30 July 2008
Activists take site for the Camp for Climate Action and reveal location
100 people entered and secured an uncultivated field at Deansgate Ridge at 3.00pm today, only 1 km from Kingsnorth Power Station. They erected and climbed tripods to prevent police from moving them and have erected a marquee alongside a banner which reads ‘No New Coal’.
Although the climate camp activists have been upfront and open about most aspects of their plans, the location of the camp had not been revealed until today in order to prevent E.ON and the police from attempting to stop it from happening. The uncultivated field is on a road that runs between Hoo St Werburgh and High Halstow. The Camp for Climate Action intends to return the field in two weeks in as good, if not better, condition than it was found.
Around 20 sheep were in the field when it was occupied. They have been rounded up and are being taken care of with food and water.
The camp, which is due to officially start on Sunday, 3 August, is expected to attract thousands of people coming from all over the UK. The week long camp hosts hundreds of workshops on sustainable living and the politics of climate change. The camp will culminate on Saturday 9 August in a mass direct action to shut down Kingsnorth power station on protest over E.ON’s plans to build the first new coal-fired power station in the UK for 33 years.
“We want to warmly invite people from the local community to come down and see for themselves what the camp is all about,” said Terry Graves, who has already pitched his tent up in the field.
“E.ON and the government believe that you can have endless fossil-fuelled economic growth in a world of finite resources,” said Christina Greensford, who helped to secure the camp. “People from all over the UK are here to create a democratic, low-carbon society in which our long term future on this planet is prioritised over the short term profit margins of the fossil fuel industry.”
“We have a future to protect, and today, in setting up the climate camp, we’ve drawn a line in the sand at Kingsnorth.” said Hannah Abbots. “We will not allow companies like E.ON drag us over the edge of climate catastrophe.”
Press can contact Conor O’Brian at 07530 306267 who is on site and arrange interviews, either over the phone or on the perimeter of the site.
Press can also contact the media team, who are not currently on site, at 07772 861 099
A press advisory will be shortly issued giving information as to when the first media tours of the camp will take place.
camp media team
press@climatecamp.org.uk
http://www.climatecamp.org.uk
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The OS grid reference for the camp is TQ 773 742. The site is between Deangate round about on the A228 and the village of High Halstow. The site is on the west side of the road (left coming north from the A228) as you go up hill after the Deangate sports field and before Dux Court farm.
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For directions and other useful info, see http://earthfirst.org.uk/actionreports/node/21137