27th October 2008: today protestors from Earth First! stopped work at an open-cast coal site for over two hours – they ran onto the site and clambered on diggers & dumpers and held out banners stopping the work safely. Some of the digger drivers were very friendly and were glad to have a break as they work very long shifts, from 7am-6:30 with only lunch & half hour breaks at 10 & 3. Today work had not been able to start till 10 as nature was fighting it’s own corner, with rain drowning the site, and it was stopped again at 1 for 3 hours due to the protest.
There are 2 sections of work being done at the moment – in section K5 the topsoil is being removed, and closer towards Smalley, near the new access road that is under construction, coal is being dug up.
After about an hour, a few police turned up (the whole of the local police station, bless) though they didn’t have the vehicles to get over the mud to the protestors! After hitching a lift from UK Coal workers across the mud, they tried various ruses to get the EF!ers’ names (PACE s.25 even though they hadn’t yet figured out what substantive offence had been committed), and back-up arriving, the police were set to start arrests for aggravated trespass.
Eventually, people decided to leave, though they were forced to give their details and photos for later cross-referencing. The cops quoted section 68 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act meaning that if those same protestors return within 3 months they risk arrest.
A dead easy fun day out, just armed with a press release, banners and a desire to see a just sustainable world in the future.
See you down in the woods at Lodge House, Derbyshire…
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Press release:
Work stopped at open cast coal mine site
Today activists from Earth First! (1) halted the continuing destruction of countryside at Shipley in Derbyshire by UK Coal. The action is part of an ongoing campaign against UK Coal’s plans to open mine 1 million tonnes of coal from the site, over the next five years. They plan to release 3.5 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere over this period.
The protesters entered the site around 1pm this afternoon and brought work to an end whilst they peacefully occupied machinery. They intend to stay for as long as possible.
Climate change is the biggest threat facing us, and burning coal is the biggest historical cause of climate change. Every day more coal is burned, yet industry and government seem intent on burning even more.
Jim Hansen, director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and eminent climate scientist, wrote in a letter (2) to Gordon Brown “The single greatest threat to the climate comes from burning coal. Coal-fired generation is historically responsible for most of the CO2 in the air today – responsible for about half of all carbon dioxide emissions globally”
Dave Porter, a protester at the site said ‘All over the country groups are emerging as part of a growing, international movement defending communities and the climate from new coal. We’re faced with a system that’s not listening to the people – a system that disregards the science in the face of the single biggest threat to our planet. If the government won’t save the country then it’s down to all of us to take action!”
Today’s action follows a mass trespass at the site on Saturday 25th October, when people from around the country gathered at the site in Derbyshire to show the strength of opposition to plans for developments in the coal industry.
In August activists squatted a derelict house (3) on the site of the proposed open cast mine, the eviction lasted for nine days and raised the profile of UK Coal’s activities in Derbyshire as well as their project costs.
People across the country are pledging to continue resistance to all developments of the UK coal industry.
Press phone 07722 727 064
Phone on Site 07900 028 306
Notes to the editor
(1)The principles behind Earth First! are non-hierarchical organisation and the use of direct action to confront, stop and eventually reverse the forces that are responsible for the destruction of the Earth and its inhabitants. EF! is not a cohesive group or campaign, but a banner for people who share similar philosophies to work under.
(2) Jim Hansen is the director of NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and an increasingly renowned climate scientist. He wrote an open letter to Gordon Brown on the 19th December 2007 calling on him to lead the way with renewable technologies and not renew coal. More recently he has given evidence to the
crown court in defence of 6 Greenpeace activist charged with criminal damage at Kingsnorth Power station in Kent.
(3)In June 2008,activists squat an abandoned farm at the Lodge House planned opencast site near Shipley in Derbyshire. The farm was about to be demolished, work was held up. The eviction cost the local police force £58,000 and UK coal will be billed for some of the expenses. The full cost of the eviction to UK coal who hired bailiffs and equipment, is expected to be much higher.
Other past actions on site: trespass, 2 at UK Coal, digger diving, squat.
Future action: 1 november – Residents’ demo at Lodge House, Derbyshire.
Meet at the entrance to the site on Heanor Road, the A6O8, by Smalley village. See http://www.multimap.com/s/xHBDydN0
eaven.umbrella@yahoo.co.uk
www.eavengreen.wordpress.com