
RoadAlert | St Davids Wood Campaign website (old) | UK Protest Camps (Schnews)|
For UPDATES see
Nine Ladies Possession Court Order Obtained
22-01-2004 14:51
Nine Ladies Anti-Quarry Protest Camp, Derbyshire, Possession Court Order obtained Thursday 22/01/2004, papers served Friday 23/01/2004 - eviction now imminent!
Press release from the protestors: Eco Warriors send profits warning to Marshalls Plc - 6th February 2004 | Collection in Sheffield City Centre raises £75
Background: If Quarrying goes ahead, a 100m deep scar will blight a beautiful, and well loved landscape, to produce profit from the sale of building materials. The protest camp has been protecting the site since 1999 (history of the struggle). People are needed urgently to help with defences, and resist the eviction. Report and list of things needed at 9 Ladies.
Images: Photos (12 large images) | Nine Ladies Photo Gallery | Arial view of the site
Audio: Interview (mp3) and transcript
Video: rtsp://www.piratetv.net/archive/ptvaltmedia/nineladiesmix.rm | Download the video, real format
Nine Ladies web forum | Nine Ladies offical website (not updated since august 2003)
Debates And Actions Around Climate Conference In Milan
08-12-2003 14:16
The central focus of the current Climate Conference in Milan is Russia and their position on the Kyoto Climate Protocol. If Russia would join Kyoto, it creates cheap ways for the EU to meet its reduction targets. Those actions taking place outside of the Conference focus instead on the root cause of climate change, the fossil fuel economy. The lack of action by the United Nations, should make people around the world aware not to depend on states and corporations, but instead to create social-ecological alternatives in our daily lives.
A reclaim the streets, critical mass bicycle action took place in Milan this Saturday, blocking car-traffic at various spots around the city. Reports indicate over two thousand people participated in this action directed towards the Climate Conference in Milan. The police was very unable in blocking the protestors, who were fastly cycling around. The central focus of the protest was the car-economy. Earlier this week there was also a student action. A banner was hung in a public square, saying "Stop Global Warming".
[ photo's 1 | 2 | Videos | Indymedia Italy COP9 special ]
Nook Off !
24-11-2003 00:00
They pledged to try and prosecute the developers for their illegal behaviour on the day of destruction. They also decided to campaign to create a new space to replace the lost wildlife area.
Inspection Teams Move in on Birmingham University
08-11-2003 12:22
In response to growing concerns that Birmingham University has become a fertile recruitment ground for arms dealers and their supporters in the oil trade, B*U*S*T the War and People & Planet were today forced to investigate.
In response to growing concerns that Birmingham University has become a fertile recruitment ground for arms dealers and their supporters in the oil trade, B*U*S*T the War and People & Planet were today forced to investigate.
A team of weapons inspectors found two fanatical recruiters from the notorious BAe Systems attempting to brainwash an encouragingly small group of engineering students into joining their shadowy organisation. BAe Systems, a quasi-legal group with a long track record of supplying weapons to known terrorist regimes, had apparently gained access to these potential recruits with the assistance of the University, which has persistently ignored calls to cease all forms of support for such groups.
Clash over Baku-Ceyhan: P+P vs. BP
16-10-2003 13:14
Transport is always on the agenda
10-10-2003 14:39
Three campaigns in Cambridge are constantly working to prove that traffic jams are not the only form of collective action that can be taken in relation to transport. The relatively new but rapidly growing CAST.IRON group is working to restore regular, timetabled rail services to the Cambridge-St Ives Line. Apparently fed up with the initial lack of interest of those "in charge" (Network Rail, Strategic Rail Authority, Office of the Rail Regulator) they are now mobilizing amongst people in Cambridgeshire to build Britain's First Community Commuter Railway.At the same time Transport 2000 works for policies that give greater priority to the environment, saving lives and conserving natural resources. The current campaign focuses on the proposal to dual the A428 westward from Cambridge, which could worsen traffic problems in Cambridge.
The oldest, but still very active, is the Cambridge Cycling Campaign gives a voice and power to the cycling community in Cambridge (i.e. most of us!) The campaign believes that cycling means reduced congestion, less pollution and better health and is not afraid of telling everyone every Saturday noon in Cambridge Market Square or through actions.
Jonny cycles through Edinburgh on anti-gm pilgrimage
05-10-2003 14:21
The progress of Jonnys journey can be followed via his website.Map of his planned tour, by Sheffield IMC.
2 activists from Totness,see Westcountry Indymedia are on the way, and 2 other activists have been [ 1,2] passing by Bayer and Monsanto, reported on Cambridge Indymedia. In total 20 pilgrims, including 73 years old Mary Keynes, are cycling or walking to London to raise awareness for the issue of GM food and crops and to participate in the Tractor and Trolley Demonstration.
For more background information: [Bio-technology special page,LABB leaflet, Biotech Indymedia].
