How we Reclaimed the Power! – summary report of actions and before

A short story of No Dash for Gas, Reclaim the Power and how people from across the country stood in solidarity with Balcombe to oppose Cuadrilla and the dash for gas…

A short story of No Dash for Gas, Reclaim the Power and how people from across the country stood in solidarity with Balcombe to oppose Cuadrilla and the dash for gas…

It all began last year, when 21 activists occupied and shut down EDF's gas fired power station in West Burton for over a week. It was time to stop the 'Dash for Gas' which would smash our climate targets and push up energy prices…

  1.  
    Huge numbers of people signed up to our facebook event and told us they were coming. Even Russell Brand was with us in spirit!
     
    On Friday, we arrived in beautiful sunny Balcombe, with members of a whole host of campaigns including UK Uncut, UK Tar Sands Network, Occupy London, Disabled People Against the Cuts and No Dash for Gas all joining the camp.
     
    Reclaim The Power has arrived in Balcombe | Come and join us!
     
    We joined the March for a Frack Free Future with two thousand protesters from across the country…
     
  2. …and those from the local community who'd been resisting Cuadrilla for weeks!
    August 19 2013: Balcombe Solidarity Sunday anti-fracking protest
     
    Local campaigners Vanessa Vine, Charles Metcalfe and Caroline Lucas MP were joined by speakers from No Dash For Gas and Occupy Chevron in Poland to headline a thunderous rally of opposition.

 

The protesters then formed a human circle around the site, joining hands, chanting and singing, while Cuadrilla's workers looked on from inside their razor-wire fence.

  1. On Monday morning, our Day of Action began!
     
  2. 6 activists blockaded the entrance to Bell Pottinger's offices in London, Cuadrilla's "spin-doctors". They are responsible for a whole host of pro-fracking lies and spin which we have thoroughly debunked over the past 6 days.

    Cuadrilla's PR company Bell Pottinger shut down by activists from Reclaim the Power

    …then we heard from a group of 20 activists who occupied Cuadrilla's HQ in Lichfield, just outside Birmingham. They set up camp outside the building while three activists went inside, shut down 8 work stations and took over a floor of the office!

  3.  
     
  4. Activists lock themselves to furniture inside Cuadrilla's HQ
    …meanwhile, a third action was taking place at the constituency office of pro-fracking minister, Francis Maude MP. Taking inspiration from Liberate Tate, a wind turbine blade was delivered to the roof of his office…
     
  5. Wind turbine outside office of Francis Maude MP
     
    …and with a rather lovely message for Mr. Maude to read on his return!
     
  6. Note left outside office of Francis Maude MP
     
    Back at the drill site in Balcombe, various groups set up a range of original and creative blockades at the gate, involving bikes, singers and dancers and locking on to a wheel chair… 
     
  7. Blockade outside Cuadrilla fracking site in Balcombe

    Sadly, the police decided to be heavy-handed in response to our peaceful protest…

  8. Protesters blockade Cuadrilla frack site in Balcombe, West Sussex

     

    Elsewhere in London, 6 people had gone to Lord Howell's town house for our next action and set up a 'For Shale' sign there. George Osborne's father-in-law is eager to spread fracking across the UK, particularly to the 'desolate north east'! Our activists from Newcastle might have other ideas…

  9. Fracking lobbyist Lord Howell's house is for shale!
  10. Fracking lobbyist Lord Howell's house: for shale!

     

    Back in Balcombe, the police decided to start arresting peaceful protesters staging a sit-in at the gate to the Cuadrillia site. Green MP, Caroline Lucas, was among those arrested…

Back at the camp, the children at Reclaim the Power (we were a gathering of all ages!) went on a bus ride to Balcombe village to speak to local people about the dangers of fracking to everyone's future. 
  1. Frack Free Future bus on tour!

     

    Word had spread to our friends and supporters worldwide about our day of action which had taken on Cuadrilla and the dash for gas from all sides!

    Then, only hours after being released, Caroline Lucas was fielding interviews, media work and back fighting fracking!

    And then, on Tuuesday, as we began making plans for the future…

    So as we pack down our camp today, it's not the end! As Ewa from No Dash For Gas put it, 'this is a marathon, not a sprint' and we will win the fight against fracking…

Above from here

Good video